Leslie Tentler is back with
another story of romance and suspense…this time in a small Southern beach town
called Rarity Cove. What happens when a woman on the run has her dangerous
secrets finally catch up with her? Find out in Before the Storm by Leslie
Tentler…
On Sale in Digital and Print: October 20, 2015
About BEFORE THE
STORM
Six years earlier, Trina Grissom disappeared, on the run for
her life. Now living under an assumed identity—as Samantha Marsh—she still struggles
with the dark secret she harbors and the fear she might one day be found. When
she moves to the coastal town of Rarity Cove, South Carolina, to open a café, a
handsome widower begins to chip away at the walls she’s built to protect
herself.
Mark St. Clair lost his wife two years ago in a tragic
accident. Head of the grand St. Clair resort, he distracts himself from his
lingering grief by running the family business and caring for his troubled
young daughter...until a beautiful restaurateur sets up shop in town. Before
meeting Samantha, Mark was convinced he could never be drawn to another woman.
But as his attraction to Samantha grows, the mystery surrounding her deepens.
As the two begin a hesitant courtship, double perils emerge.
Someone from Samantha’s lurid past comes calling, threatening to expose her.
And a powerful hurricane is forming in the Atlantic with the small beach town
in its path. Trapped in the storm by the brutal man who wants vengeance on
Samantha, she and Mark must fight for their lives.
My thoughts:
Before the Storm is a great book about second chances. Both Samantha and Mark are at a time in their life where they are trying to rebuild and move on. Samantha is in hiding and trying to be a different person Mark is trying to recover from his wife's tragic death. I really enjoyed watching Mark and Samantha fall for each other. Mark was just too cute in his attempts to get back into the dating game after two years of being off the market. He is just what Samantha needed.
I should warn you that there are a couple of harsh scenes in the book. They were a little hard to read. But they didn't distract from the enjoyment of the story, I highly recommend this book. It you like second chance stories, this one is worth checking out.
I should warn you that there are a couple of harsh scenes in the book. They were a little hard to read. But they didn't distract from the enjoyment of the story, I highly recommend this book. It you like second chance stories, this one is worth checking out.
Excerpt:
The Sea King Motor Court sat off the two-lane highway
heading inland out of Rarity Cove. A good four miles from the beach, the
one-story, painted cinderblock structure was outdated and somewhat run-down,
with a small swimming pool surrounded by a chain-link fence next to the parking
lot. Samantha walked past the unoccupied, darkened pool, clutching her purse
that contained Lenny’s payoff.
Room six. She stood outside it and reminded herself to
breathe. But her courage felt shattered, like so many broken shell fragments
washed up along the shore. The porch light beside the door had either burned
out or been purposely extinguished. If not for the moon overhead and the
iridescent, droning orange of the motel signage, she would be in eerie
darkness.
Nearly choking on dread, Samantha knocked. As she waited,
her fingers roamed inside her purse until she felt the handle of the kitchen
knife she’d brought with her from Café Bella. If Lenny tried to take more than
the money, if he grabbed her and tried to force her…
Samantha shivered despite the evening’s humidity. Jittery,
she knocked again, louder this time.
The muffled blare of a television came from another of the
guest rooms. But the one in front of her remained silent. Samantha glanced at
her wristwatch, checking the time again. Five minutes past eleven. An
eighteen-wheeler pulled into the parking lot, its big tires crunching over gravel.
It came to a stop at the far side of the motel. A driver wearing cowboy boots, jeans
and a baseball cap climbed down from the cab. The man approached and nodded
politely at her as he traveled past, then disappeared inside one of the rooms.
Samantha knocked again on Lenny’s door, this time with the
flat of her hand. Her palm smarted with the effort. But again there was no
response. What kind of game was he playing?
Weak with pent-up fear and growing frustration, Samantha
moved to the window and tried to peer between the slit in the closed curtains.
But the room’s interior appeared dark. She sagged onto the white plastic lawn
chair next to the air conditioner vent. A thin trail of water leaked from the
unit across the grimy concrete stoop, reaching her leather thong sandals. She
hadn’t worn the requested stripper heels.
She wondered what to do. Keep waiting? For how long? She
squinted at a line of plastic flamingos planted in the motel’s patchy Bermuda
grass. They called attention to a sign urging passersby to inquire about weekly
rent specials.
Lenny wasn’t home, apparently. Samantha rubbed her hands
over her upper arms, confused. Had he forgotten it was his payday?
That didn’t seem possible.
CELEBRATE THE RELEASE
WITH A GIVEAWAY!
Two runners-up will
receive their choice of an ebook from Leslie’s backlist
Leslie Tentler is also the author of FALLEN as well as the Chasing
Evil Trilogy (MIDNIGHT CALLER, MIDNIGHT FEAR and EDGE OF MIDNIGHT). She was a
finalist for Best First Novel at ThrillerFest 2012, and is a two-time finalist
for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense. She is
also the recipient of the prestigious Maggie Award of Excellence.
Leslie is a member of Romance Writers of America, International
Thriller Writers, and Novelists, Inc. A native of East Tennessee, she currently
resides in Atlanta.
