Katya’s middle name may be Aphrodite, but she has no interest in relationships. In fact, she has three rules she lives by:
1. Never spend the night.
2. Never sleep with the same guy twice.
3. Never fall in love.
Oh, and number 3.1 is never order the same coffee two days in a row.
That’s a lot of nevers, but when she breaks every single one of them, repeatedly (her undoing was a vanilla latte with a heart in the foam, BTW), she begins to wonder…
Actually, it was a batch of chocolate chip cookies that started her downward spiral. Never mind, scratch that, it was Spencer—her neighbor. He’s also a banker, a player, and seems to know just what Kat wants, which isn’t love.
Until they start to spend a lot of time together…
Until she finds one of his socks at her place…
Until they go to a ski resort for a long weekend…
Until he has a snowboarding injury…
As Kat struggles with the part of her that wants to be strong, single, and on the scene and the mushy, melty, romantic within, she tries desperately not to fall in love. But what’s wrong with falling if you have someone with dark tousled hair, refined yet ruggedly handsome features, and chiseled abs to catch you?
Nothing. Nothing at all.
How Not to Fall in Love is the companion novella to Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told, but can be read as a standalone romantic comedy
And
Let go from her job and feeling lost, Navy Carrington takes a position as coffee-girl at a publicity firm. Their newest client is Carrick Kennely, the former love of her life and her fiercest adversary. She thought she’d let go of the past by playing it safe with book boyfriends—and avoiding frustratingly sexy guys like Carrick.
When Navy’s roommate finds the Boyfriend Book, a silly relic leftover from Navy’s teens, it prompts a dare; Navy is to go on five dates and pick one to be her Valentine. Despite her reservations, she can’t say no, especially if it means proving to herself and Carrick that she can move on.
Navy chronicles her brief romantic entanglements with the Hottie in 7G, the Man-Bun-Barista, the Gym Stud, and the Book Boyfriend who turns out to be a toad—not the kind that when kissed turns into a prince—, on The Boyfriend Book Blog. She doesn’t want to let her readers or herself down, but as Valentine’s Day nears, none of the guys comes close to being her one true love.
Except Carrick. He’s infuriating, attractive, confusing, catnip…and it turns out he has a secret.
With a love letter and a plane ticket in hand, Navy leaves her baggage behind and must decide between love, hate, and the lies she told to protect her fragile heart.
Told with humor and heart, Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told may appeal to readers who enjoy Alice Clayton, Sally Thorne, and Emily Giffin’s work.
Spencer wrote such a heartfelt note to his love…
Keep reading to see the full Love Note!
Dear Katya,
Up until I met you, I was a failure in the kitchen. In fact, aside from brewing the occasional cup of coffee, the surfaces in that part of my condo only served one purpose—if we couldn’t make it from the door to the bedroom.
You’ve changed me. Don’t get me wrong, if you want to experiment on the counter, perhaps gain some leverage from the dinette, or store whipped cream in the fridge for other things… I’m all for it. You’ve taught me more than how to make the best chocolate chip cookies ever.
You’ve taught me how to nourish a relationship—and that there’s more to it than great sex. You’ve helped me overcome my fear of slicing onions, of sautéing, roasting… all the things that involve emotions, commitment, getting close…
I look forward to time spent in the kitchen with you and the living room the bathroom… the bedroom, especially. Sorry, you can teach me to cook and love on my woman, but I think you like the other, hungrier parts of me too. I hope so because I like those parts of you too.
Cooking together and sharing a meal is only my second favorite thing we do together. You know the first, the second, and the third is how close we’ve become because of that. You’ve helped me roll up my sleeves, put on an apron, and be courageous wherever our time in the kitchen and beyond takes us.
Love,
Spencer
Deirdre Riordan Hall is the author of the new adult contemporary novel, To the Sea.
Deirdre studied at George Washington University. She enjoys writing, reading, surfing, and yoga. One of the best things about those activities is they’re all done barefoot. Although she loves shoes, she doesn’t like to wear them.
Deirdre writes upper young adult and new adult fiction. She spends her days with her family, at the custom-made desk her husband crafted—writing (what else?) or seaside, pretending she’s a mermaid.
For more, please visit her blog or twitter