This is a fun and quirky novel. The banter between the characters will have you laughing out loud and wondering if these people exist in real life.
This is my first book by Marie Harte, but I do plan to read more of her works in the future. Hopefully some of the supporting characters in this book will star in their own.- bookjunkie
Published: September 26th, 2017
Tonight, she plans to let go.
Tonight, she plans to let go.
Dressed up and anonymous, Sadie Liberato feels powerful, sexy and free. Where better to lose herself than a masked party?
Gear Blackstone's cheating ex and scheming best friend have managed to spin his life into a serious downward spiral. At least with a mask on he can cut loose for one night. And cut loose he does―with the sexiest, snarkiest chick he's ever met.
After a scorching-hot encounter, Sadie and Gear are desperate to find each other in real life. But can the heat last when the masks come off?
“Harte pens a sizzlingly sexy romance that is both playful and meaningful, exploring real and metaphorical masks, perception, and reality.” KIRKUS
EXCERPT
He grabbed the TV remote from her hands, lifted her up and settled her on his lap while he flicked through channels.
“Hey. That’s mine.”
“I’m a guest.” He batted her grabby hands away.
“Well, you can’t stay late. I have to be up early tomorrow to set up for the festival.” Sadie told him about Sofa’s stand, where they’d be selling hot cider and goodies.
“Are you there all day? I’d call and ask you about it tomorrow, but we both know you never answer your phone.”
“Shut up about that already.” He’d swear she sounded embarrassed. “I said I’d talk to you the next time you called.”
“Gosh, Sadie. I’m the luckiest man on earth,” he said in his best Lassie’s-the-best-dog-in-the-world voice.
She shook with laughter, then yawned.
“Ah, I win. I outlasted the mean chick.”
“We’re playing a game?” she asked.
One where I win the girl if I’m careful. Oh hell. Do I want to win the girl? Then Sadie kissed the underside of his chin and snuggled close. Sugar and cherries hit him hard.
“No game, Sadie. I’m not good at playing them.”
“Me neither. I’m a lightweight. It’s sad.”
He smiled and rested his chin on top of her head. “I wouldn’t call you a lightweight. More like welterweight. Maybe light middleweight.”
She chuckled. “You’re a funny guy.”
“Don’t sound so surprised.” He kissed the top of her head.
“Mmm. I like that. You’re warm.” After a pause, she rubbed his pecs, and his heart gave a strangled leap. “If you’re free tomorrow, you should stop by. I’ll give you free cider.”
“Well, for free cider, I might have to.”
She nodded, her breath warm against his chest. A few moments passed, her breathing growing deeper, more even. “Gear?”
“Yeah, honey?”
“Am I boring?”
He frowned. “You? Boring? You’re the least boring person I know. Scary, cantankerous—and yes, I know what that means. I do read, you know. Oh, and obnoxious. But boring? Hell no.”
He felt her smile against his chest. “Good. You aren’t either. And I’m glad Sahara cheated on you.”
The hurt he felt surprised him, mostly because he hadn’t expected Sadie to be cruel.
“Because you deserve so much better than her.”
He relaxed, stunned to go from feeling high to low and back to high again. “Boring, Sadie? You? Never.” He stroked her hair, loving that she left it long, out of a ponytail.
She fell asleep in his arms, and he wondered how he could feel such bone-deep contentment with a woman he’d met only a week ago. A woman he didn’t want to leave, even though he knew it would be best for both of them in the long run.
But Gear had never been all that smart. So he carried her into her bedroom and tucked her in. The soft blue room needed further exploring, but not now. So he kissed her goodbye, fit her into a compartment in his brain, and his heart, and left, locking up as he walked out.
Once home and in bed, he set his alarm for ten. He had things to do in the morning. And people to see. One dark-haired siren in particular.
Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit Marie's website and fall in love.
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