by: Melanie Summers
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy
Release Date: April 7, 2022
Amazon | Paperback | Goodreads
A swoon-worthy, buttery, uber-fun romance about a marriage of convenience between two people who couldn't be more wrong for each other...
You know what’s great about applying for an art history Ph.D. program at one of the world’s most prestigious universities? I get to study what I love and land my dream job at the end of it. You know what’s not so great? Being told I’ll only get accepted to the program if I gain access to my aloof, uppity, super grumpy boss’s private art collection.
As it turns out, said boss—a one Lord Hayden Stuart—needs to get married to inherit his late father’s estate and earldom. And if there’s one thing Hayden Stuart is never going to want for real—it’s a wife.
So, we strike up a deal: I marry him and go live at his castle, where I’ll have unlimited access to his collection, he gets his earldom, and when the estate is settled, we part ways forever.
Win-win, right?
Wrong.
I may have fooled myself into believing I wasn’t risking my heart, but there’s one huge problem: I’m definitely falling for him. He’s not just another man. He’s THE man—an irresistibly good-looking, in-control, expensive-suit-wearing man who makes all the other men look like little boys. And the more time I spend with him pretending to be his wife, the more desperate I become to believe the lie.
But he’s never going to fall for some lowly Ph.D. student. So what if at the wedding he looked at me as if I’m the only woman in the world, and kissed me like he’s shipping off to war in the morning? It doesn’t mean anything.
Or does it?
Because the more we’re together, the more I realize that, even though we’re from totally different worlds, we have a lot more in common than I ever could have imagined.
Now all I have to do is convince him he really does want a wife…
*** Even Better Than the Real Thing is a standalone romance with a little extra spice than a regular Melanie Summers book. ***
“Hayden? Are you awake?”
My heart pounds in my chest. “Yes.”
“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. I’m sure you’d be an absolute crackerjack between the sheets.”
“I am, you know.”
“Are you?” she asks, sounding intrigued.
“Yes.”
“And how do you know that, exactly?” she asks. “Do you get a lot of five-star reviews on Google?”
Chuckling, I say, “Exclusively five-star reviews. In fact, nearly all of them write that they’d give me ten if that were an option.”
She laughs again, the warmth of it filling the empty space. “Well in that case, you really don’t need to worry about what some woman who hasn’t even tested the merchandise has to say.”
“Ah, but you’re not just some woman. You’re my wife,” I tell her in a light tone.
Neither of us says another word after that, letting the fact that she’s my wife hang in the air between us.
My heart pounds in my chest. “Yes.”
“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. I’m sure you’d be an absolute crackerjack between the sheets.”
“I am, you know.”
“Are you?” she asks, sounding intrigued.
“Yes.”
“And how do you know that, exactly?” she asks. “Do you get a lot of five-star reviews on Google?”
Chuckling, I say, “Exclusively five-star reviews. In fact, nearly all of them write that they’d give me ten if that were an option.”
She laughs again, the warmth of it filling the empty space. “Well in that case, you really don’t need to worry about what some woman who hasn’t even tested the merchandise has to say.”
“Ah, but you’re not just some woman. You’re my wife,” I tell her in a light tone.
Neither of us says another word after that, letting the fact that she’s my wife hang in the air between us.
Purchase Even Better Than the Real Thing from:
Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.
In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally - then she'll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for 'K' Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn't require makeup and/or nylons).
Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she's not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken 'from above'. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something--more like just staying until they turn the lights off.
She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International.
Places to find Melanie Summers:
I love the cover and excerpt.
ReplyDeleteI like the excerpt and cover. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLove the excerpt. The cover is lovely, too.
ReplyDeleted