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Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Spotlight: Excerpt from If You Lie: A Thriller by Caleb Stephens

If You Lie: A Thriller
Caleb Stephens
Publication date: November 1st 2024
Genres: Adult, Thriller

A buried past. A new-age cult. A floating prison with no way off.

Seven years ago, Olivia woke up in the trunk of a stranger’s car—and barely escaped with her life. She’s been looking over her shoulder ever since.

Now, Olivia is a true-crime podcaster on a mission to help other women avoid her fate. But years spent covering violence and crime have left her burned out. So when Olivia’s estranged sister Quinn invites her to reconnect on an exclusive cruise, she jumps at the chance for a break…only this trip won’t be the relaxing vacation she’s hoping for.

The ship is elegant, the meals are divine, and the people are friendly—maybe too friendly. But Quinn isn’t the sister Olivia remembers. And strange things are starting to happen that echo Olivia’s past in unsettling ways.

When someone on the ship goes missing, Olivia realizes she’s playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Only this time, she might not survive.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Sounds came.

The steady ping of rain drumming against steel.

The muted whoosh of wind. The high whine of rubber kissing asphalt.

I was moving.

Why am I moving?

Air clawed up my throat and slid back down again—slowly, painfully—my lungs pulling harder than my esophagus would allow, my chest rising and falling in uneven shifts. I couldn’t breathe.

I should be able to—

My eyelids snapped open to darkness. Pure black. I tried to scream and couldn’t. My voice was gone, lost in my burning throat. Another sound came instead—this one closer, directly overhead.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

I raised my hands and brushed a loose rod, then pushed past it and felt cool metal press against my palm. I followed it lower, the metal curving behind my head until it terminated in a rubber seal.

A car, I thought. I’m in a trunk.

Oh, God …

Oh, fuck.

It’s why my knees were jammed in a fetal position, why a rough pad of carpet burned against my cheek and scratched my neck. A shot of cold panic swam down my spine. Time stuttered, and I wheezed for oxygen. It felt like I was breathing through a straw. I was going to pass out if I didn’t get it together and fast.

Focus, Olivia. Stay calm.

And then: He thinks I’m dead.

It’s why my hands weren’t bound, why my mouth wasn’t gagged. It’s why my ankles weren’t slung in an interstate of knots. The man who’d done this to me thought I was dead. I could still feel his fingers squeezing, digging into my neck, could still hear his voice burning hot in my ear.

Fucking die, already!

Those words pouring over me in a shower of sour breath.

Clack. C-Clack. Clack.

Think, Olivia! You have to think!

I slowed my breathing and forced my mind to calm. There had to be a way to open the trunk or signal another car. A wire to rip free from the brake lights or a latch to pop. Didn’t all the newer cars have those specifically for situations like this? For women who, like me, simply disappeared?

And I would disappear if I didn’t find a way to get out.

My heart sloshed in my chest, and I rolled to my right, toward the sidewall of the trunk, and extended an arm. My fingers brushed over objects I recognized. Jumper cables, and a can of gas. Coiled rope and boxes. A hard plastic case. Duct tape. Nothing else.

Jesus, no latch.

I tried the other side, muttering a prayer as my hands crawled through a graveyard of clinking bottles, my fingers scraping over the dry brush of cardboard and through the crinkle of plastic sacks. Dust tickled the back of my nose, and I nearly unleashed a sneeze before I bit it off. Don’t! He’ll hear you. Then I tried again, moving slower this time, feeling for what had to be there.

And it was—nestled a few inches above the floor of the trunk.

A trunk release. A lever to pull.

Reality wobbled. My heart fluttered and crashed.

Work, I thought. Please, God, work.

I pulled.

There came a click, and the world exploded into a fireball of light. A gray sky moved above me, swollen with thunderheads, trees sweeping past on either side. Headlights coasted behind the car in a sea of rushing metal. Cold rain lashed against my neck. I forced myself upright, and the brakes slammed and sent me hurtling backward as the car screeched to a stop.

Move! Move! Move!

I scrambled from the trunk.

One foot connected with the ground. The other slipped. I crashed to the road, and the sound of rain filled my ears along with the heavy thunk of a door opening. Two boots hit asphalt.

His boots.

Air scabbed over my lips. The world swam.

Go! I pushed myself upright—and I ran. Across the white line on the shoulder of the road and into traffic with brakes shrieking all around me. Horns tearing past. Rain pelting my face. Wind hissing in my ears. Behind me came a full-throat roar.

“Stop, you fucking bitch!”

My lungs burned for air, everything smearing to a blur.

“I said, stop!” Louder this time. Closer.

But I didn’t stop, couldn’t stop. I kept running—pushing through the fire in my chest, ignoring the pain in my throat—until I stumbled off the road and tumbled down a grass-slicked descent.

Rolling now. Everything spinning. Gasping for air.

I splashed into a pool of muddy water and came up coughing, wiping my eyes to a sight that filled me with terror. The man stood above me on the hill, looking down with one hand balled into a fist and the other holding a knife.

You’re dead, I thought. He’s going to kill you.

A cloud of blue and red light rose behind him followed by a voice. “Remain where you are! Drop the knife!”

But the man didn’t. He just stared down at me with his breath turning to mist.

And took a step. Took another.

Then the gunshots rang out.


Author Bio:

Caleb Stephens is an award-winning author writing from Denver, Colorado. His novels include the thrillers If You Lie, The Girls in the Cabin, and Feeders, as well as the darkly humorous urban fantasy novel, Soul Couriers, which is forthcoming in 2025. His fiction collection If Only a Heart and Other Tales of Terror includes the short story “The Wallpaper Man,” which was adapted to film by Falconer Film & Media in 2022. He's hard at work writing his next thriller.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / TikTok


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Monday, November 4, 2024

Spotlight: Excerpt from Retribution by Wendy Million


 

As an undercover FBI agent, Kimi is no stranger to life-threatening situations. So when her latest assignment leads to one of Boston’s biggest crime families, she’s confident she can handle the pressure. But as she becomes embroiled in the lives of Finn and Lorcan Donaghey, Kimi realizes she might not be able to separate her job from her heart so easily this time. Readers who enjoy romantic suspense and mafia romances will want to sink their teeth into Retribution by Wendy Million, an enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity romance.

 
As an undercover FBI agent, Kimi is no stranger to life-threatening situations. When her newest assignment leads to the Donaghey brothers, one of Boston's biggest crime families, Kimi is confident she can handle the pressure.
 
But as she becomes embroiled in the lives of Finn and Lorcan, she realizes she might not be able to separate her job as Kim from the heart of Kimi quite so easily this time.
 
On the cusp of a mob war, Kimi must decide who to believe and who to save. Sometimes doing the right thing means doing something very wrong.
 
Add to Goodreads Here! 
Buy Now or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited! 



Excerpt

Copyright 2024, Wendy Million

Get it together, Kim. Get your head in the game, Kimi. Deep breaths.

The door opens without a knock. Why didn’t I lock it?

“Kim?” Lorcan’s words have the lilting quality that warms my body.

With the wall for support, I try to rise, but my legs almost give out. He rushes to my side and wraps a strong, sturdy arm around my waist.

“What the hell?” He examines my face, confusion and annoyance warring in him.

“I’m not feeling well.”

Concern overtakes the other emotions, filling his hazel eyes, and his lips purse. “We’ll reschedule.”

“No.” I shake my head. “I just need a minute.” Easing away from him, I tug down my jacket and straighten my shirt. My hands are raw, red.

“Kim.” His voice is pitched low. “I’m not putting you in that room if you’re feeling rough.” The bright color of my hands catches his attention, and he snatches one to examine. “What’d you do?”

“The soap.” With my head, I gesture to the sink.

He watches me, curiosity tinged with anger dancing across his face. “Did my deartháir mor do something to you earlier?”

I tug my hand from his larger ones. “No, no. I’m fine. I must have eaten something that didn’t agree with me. It came on suddenly, but I’m fine now. I can do this. I’ll be fine.” Even as I say it, my hand shakes when I yank again on the bottom of my jacket.

“That room is full of men who could kill us. It’s not the time for false bravado. Could you shoot a gun right now?” His voice is an urgent whisper.

“No.”

“No?”

“No.” Under my lashes, I can’t meet his gaze.

He sighs. While he looks at me, his hands clench into fists and then relax over and over. “Come out when you’re feeling better, or I’ll have someone come get you when we’re done. You hear shots, you get the hell outta here. Exit out to your left. You understand me?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

I don’t glance up until the door clicks closed behind him. At the sink, I press my hands into the sides of the vanity and stare at myself. Any credibility I’ve built the last few weeks is being destroyed the longer I’m in here. My black eyes peer back at me in a face that appears sun-kissed. I yank my hair out of the ponytail and redo it, trying to blank out my mind.

Chad. My Chad in that photo.

When I focus on my hands, Chad’s sticky hair coats them, blood seeping between my fingers as I scream for help in a deserted street. My chest aches at the memory. With my eyes closed, I swallow, and my throat is scratchy. I pushed these memories down so far I didn’t think they’d ever resurface.

It’s been twenty years. Might as well be yesterday.

I will get answers. When he died, I was too young; I didn’t understand. Seeing his picture on the wall is like having a window pried open in a hot, stuffy room.

I’m not closing it again.

War might be inevitable.

If the O’Malleys killed Chad, I’ll be the one firing the first shot.

 

About Wendy Million

Wendy Million is an award-winning author whose contemporary romances about strong women and troubled men have captivated her loyal readers. She is the author of the contemporary second-chance romances, When Stars Fall and Miss Matched. Writing as W. Million, she is the author of the Bellerive Royals series.

When not writing, Wendy enjoys spending time in or around the water. She lives in Ontario, Canada with two beautiful daughters, two cute pooches, and one handsome husband (who is grateful she doesn’t need two of those).

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Release Blitz: Excerpt from Like It's Christmas by Diana A. Hicks

 


Parker Cruz is determined to save Christmas and keep her promise to her dad and the only thing standing in her way is the town’s Scrooge, the newly appointed Mayor, Rhett Parker. After a series of unlucky events causing residents to start talking about canceling Christmas, Parker does the unthinkable and agrees to fake date her new boss. Readers who enjoy grumpy bosses and fake dating romances will want to sink their teeth into Like It’s Christmas by Diana A. Hicks, a steamy Christmas romance.
 

At Winterstorm Village, a record-breaking blizzard means a wedding before the season is over. This year promises to bring the mother of all snowstorms, and the residents couldn’t be more excited to see who’s next to tie the knot…
 
Rhett Parker hates Christmas. When the Mayor of Winterstorm has an unfortunate accident and ends up in a coma, Rhett is left hanging with the proverbial Santa Gift Bag. To make matters worse, the only one who can help him save their money-making tourist season is his office nemesis, Ms. Christmas cheer in a bottle, Parker Cruz.
 
Parker Cruz, the Mayor's daughter, is determined to save Christmas now that her dad isn’t there to make it all happen. The only person standing in her way is the town’s Scrooge, the newly appointed Mayor, Rhett Parker.
 
She's willing to do whatever it takes to make good on her promise to her dad. So, when a series of unlucky events strike, and the residents start talking about canceling Christmas, Parker does the unthinkable. She agrees to a fake date with her new boss. 
 
Love is always in the air during the holidays at Winterstorm Village. So what if this year it’s all pretend? Or is it?
 
Add to Goodreads Here!
  
Buy Now or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
 
 
Excerpt
Copyright 2024, Diana A. Hicks
 
“Jesus, a date?” Rhett reached over and yanked the pen out of my hand.
“Hey.” I turned to glare at him.
“You need to slow down.” He tossed the pen over his shoulder. “What are you going to do when people want us to kiss?”
“Why would they even ask? That would be creepy. Relax, it’ll never come to that. At most, we’ll have to hold hands.” I stopped to inhale and give him a chance to catch up.
He rubbed the creases on his forehead as he paced to the fireplace and back. Every time, he glanced up at me, his intense gaze would settle on mine. He was really considering all the angles. How about that? We actually made a good team. I was the idea instigator. He was the executor.
“Proximity.” He finally said.
“What does that mean?”
“Can you handle it?” He cocked his head.
“What?”
He prowled toward me as his eyes darkened. Was he mad now? No, that wasn’t it. Rhett was doing the smoldering thing on me. Shit, I swallowed to ease my dry throat. Okay, I could do this. I was a professional. He stopped a mere two inches from me. We’d never been this close before. Oddly enough, I wasn’t repulsed by it. It was nice.
“I’m not nauseous.” I lifted my head to look at him. “You?”
He jaw clenched, then released, his gaze never leaving mine.. “It’s doable.” He nodded then reached behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder and followed his line of sight. “What are you doing?” I asked when he pressed the intercom button.
“Lila, can I see you in my office, please.” He released the button and turned to me. “Getting the ball rolling.”
“Lila is Mrs. Birdwhistle’s God daughter. She’ll be Lila’s first call. And then…”
“And then, the whole town will know.” He brought his hand up to my waist. “Last call to back out, Cruz. It’s now or never.”
“Never.” I placed my hand on his chest just as he leaned in to press his forehead to mine.
My heart drummed so hard, I swore I heard its echo against the walls. Once Lila barged in on us, we would have to follow through on our lie, all the way to New Year’s eve. How hard could it be?
“Omigod.” Lila dropped her iPad. “I’m sorry.” She bent down to retrieve it then fell to her knees while trying to reach for her Mac pen. “I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to…um, the door was opened.”
“It’s fine. I was just leaving.” I tentatively stepped away from Rhett. I hadn’t considered how much touching we needed to do to convey our message. As it was, it already felt like I’d been in Rhett’s arms for a very long time.
For his part, Rhett slowly released my waist and let his fingers skim the length of my arm until they landed in my palm. Our bodies moved with such synchronicity, I didn’t have time to react to the goosebumps fluttering my skin or jerk away from him. I just stood there, spellbound.
 
About Diana A. Hicks

Diana A. Hicks is an award-winning author of steamy romantic suspense and science-fiction romance.
When Diana is not writing, she enjoys hot yoga, kickboxing, traveling, and indulging in the simple joys of life like wine and chocolate. She lives in Atlanta and loves spending time with her two children and husband. Connect with Diana on social media to stay up to date on her latest releases.
Praise for Diana A. Hicks:

"Hicks' first installment of her Desert Monsoon series is confident and assured with strong storytelling, nuanced characters, and a dynamic blend of romance and suspense...A sexy and irresistible tale for fans of contemporary romance." - Kirkus Reviews

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Sunday, November 3, 2024

Release Blitz: Review of Secret Southern Promises by Winter Travers

 


Series/Collection: Magnolia Grove Series
Author: Winter Travers
Release: October 29, 2024
Genre/Tropes: Contemporary Romance; Second Chance; Secret Baby Romance
Goodreads
 
𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦's 𝘬𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.
 
Dolly Hanes has always been rooted in Magnolia Grove—along with the secret she’s kept about her son Nash. Running her family’s grocery store and raising a boy on her own, Dolly made peace with her decision to let Boone West, the love of her life, walk away all those years ago.
 
Boone West left town chasing rodeo dreams and never knew the price Dolly paid to let him go. Now, after years away, he’s back in Magnolia Grove—only to find Dolly, the woman he never stopped loving, right where he left her. But she’s not alone anymore.
 
Can love heal the wounds of the past, or will the truth drive them apart forever?
 
Buy Links (Kindle Unlimited):
Universal: https://mybook.to/SecretSouthernPromises
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKY6F5LW
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CKY6F5LW
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CKY6F5LW
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CKY6F5LW
 
My thoughts:

Secret Southern Promises is the latest in the Magnolia Grove series.  This one features Dolly, the owner of the local grocery store and a blast from her past, Boone who has moved back to town.  The story is a second chance romance, but it also a secret baby story.  That is one of my least favorite tropes.  I'll never understand it and I always feel bad for the guy and the kid. The story was also a bit too short. I didn't get a good feel for the couple together now 15 years later.  Despite those two things, I did ultimately enjoy my time with the book. I thought the ending was cute. It's a good addition to the series.




Available Now/Coming Soon in the Series:
>> Series Buy Link https://mybook.to/MagnoliaGrove
 
Single Southern Flirt by Cary Hart
Tropes: Brother’s Best Friend, Forced Proximity, Summer Fling
Available Now: https://mybook.to/SingleSouthernFlirt
 
Sweet Southern Memories by C.A. Harms
Tropes: Second Chance/Old love/Single Mom
Available Now: https://mybook.to/SweetSouthernMemories
 
Fake Southern Fiancé by Brittany Holland
Tropes: Small Town Romance, Fake Fiancé, One Night Stand
Available Now: https://mybook.to/FakeSouthernFiance
 
Rugged Southern Charmer by Fabiola Francisco
Tropes: Childhood friends to lovers
Available Now: https://mybook.to/RuggedSouthernCharmer
 
Slow Southern Kisses by TC Matson
Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, opposites attract
Available Now: https://mybook.to/SlowSouthernKisses
 
Endless Southern Love by Heidi McLaughlin
Release Date: August 8, 2024
Tropes: Coming Soon
Available Now: https://mybook.to/EndlessSouthernLove
 
Sweet Southern Heat by Ashley Cade
Release Date: September 12, 2024
Tropes: Small Town Romance, Ex’s Older Brother
Available Now: https://mybook.to/SweetSouthernHeat
 
Whispered Southern Secrets by Gail Haris
Release Date: November 7, 2024
Tropes: Coming Soon
Available Now: https://mybook.to/WhisperedSecrets
 
Beneath Southern Stars by Andrea Johnston
Release Date: December 12, 2024
Tropes: Single Dad, Celebrity, Christmas
Blurb & PreOrder: https://mybook.to/BeneathSouthernStars
 
Easy Southern Nights by Ellie Wade
Release Date: January 9, 2025
Tropes: Second Chance Romance, Brother's Best Friend, Single Dad
Blurb & PreOrder: Coming Soon
 
Author Bio:

Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Winter Travers is a devoted wife, mother, and aunt turned author who was born and raised in Wisconsin. After a brief stint in South Carolina following her heart to chase the man who is now her hubby, they retreated back up North to the changing seasons, and to the place they now call home.
Winter spends her days writing happily ever afters, and her nights being a karate mom hauling her son to practices and tournaments.. She also has an addiction to anything MC related, puppies, and baking.
 
Social Media Links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wintertravers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wintertravers
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wintertraversauthor/
Website: www.wintertravers.com
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/2HD0UAm
Mailing List: https://www.wintertravers.com
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2vAJPm1
BookBub: https://bit.ly/2HQtk7y
 

Saturday, November 2, 2024

Spotlight: Excerpt from Sleeping with the Frenemy by Natalie Caña

 


By Natalie Caña
On Sale Date: October 29, 2024
ISBN: 9780778305460
MIRA Trade Paperback
Price: $18.99 USD

The third book in the riotously funny Vega Family Love Stories finds big-headed firefighter Leo Vega trying to reignite a flame that’s gone cold and finally bring his secret love affair into the open.
 
“Irresistible… A vibrant second-chance love story about repairing community and romantic connection.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on A Dish Best Served Hot
 
The third book in the riotously funny Vega Family Love Stories finds self-assured firefighter Leo Vega trying to reignite the embers of a love gone cold.
 
Leo Vega’s love life has been on life support since long before the gunshot wound that put him on leave from the fire department. Now, a year after his injury, he’s hoping to both return to work and fix things with Sofi, the woman he’s had a secret on-again, off-again relationship with for years.
 
Sofia Santana may be ready to mend fences with her best friend, Leo’s sister, but she has no plans of letting Leo back into her bed or her heart. She’s charting a new path for her future, and past mistakes have no place in it. Then circumstances push Sofi and Leo into a tense roommate situation. It’s almost impossible to move on when Leo is there, reminding her what they had, every day.
 
With the help of Leo’s mischievous grandfather, Sofi’s equally devious grandmother and an adorably sweet rescue dog, Leo’s determined to get the stubborn woman of his dreams to finally see that they belong together—for good this time. 

 
Vega Family Love Stories:
Book 1: A Proposal They Can't Refuse
Book 2: A Dish Best Served Hot
 
Buy Links
HarperCollins
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Bookshop.org

Excerpt:

PROLOGUE


THE NIGHT OF KAMILAH VEGA AND LIAM KANE’S FIRST ENGAGEMENT PARTY


LEO VEGA ALREADY KNEW WHAT WAS IN STORE FOR HIM WHEN HE knocked on the door in front of him, but he did it anyway. The situation was too important for him to ignore. 

“What?” the grumpy voice said from the other side. 

“It’s me,” he said. 

“I know who it is. I have a camera doorbell.” Leo could practically hear the eye roll. “What do you want?” 

“We need to talk.” 

“I’m not really in the mood to talk.” 

Leo knew that he had two options if he wanted to be let in: be annoying or be cajoling. There was a fifty-fifty chance with either option. It all depended on whether the person on the other side of the door was more pissed or more hurt. His best guess was pissed because of the hurt. He went for cajoling, praying it worked. “Come on. Open the door. I just want to check on you.” 

There was noticeably less anger when the voice responded, “I’m fine.” 

“I need to see you with my own eyes.” 

A snort slash growl. He moved close and put his forehead against the door. “Please, bombón,” he said in a deep murmur. “Let me see you.” 

A hiss of annoyed breath filtered through the door, but it had obviously worked. 

He heard the locks being disengaged and he stepped back when the door swung open. There she stood, still in the body-hugging dress she’d worn to his sister’s disastrous engagement party. She looked almost as perfect as she had when she’d first walked in and nearly caused him to stroke out on the floor, except for one thing. All the immaculate makeup on her face was gone and her eyes were swollen and red rimmed. 

He knew there was a good chance she’d push him away, but he couldn’t stop his response. He stepped into the apartment and palmed her damp cheek. “Come here.” He pulled her into a hug and was mildly surprised when she let him. “Ay, mi Sofi.” 

Sofi didn’t respond, she just buried her face in his neck and squeezed him. 

He tightened his hold on her and firmly told himself to ignore the way her body felt against his, but it was impossible. It always was. It had been since they were teens. Sofia Santana just did something to him on every single level. To attempt to ignore her was like trying to ignore being tased. Even if he managed to shut his thoughts down, his body wasn’t going to let him not react to the inundation of sensation. 

“What happened?” he asked after a few minutes of silence. “All I could understand from a blubbering Kamilah is that you left because you’re mad at her.”

Sofi pulled back. A scowl appeared on her face. “Of course it’s all because of me, right?”

Leo frowned. “I didn’t say that. I’m just trying to understand what happened.” It was hard for him to believe that she hadn’t known about this whole fake engagement stunt either. He’d figured that she had to be in on it too. Kamilah and Sofi did everything together from the moment they met. It was often annoying to him just how close they were. 

“She lied to me,” Sofi said. 

“She lied to all of us,” he pointed out. He was angry about that too, but Sofi wasn’t the type to get so upset about something like this. At the end of the day Kamilah and Liam faking an engagement to keep their grandpas from selling the family businesses they wanted to run didn’t really affect Sofi that much. It wasn’t like she had a stake in either business, not like Leo did. 

Sofi pushed away from him. “Not about that,” she scoffed. “I knew about that stupid shit with Liam. I warned her about that blowing up in her face, but she did it anyway.” Leo suddenly remembered something else that had come up. Something that had affected Sofi. “You didn’t know she’d turned down the scholarship in Paris,” he concluded. Kamilah and Sofi had planned to move to Paris together after high school, but when their abuela got sick, Kamilah lied to everyone and told them she hadn’t gotten the scholarship that would have made the move possible. 

Sofi actually growled in anger. “Can you believe that bullshit?” She stalked down the short hallway into her living room. “Not only did we say we were going to do that since middle school, but we had plans. Firm plans. I had a school lined up! We were looking at apartments!” 

Leo could understand how that would be frustrating at the very least, more likely heartbreaking. “Why didn’t you just go anyway?” 

Sofi let out a bark of unamused laughter. “Have you met my mother? You think she was going to be okay with me going to Europe by myself? She didn’t want me to go even with Kamilah, but once Kamilah wasn’t an option…” 

Leo knew Sofi’s mother pretty well and Alicia Santana was not someone you ignored when she put her foot down. However, she wasn’t an unreasonable person and she trusted her daughter. “I don’t know, bombón. I think she would’ve come around eventually.” 

“You don’t get it, Leo. Once Kamilah said she wasn’t accepted, everything changed for me. I had to—” She cut herself off. “Forget it. That’s not the point. The point is that not only did she lie to me, she kept this a secret for twelve years.” 

Leo wasn’t exactly as upset about the situation as he could be. The truth was that he’d been keeping a secret from his sister for longer than that. So had Sofi. “I understand how learning all this would upset you, but Sofi, come on.” 

She spun on her heel and gave him a look that said, You’d better not be saying what I think you’re saying, while her mouth said, “Come on, what?” 

He gestured between the two of them. 

Sofi arched a brow. 

“Are you really going to make me say it?” 

She crossed her arms and looked him up and down. “I guess you’d better because I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He gave her a look. She couldn’t be serious. 

“Sofi…” She pursed her lips. Leo sucked his teeth. “Sofi, we’ve been together on and off for how long now? Since you were like fifteen?” 

“First of all, we kissed once when I was fifteen and then nothing happened again until much later. Second of all, we have never been together, we have sex when we are both single, bored, and horny, which is not the same thing.” 

Leo didn’t let the hurt that statement caused distract him. “Yet, never once did you mention it to Kamilah and you forbid me from telling anyone about it, because you don’t want it to get back to her.” 

“I don’t want you telling everyone and their momma about it, because who I sleep with is nobody’s fucking business but mine.” 

Leo had to roll his eyes at that. She was so weird about people “knowing her business.” She tended to think that her life was so interesting that it was some sort of gossip fodder. It was ridiculous. She worked at her father’s company, went grocery shopping with her mom every week, and liked to go dancing with her friends on the weekend. Her life was not that different from plenty of women he knew. Shit, their secret relationship (because it was a fucking relationship) was probably the most interesting thing about her life. “You never want her to find out, because you know she’ll be upset about you lying to her. Sort of how you’re mad now.” 

“Are you really throwing this in my face right now?” 

“All I’m saying is that it’s not easy to tell people stuff you know will hurt them, so maybe you should give her a break.” 

Her eyes widened. “Give her a break,” she murmured to herself. When she looked at him, there was anger and shock in her expression. “You really are standing in front of me not only defending her, but trying to guilt me out of feeling my own emotions right now.” 

“I just think given the circumstances we both owe her—” “I. Don’t. Owe. Her. Shit.” She accentuated each word with a clap of her hands then paused, screwed up her face, and shook her head as if disgusted. “I don’t owe you shit either. Why am I even having this conversation with you?” 

“Sof—” “I should’ve known that at the end of the day you were going to pick her side over mine.” 

“How do you figure?” 

“Because, Leo, that’s how your family operates. Y’all are all open and friendly and welcoming until something happens. Then you close rank like a bunch of elephants circling around the weakest members of the herd. It happens every time Big Sam and your tía Iris break up. It happened when Chase left Kamilah. Y’all still barely talk to your tía Alba’s husband after he said Puerto Rico should become a state.” 

“Not true,” Leo argued. “He said that Puerto Ricans on the island wouldn’t be able to run a country without the US, so they needed to be a state which is different than just saying that Puerto Rico should be a state. And we hardly liked his conceited and low-key racist ass before that. Plus, you were just as mad about that as the rest of us were!” 

“That’s not the point, Leo!” she yelled at him. “Then what is your point,” he yelled back. “Because you aren’t making any fucking sense.” 

“My point is that I’m done. I have no interest in doing this with you, your sister, or anyone else in your family.” 

Leo froze. His body going cold. “What does that mean?” 

“That means that I’m not making up with Kamilah. I’m not coming around El Coquí anymore.” She paused and looked him right in the eyes. “I don’t want you coming here anymore either.” 

Leo scoffed. “You always say that and then you text to ask me what I’m doing and tell me to come over.” 

She passed by him to open her door. “Yeah well, why don’t you go home and wait for that message?” 

“Sofi,” he began. 

“Bye, Leo. Have a nice life.” Leo growled. He hated when she pulled that dismissive shit with him and she knew it. “You have to be the most stubborn person I’ve ever met,” he called.

“Didn’t I already tell you goodbye?” 

“One of these days, you’re going to push me too far and I’m not going to come back.” 

“Maybe I’ll be lucky and today will be the day.” 

Annoyed that she was being so stubborn and unreasonable, Leo stormed out the door. It closed with a snick behind him and Leo fought the urge to flip it off. Instead he stomped down the stairs to the front door of the building. He hated that Sofi did this to him. She’d push him away just to prove that she could. But she didn’t actually want him to go anywhere, which was why she always called him back. She’d do it again this time too. He knew she would, because—no matter how much they fought—they couldn’t live without each other. 

This was not an ending. It was only an intermission.



Excerpted from SLEEPING WITH THE FRENEMY by Natalie Caña, Copyright © 2024 by Natalie Caña. Published by Mira, an imprint of HarperCollins.


 
About the Author

Natalie Caña loves to incorporate her you’ll-never-believe-what-just-happened-to-me personal experiences, enthusiasm for telenovela tomfoolery, and love for her Latinx culture into creating funny, heartfelt, and just a little bit over-the-top contemporary romances for characters who look and sound like her.
 
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