by: Robin Bielman
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 23, 2021
Publisher: Entangled ~ Amara
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Cam Radcliffe is on a deadline to write his next blockbuster action film, but all he can think about lately is writing romance. The inspiration? His best friend, Reese.
They’ve known each other for years, but suddenly working in the same office has given him a whole new appreciation of her. Reese is driving him wild in the best possible way, and Cam only hopes it isn’t obvious. If she knew, he’s certain their friendship would reach The End.
So, of course, Reese figures it out. But the awkward, negative response he expected is nothing like the reality—like they’re living their own romcom.
A romcom that’s giving him the worst case of writer’s block at the absolute worst time in his career. Especially when the secret Reese has been forced to keep comes out…and threatens to ruin everything.
Reese sat on the couch with her laptop on her thighs, and a spiral notebook and her iPad beside her. She read quickly, a big plus with her job, and after twenty minutes of staring at her computer screen with no story idea for her screenplay, she’d decided to read instead. She typed up the last of her script notes for Shay and saved the word doc. One down.
Cam glanced at her from his position on the chair beside the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table, his hair an adorable mess from running his fingers through it several times. He shut his laptop with a decidedly unsatisfactory click. From what she’d gathered from his lack of typing, he hadn’t had a very productive afternoon.
“Want to talk about it?” she asked. Meaning his story and what troubled him about it.
“No, but thanks.”
She stared at him. He stared back. His eyes, his nose, his mouth, his cheeks, his forehead, all came together to produce a very handsome face. “While I was working, I may have googled some advice from Academy Award winnings screenwriters.”
The murky hue dulling his tired eyes fizzled out. “Oh, you did, did you?”
“There was some good stuff there.”
“Lay your favorite on me.”
“Jordan Peele said ‘when dealing with writer’s block, follow the fun. If you aren’t having fun, then you’re doing it wrong.’”
“Which got you thinking…”
It’s like he could read her mind. “That we should have some fun. But a kind of fun to help with your story.”
“I’m listening.”
She put aside her computer and leaned forward. “Think you could get your hands on some fireworks? Nothing major, just a couple little ones? And only the legal kind.”
His brows furrowed. “You want me to buy fireworks?”
“Are your ears plugged or something? Yes. Or party poppers might work, too, if you can’t get the good stuff. Anything with some spark and combustibility and that can be placed on the ground.”
He lifted his feet off the coffee table and planted them on the hardwood floor. “Okay, Girl-With-A-Plan, I think I can meet your request. What are you going to do while I track down some low hazard fire power?”
She grinned. She loved when he went along with her ideas like they were perfectly normal. He trusted her and followed her lead with unflinching calm, making her feel more important than anyone else ever had.
“I’ll be shopping, too.” She jumped to her feet, excited. “Meet back here in an hour?”
“That should work.” He stood. “This is going to be fun, you say?”
“Totally!”
A little over an hour later, they reconvened on the driveway. The timing was perfect; Pixie and Paul were out to dinner, Gael was still at work at the garage, and she didn’t know where Nash was, but he wasn’t home.
Which meant no one would be alarmed by the noise about to go down.
The fading sun shined down on them and a lukewarm breeze ruffled leaves. Reese had pulled on a sweatshirt over her white cotton dress. “You ready?” she asked, bouncing on her feet. Two large plastic shopping bags lay on the ground.
He put down a small cardboard box. “I think so.” Kneeling, he pulled out his purchases. “We’ve got a couple of fountain fireworks, some sparklers, and a volcano.” He looked up at her. “Whatcha got?”
She dumped out the contents of the first bag. “I have Hot Wheels cars and two crisscross crash sets! I thought we could blow everything up. You know, like they do in your movies. If this doesn’t inspire you and bring out your inner crash-boom-bah, then we can’t be friends anymore.” She poured out a dozen Hot Wheels cars from the second bag. “Am I awesome or what?”
Cam watched her, appreciation written all over his face.
“Correction,” she said. “We’re awesome.”
“We make a good team.” He seemed unable to take his eyes off her, for one second, two, three…
Cam glanced at her from his position on the chair beside the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table, his hair an adorable mess from running his fingers through it several times. He shut his laptop with a decidedly unsatisfactory click. From what she’d gathered from his lack of typing, he hadn’t had a very productive afternoon.
“Want to talk about it?” she asked. Meaning his story and what troubled him about it.
“No, but thanks.”
She stared at him. He stared back. His eyes, his nose, his mouth, his cheeks, his forehead, all came together to produce a very handsome face. “While I was working, I may have googled some advice from Academy Award winnings screenwriters.”
The murky hue dulling his tired eyes fizzled out. “Oh, you did, did you?”
“There was some good stuff there.”
“Lay your favorite on me.”
“Jordan Peele said ‘when dealing with writer’s block, follow the fun. If you aren’t having fun, then you’re doing it wrong.’”
“Which got you thinking…”
It’s like he could read her mind. “That we should have some fun. But a kind of fun to help with your story.”
“I’m listening.”
She put aside her computer and leaned forward. “Think you could get your hands on some fireworks? Nothing major, just a couple little ones? And only the legal kind.”
His brows furrowed. “You want me to buy fireworks?”
“Are your ears plugged or something? Yes. Or party poppers might work, too, if you can’t get the good stuff. Anything with some spark and combustibility and that can be placed on the ground.”
He lifted his feet off the coffee table and planted them on the hardwood floor. “Okay, Girl-With-A-Plan, I think I can meet your request. What are you going to do while I track down some low hazard fire power?”
She grinned. She loved when he went along with her ideas like they were perfectly normal. He trusted her and followed her lead with unflinching calm, making her feel more important than anyone else ever had.
“I’ll be shopping, too.” She jumped to her feet, excited. “Meet back here in an hour?”
“That should work.” He stood. “This is going to be fun, you say?”
“Totally!”
A little over an hour later, they reconvened on the driveway. The timing was perfect; Pixie and Paul were out to dinner, Gael was still at work at the garage, and she didn’t know where Nash was, but he wasn’t home.
Which meant no one would be alarmed by the noise about to go down.
The fading sun shined down on them and a lukewarm breeze ruffled leaves. Reese had pulled on a sweatshirt over her white cotton dress. “You ready?” she asked, bouncing on her feet. Two large plastic shopping bags lay on the ground.
He put down a small cardboard box. “I think so.” Kneeling, he pulled out his purchases. “We’ve got a couple of fountain fireworks, some sparklers, and a volcano.” He looked up at her. “Whatcha got?”
She dumped out the contents of the first bag. “I have Hot Wheels cars and two crisscross crash sets! I thought we could blow everything up. You know, like they do in your movies. If this doesn’t inspire you and bring out your inner crash-boom-bah, then we can’t be friends anymore.” She poured out a dozen Hot Wheels cars from the second bag. “Am I awesome or what?”
Cam watched her, appreciation written all over his face.
“Correction,” she said. “We’re awesome.”
“We make a good team.” He seemed unable to take his eyes off her, for one second, two, three…
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Her fondness for swoon-worthy heroes who flirt and stumble upon the girl they can't live without jumpstarts most of her story ideas. She writes with a steady stream of caffeine nearby (see above) and the best dog on the planet, Harry, by her side. She also dreams of traveling to faraway places and loves to connect with readers. Keep in touch on social! xoxo
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Love this cover! Sounds like an amazing book!
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