by: Jennifer Shirk
Series: A Resort to Romance Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 16, 2019
Amazon | Goodreads
Get ready for ten weeks of romance in the Bahamas with a new series brought to you by some of the best authors in the inspirational and sweet romance genres…
Ten delightful - and standalone - novellas linked by one matchmaking week. You’ll want to devour each one!
It’s Matchmaking Week at an all-inclusive resort on a private island in the Bahamas. Each guest has been expertly paired and is here to enjoy one full week with their match. While there’s no money-back guarantee on the paid trip, the participants are guaranteed to find love!
This is A Match for Mr. Write...
Magazine editor Gemma Carmichael has been secretly in love with her co-worker Blade for 5 years and when he suddenly breaks off his engagement, Gemma decides this is her chance to woo her man. He signs up for a matchmaking getaway and she decides to do it too, positive they're a match. But to her surprise, she's matched with Sawyer Bennett, a brooding romance author who only came on the island to write and who doesn't even believe in love. (Obviously the Sterling sisters have no idea what they're doing!)
Romance author, Sawyer Bennett, did not sign up for this. He thought his travel agent cousin was sending him on a nice, normal vacation in the Bahamas, not to bad reality TV recreation. The only romance he's interested in is the one between his characters. After all, family history has shown him that true love is just fiction, which is why he's so good at writing it. But now, he's stuck in a romance book situation, with contracts that can't be broken and matched to the pretty but kooky redhead, Gemma. (Obviously, the Sterling sisters have no idea what they're doing!)
However, the magazine Gemma works for would provide great publicity for his next release, so he agrees to help her win her true love in exchange for her putting his book on the reviewer's upcoming list. Seems like an easy enough way to pass the week. Sawyer still doubts the existence of true love but by the end of the week, he can’t help but wonder if he could finally have found the write woman for him after all.
"That's why I'm here," she continued, breaking him from his thoughts. "This guy I've been in love with forever booked a matchmaking vacation this week, so I did too. We have so much in common. We work together. We live in the same city. I really should have been matched with him. But…"
"You got me instead."
"Yeah," she said with a sigh. "No offense." She flushed and looked away from him.
He nodded. That's why she was so eager to get rid of him. It all made sense now. She wanted someone else. Was in love with someone else. And that fact couldn't have been more perfect for Sawyer and his own situation…
He looked past her to the sea of couples mingling by the pool area. "Is your guy over there somewhere?"
"Yeah. He's the hot one with the tattoos."
Sawyer looked again and immediately saw the object of her affection. Rugged, both limbs inked up beyond skin recognition, and—dare he say as a straight-up heterosexual— very good-looking. On outward appearances alone, he could see why a woman would fancy herself in love with a man like that.
"What's his name?" he asked.
"Blade. Blade Gunner."
"For real?" Sawyer couldn't help it. He threw his head back and laughed.
She jammed a hand on her hip. "Just what is so funny?"
"Blade Gunner?" He wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. "Come on. That can't be his real name. That's too cheesy even for me to use. No self-respecting hero would be called Blade, never mind Gunner."
"It's not cheesy, and of course it's his real name." She bit her lip. "At least…I'm pretty sure it's his real name."
"Let's hope he didn't think of it on his own, and that he can blame his parents at least."
"Hey, I happen to think it's unique and sexy," she said, tossing her chin in the air.
"Yeah, maybe. For a porn star."
"That’s it. I'm outta here." She gathered her purse, was sitting in the grass, and slung it over her shoulder. "Your whole attitude is bad for my aura. I don't need this kind of negativity in my life."
Aura? Negativity? He held out spread hands to stop her. "Wait. We still have to sign up for our activities together. Six hours a day, remember?" As much as he wasn't looking forward to spending time with her and her aura either, backing out of the contract would not garner the best publicity for him, or his travel agent cousin. And he needed that review. He was definitely in a bind.
She rolled her eyes. "If you think I'm spending six minutes a day with you, you have another think coming." She marched past him with a huff, and along with her, any chance of obtaining that book review.
"But I can help you!" he blurted.
She stopped and turned her head. "Help me with what?"
"You know…" He pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "With your Tattoo Boy over there. While we're spending the required time together, I can create a little diversion so you can spend some time with him."
Her gaze dropped to the ground as if she were thinking it over. Finally, she uttered with defeat, "Blade doesn't know I'm alive."
Sawyer stepped closer to her. "I can help you gain his attention, too."
Her eyebrow quirked up. "Is that so? Out of the goodness of your heart you're just going to help me?"
"Not exactly."
"What are you looking for, book fodder?"
"Not book fodder. Not with a name like Blade Gunner, anyway. I'm looking for a book review. Goldie Sterling told me you were one of the editors for Looking Smart magazine. My next book comes out around Valentine's Day, so I thought maybe you could pull some strings and make sure my book is read."
She turned to face him and met his gaze directly. "So, that's your game. You'll pay for my vacation, and help me get Blade to realize we should be together, all for one lousy book review?"
He arched an eyebrow. "I highly doubt the review will be lousy. It's a damn good book. And whoever is reviewing will think so too, so I'm not worried about that. I just need the publicity that your magazine can bring to me right now. What do you say?"
She worried her pretty, pink, lush lip, and his stomach flipped. It was all he could do to tear his gaze away from her mouth. Get a grip, Bennet.
"I don't know…" she told him.
"Look, we're stuck with each other for the week anyway. We might as well both gain something out of it."
After a few agonizing seconds, she finally nodded and walked a few steps back to look up at him. "I guess you're right. My week can't get any worse. We might as well get what we both really want out of this vacation," she said, and extended her arm.
He automatically took her hand and was surprised at how perfectly it fit into his own. Not wanting to over-analyze that fact, he shook it and let go. But once he had, he felt bereft at the loss of contact and almost reached for her hand again.
"Great." He closed his grip and pressed his own hand tightly to his side. "Come by my room tomorrow. I'm in water villa number 5. I'm sure I'll have some great ideas by then. After all, this kind of thing is my specialty."
Her lips twitched. "What's your specialty? Subterfuge?"
He chuckled. "No, sweetheart. Romance."
"You got me instead."
"Yeah," she said with a sigh. "No offense." She flushed and looked away from him.
He nodded. That's why she was so eager to get rid of him. It all made sense now. She wanted someone else. Was in love with someone else. And that fact couldn't have been more perfect for Sawyer and his own situation…
He looked past her to the sea of couples mingling by the pool area. "Is your guy over there somewhere?"
"Yeah. He's the hot one with the tattoos."
Sawyer looked again and immediately saw the object of her affection. Rugged, both limbs inked up beyond skin recognition, and—dare he say as a straight-up heterosexual— very good-looking. On outward appearances alone, he could see why a woman would fancy herself in love with a man like that.
"What's his name?" he asked.
"Blade. Blade Gunner."
"For real?" Sawyer couldn't help it. He threw his head back and laughed.
She jammed a hand on her hip. "Just what is so funny?"
"Blade Gunner?" He wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. "Come on. That can't be his real name. That's too cheesy even for me to use. No self-respecting hero would be called Blade, never mind Gunner."
"It's not cheesy, and of course it's his real name." She bit her lip. "At least…I'm pretty sure it's his real name."
"Let's hope he didn't think of it on his own, and that he can blame his parents at least."
"Hey, I happen to think it's unique and sexy," she said, tossing her chin in the air.
"Yeah, maybe. For a porn star."
"That’s it. I'm outta here." She gathered her purse, was sitting in the grass, and slung it over her shoulder. "Your whole attitude is bad for my aura. I don't need this kind of negativity in my life."
Aura? Negativity? He held out spread hands to stop her. "Wait. We still have to sign up for our activities together. Six hours a day, remember?" As much as he wasn't looking forward to spending time with her and her aura either, backing out of the contract would not garner the best publicity for him, or his travel agent cousin. And he needed that review. He was definitely in a bind.
She rolled her eyes. "If you think I'm spending six minutes a day with you, you have another think coming." She marched past him with a huff, and along with her, any chance of obtaining that book review.
"But I can help you!" he blurted.
She stopped and turned her head. "Help me with what?"
"You know…" He pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "With your Tattoo Boy over there. While we're spending the required time together, I can create a little diversion so you can spend some time with him."
Her gaze dropped to the ground as if she were thinking it over. Finally, she uttered with defeat, "Blade doesn't know I'm alive."
Sawyer stepped closer to her. "I can help you gain his attention, too."
Her eyebrow quirked up. "Is that so? Out of the goodness of your heart you're just going to help me?"
"Not exactly."
"What are you looking for, book fodder?"
"Not book fodder. Not with a name like Blade Gunner, anyway. I'm looking for a book review. Goldie Sterling told me you were one of the editors for Looking Smart magazine. My next book comes out around Valentine's Day, so I thought maybe you could pull some strings and make sure my book is read."
She turned to face him and met his gaze directly. "So, that's your game. You'll pay for my vacation, and help me get Blade to realize we should be together, all for one lousy book review?"
He arched an eyebrow. "I highly doubt the review will be lousy. It's a damn good book. And whoever is reviewing will think so too, so I'm not worried about that. I just need the publicity that your magazine can bring to me right now. What do you say?"
She worried her pretty, pink, lush lip, and his stomach flipped. It was all he could do to tear his gaze away from her mouth. Get a grip, Bennet.
"I don't know…" she told him.
"Look, we're stuck with each other for the week anyway. We might as well both gain something out of it."
After a few agonizing seconds, she finally nodded and walked a few steps back to look up at him. "I guess you're right. My week can't get any worse. We might as well get what we both really want out of this vacation," she said, and extended her arm.
He automatically took her hand and was surprised at how perfectly it fit into his own. Not wanting to over-analyze that fact, he shook it and let go. But once he had, he felt bereft at the loss of contact and almost reached for her hand again.
"Great." He closed his grip and pressed his own hand tightly to his side. "Come by my room tomorrow. I'm in water villa number 5. I'm sure I'll have some great ideas by then. After all, this kind of thing is my specialty."
Her lips twitched. "What's your specialty? Subterfuge?"
He chuckled. "No, sweetheart. Romance."
Purchase A Match for Mr. Write from:
The Resort to Romance Novella Series:
She resides in a beach resort in NJ, so when she's not writing or working on her tan, she's taking care of her most treasured possessions: her husband, daughter and puppy (Sox).
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