It's release week for the first in Lynnette Austin's brand new Magnolia Brides series, The Best Laid Wedding Plans! To celebrate, we've got an excerpt from the book to share.
Jenni Beth’s eyes drifted to the flower girl. Daniella was antsy, her little fingers busily plucking the lace from the basket that held rose petals. And what in the world was Ricky, the ring bearer, doing to his shoelaces? Her eyes narrowed. Had he tied them together? Oh, boy.
As the sun set, the minister announced the newly joined Mr. and Mrs. Talbot, and Jenni Beth clapped with the rest of the guests while checking to make sure the walkway remained clear. The music began on cue, and the happy couple started down the aisle, hands laced, smiles bright.
When the ring bearer tripped, the best man scooped him onto one shoulder, diverting a minor catastrophe. She’d have to remember to thank him for the quick thinking.
If the reception went as smoothly, she could congratulate herself on a job well done.
While the bride and groom funneled their guests through the receiving line, Jenni Beth bolted to a separate section of the garden to make sure the cake, the bubbly, and the band were in place. She did a last-minute check on table settings, place cards, candles—the list was never ending.
The music started, the bridal party wended their way to the area, and the celebration began.
As the evening wore on, Jenni Beth relaxed.
A familiar voice whispered in her ear. “Dance with me.”
Cole Bryson. She hadn't seen his name on the guest list.
Shivers raced down her spine, and her heart stuttered. It had been too long, not long enough. “No.”
She wouldn't turn around, wouldn't meet those mesmerizing eyes.
His hands settled on her bare arms, and she nearly jumped. As the work-roughened hands moved over her skin, her stomach started a little dance of its own.
“I'm working, Cole.”
“Nothin' needs doin’ right now. Come on, sugar.”
Knowing she shouldn't, she turned to face him. Mistake. She always had found him irresistible, and that hadn't changed. He'd perfected that slow Southern drawl, had the sound of a true gentleman. But the twinkle in his eyes gave him away. Revealed the bad boy tucked not far below the surface.
Right now, dressed in a dark suit and tie, the man looked like every woman's dream. He appeared smooth and debonair, but beneath lay the wild.
He took her hand, and, God forgive her, she followed him, weak-kneed onto the portable dance floor, telling herself she didn't want to, that she only did it to keep peace. Knowing she lied.
A full moon shone overhead and candlelight flickered. When he drew her into his arms and pulled her close, she sighed. One hand held hers, the other settled south of her waist.
“You smell good, Jenni Beth. You always do.”
His voice, low and husky, sent goosebumps racing up and down her arms. Despite herself, she rested her head against his chest, seduced by the strong, steady beat of his heart, the illusion he could make everything and anything all right.
Grab Your Copy:
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First in the new Magnolia Brides series
ISBN: 9781492617976
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
SOME DREAMS ARE WORTH WHATEVER IT TAKES
Jenni Beth Beaumont left her broken heart behind when she
took her dream job in Savannah. But after her brother's death, Jenni Beth
returns home to help mend her parents' hearts as well as restore their
beautiful but crumbling antebellum mansion. New dreams take shape as Jenni Beth
sets to work replacing floors and fixing pipes to convert the family homestead
into the perfect wedding destination. However, some folks in their small
Southern town are determined to see her fail.
Cole Bryson was once the love of Jenni Beth's life, but the
charming architectural salvager has plans of his own for the Beaumont family
home. As the two butt heads, old turmoil is brought to the surface and Cole and
Jenni Beth will have to work through some painful memories and tough realities
before they can set their pasts aside and have a second chance at their own
happily ever after.
The luxury of staying home when the weather turns nasty, of
working in PJs and bare feet, and the fact that daydreaming is not only
permissible but encouraged, are a few of the reasons middle school teacher Lynnette
Austin gave up the classroom to write full-time. Lynnette grew up in
Pennsylvania’s Alleghany Mountains, moved to Upstate New York, then to the
Rockies in Wyoming. Presently she and her husband divide their time between
Southwest Florida’s beaches and Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. A finalist in
RWA's Golden Heart Contest, PASIC's Book of Your Heart Contest, and Georgia
Romance Writers' Maggie Contest, she’s published five books as Lynnette
Hallberg. She’s currently writing as Lynnette Austin. Having grown up in a
small town, that’s where her heart takes her—to those quirky small towns where
everybody knows everybody...and all their business, for better or worse.
Connect with Lynnette:
Website: http://www.authorlynnetteaustin.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LynnettAustin
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/romwriter/
Congrats on the release!
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