By: Heather Beck
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 21, 2019
Publisher: Kiss & Tell Publishing
Amazon | Goodreads
All that glitters isn’t gold...
Seventeen-year-old “It Girl” Ava Riley has it all – stunning good looks, her own reality show, and endorsement with the hottest brands. It’s just too bad that she also has a stalker who’s hell-bent on destroying her life.
Desperate to keep Ava safe, the Rileys move to Mar de Lágrimas, a small coastal town in the Yucatán Peninsula. Ava knows it’s the perfect place to hide, to keep her true identity a secret until the police catch her stalker. What she doesn’t expect is to fall in love with the vibrant culture, the breathtaking scenery, and a sexy local named Javier.
Javier is passionate, strong, and chivalrous – everything Ava wants in a guy – and even though a relationship is the last thing she needs right now, she can’t stay away from him. Their chemistry is intense, the time they spend together unforgettable, but she’s about to learn that he’s keeping some pretty big secrets, too.
Will Ava get her happily ever after with Javier, or will their troubled pasts put them both in danger?
As Javier turned around, smiled at Rowan, and began to walk toward them, Ava felt her pulse quicken. He was tall – at least six feet – and very well-built with broad shoulders and toned arms. He had caramel-colored skin, unruly dark hair, hazel eyes, and a chiseled jawline covered in second-day stubble. He looked a little older than her, maybe in his late teens or early twenties, and he was hot – the sexiest, most exotic guy she’d ever laid eyes on.
“Hey, Rowan,” Javier said as he stopped at their table. He had an accent and his voice was low and husky, which made him all the more sexy. He turned to Isabelle and Tessa and gave them a friendly smile, too, but when his eyes fell on Ava, his expression changed, turning slightly more serious. His gaze lingered on her, like he was savoring everything about her – her face, her eyes, her lips. Then finally, almost as if it was difficult, he turned his gaze away from Ava, causing a wave of disappointment to wash over her. “Who are your friends?” he asked Rowan.
“This is Isabelle Riley,” Rowan began to introduce them. “She’s going to be volunteering at Artista.”
“Oh, really?” Javier said as he shook her hand.
Isabelle nodded. “I’m Rowan’s new right-hand man, well, woman,” she said, a friendly smile on her face.
“Goodness knows I can use all the help I can get.” Rowan cast Isabelle a grateful smile before gesturing to Tessa and Ava and continuing. “And these are Isabelle’s daughters, Tessa and Ava.”
“Pleasure to meet you.” Tessa’s tone was a little flirtatious as she discreetly looked him up and down.
“You, too,” Javier said, smirking. He’d clearly picked up on Tessa’s interest in him, but as he turned from her and cast his eyes upon Ava, it was clear who he was interested in. “Hey,” he said in that low, husky voice, his smile sexy as he offered his hand to her.
“Hey,” Ava repeated, her voice soft, her heart starting to beat a little faster as she took his hand in hers. As their touch lingered, she felt a blush rise on her cheeks. His hand was strong and not completely smooth, telltale signs that he was a hard worker, a real manly type of guy.
“Javier de la Cruz is one of our clients at Artista,” Rowan said, causing Ava and Javier’s hands to finally part.
“Oh, really?” Isabelle said, looking pleasantly surprised that she’d run into a client already.
“How long have you been going to Artista?”
“Pretty much since it opened.”
“You have to see Javier’s work,” Rowan said, not only to Isabelle but Ava and Tessa, too. “It’s really something else.”
Javier laughed. “I hope that’s a compliment.”
“It definitely is,” Rowan said.
“So, you’re an artist?” Ava asked Javier, intrigued that he had a creative side and probably a sensitive one, too.
“I love to draw and paint, so if that makes me an artist, then I guess I am.”
“Humble, especially after what Rowan said about your work,” Ava commented, smiling. “What kind of things do you like to draw and paint?”
“Landscapes, animals, beaches…basically anything natural and beautiful that I can find in Mexico.”
“I can see how that would inspire you. I haven’t seen much of Mexico, but what I have is stunningly beautiful.”
“You’re right about that,” Javier said, looking so intently at Ava that she wondered if he was still talking about Mexico.
“I’ll have to stop by Artista sometime and check out your work,” Ava said flirtatiously, the words hardly out of her mouth when she saw a pretty girl with medium-length blonde hair and brown eyes approaching their table, a very annoyed expression on her face.
“Hey, Rowan,” Javier said as he stopped at their table. He had an accent and his voice was low and husky, which made him all the more sexy. He turned to Isabelle and Tessa and gave them a friendly smile, too, but when his eyes fell on Ava, his expression changed, turning slightly more serious. His gaze lingered on her, like he was savoring everything about her – her face, her eyes, her lips. Then finally, almost as if it was difficult, he turned his gaze away from Ava, causing a wave of disappointment to wash over her. “Who are your friends?” he asked Rowan.
“This is Isabelle Riley,” Rowan began to introduce them. “She’s going to be volunteering at Artista.”
“Oh, really?” Javier said as he shook her hand.
Isabelle nodded. “I’m Rowan’s new right-hand man, well, woman,” she said, a friendly smile on her face.
“Goodness knows I can use all the help I can get.” Rowan cast Isabelle a grateful smile before gesturing to Tessa and Ava and continuing. “And these are Isabelle’s daughters, Tessa and Ava.”
“Pleasure to meet you.” Tessa’s tone was a little flirtatious as she discreetly looked him up and down.
“You, too,” Javier said, smirking. He’d clearly picked up on Tessa’s interest in him, but as he turned from her and cast his eyes upon Ava, it was clear who he was interested in. “Hey,” he said in that low, husky voice, his smile sexy as he offered his hand to her.
“Hey,” Ava repeated, her voice soft, her heart starting to beat a little faster as she took his hand in hers. As their touch lingered, she felt a blush rise on her cheeks. His hand was strong and not completely smooth, telltale signs that he was a hard worker, a real manly type of guy.
“Javier de la Cruz is one of our clients at Artista,” Rowan said, causing Ava and Javier’s hands to finally part.
“Oh, really?” Isabelle said, looking pleasantly surprised that she’d run into a client already.
“How long have you been going to Artista?”
“Pretty much since it opened.”
“You have to see Javier’s work,” Rowan said, not only to Isabelle but Ava and Tessa, too. “It’s really something else.”
Javier laughed. “I hope that’s a compliment.”
“It definitely is,” Rowan said.
“So, you’re an artist?” Ava asked Javier, intrigued that he had a creative side and probably a sensitive one, too.
“I love to draw and paint, so if that makes me an artist, then I guess I am.”
“Humble, especially after what Rowan said about your work,” Ava commented, smiling. “What kind of things do you like to draw and paint?”
“Landscapes, animals, beaches…basically anything natural and beautiful that I can find in Mexico.”
“I can see how that would inspire you. I haven’t seen much of Mexico, but what I have is stunningly beautiful.”
“You’re right about that,” Javier said, looking so intently at Ava that she wondered if he was still talking about Mexico.
“I’ll have to stop by Artista sometime and check out your work,” Ava said flirtatiously, the words hardly out of her mouth when she saw a pretty girl with medium-length blonde hair and brown eyes approaching their table, a very annoyed expression on her face.
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Heather received an Honors Bachelor of Arts degree from university where she specialized in English and studied an array of disciplines. Currently, she is working on the Frostbitten series and has a middle grade anthology slated for publication. As a screenwriter, Heather has multiple television shows and movies in development. Her short films include: Young Eyes, The Rarity, Too Sensible For Love, Circular, and the forthcoming Witch’s Brew.
Besides writing, Heather’s greatest passion is the outdoors. She is an award-winning fisherwoman and a regular hiker. Her hobbies include swimming, playing badminton and volunteering with non-profit organizations.
Places to find Heather Beck:
Heather is offering one lucky person a copy of Troublemaker. Good luck.
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I like the excerpt.
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