Book & Author Details: A Hollywood Ending by Melanie Summers Publication date: August 10th 2023 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance Synopsis: When life hands you heartbreak, grab a sexy bodyguard… America’s sweetheart Courtney Bennett had it all – fame, fortune, and a doting husband in one of Hollywood’s most powerful men. But when he trades her in for a younger actress, Courtney’s world topples down around her.
With paparazzi on her tail and nowhere to turn, she hides away in a secluded cabin in Colorado with her new (and deliciously hot) bodyguard, Damien Young.
As Courtney strives to rebuild her shattered heart, she finds herself drawn to Damien, the man determined to get her back on her feet again.
But as a man of honor, Damien won’t take advantage of a woman in such a vulnerable state, no matter how undeniable their chemistry is.
Author’s Note: A Hollywood Ending is a sizzling, opposites-attract romance. It’s much spicier than a regular Melanie Summers rom-com so you may want to grab a fan (or maybe a glass of cold milk).
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/179934448-a-hollywood-ending Purchase: Amazon: https://amzn.to/47kNMZH
Keep Scrolling to the end for the GIVEAWAY!
Excerpts!
She ripped the warm center out and popped it in her mouth. “Mmmmm. Wow. White bread with real butter.” Sighing, she added, “You have no idea how long it’s been.”
“Quite a while, I’m guessing.”
“I’ve basically been hungry for the last decade. For real. And this is sssoooo damn good.” Damien watched her, his body responding as she closed her eyes and dragged her tongue across her lips. He cleared his throat and turned his gaze to the sunset for a moment. He could not allow himself to react like that to her. No matter how drawn to her he was. Glancing at the table, he looked for a way to distract himself. Picking up the bowl of mushrooms, he said, “More mushrooms, Ms. Bennett?”
“You know what, Mr. Young? I will have more mushrooms.” She tilted her head and gave him a thoughtful look. “But first, I need to thank you for taking such good care of me today. I know it’s not your job—carrying me around, feeding me, and listening to me go on about my life and my crappy marriage.”
“I’m happy to help however you need.”
She wiggled her eyebrows in the most lecherous way imaginable and said, “However I need, hmmm?” Then she giggled a full-on fit of laughter, her drink sloshing in her glass as she held it in front of her mouth. “Oh god, you should see your face!”
He slapped on a smile, recovering quickly from the direction his thoughts had plummeted. Dragging them back from the gutter, he smiled at her and spooned a huge helping of mushrooms onto her plate. “Here you go, Ms. Bennett.”
She sighed, her laughter dying out. “You’re no fun, you know that? I was just teasing.”
His entire body agreed with her assessment. Doing nothing was not fun at all. But he refused to look at Ms. Bennett anywhere other than those startlingly green eyes, and definitely not lower, where she was sliding the pendant from her necklace back and forth on the chain. Back and forth. Just above her cleavage.
It was going to be a long night.
Courtney had one arm wrapped around Damien’s muscular back, and the other one on her lap, holding her shoes and trying not to touch his chest. Damien stopped talking, but his words were working their way through her mind, embedding themselves in her heart. He was right. Her team had let her down. Maybe they didn’t deserve another chance. But she couldn’t think about that right now. One crisis at a time. She had some important decisions to make soon—but not today.
Not while she was being carried back to the cabin by this giant of a man. He made her feel so small. So safe. And it wasn’t just the size of him or the fact that he was carrying her; it was what he was saying. Here he was, almost a stranger, showing more caring and kindness than the people whom she’d trusted with both her career and her life for years.
Her fingers brushed against the cotton of his T-shirt and his warm, hard muscles underneath. She was shocked to realize that she was almost enjoying the feeling of being in his arms. There was no way she should be feeling anything close to that. Not given her current circumstances. Not given the nature of their relationship. He wouldn’t even call her by her first name. And yet, she couldn’t help herself. There was something so soothing about being held by him like this. She felt so cared for, even though she knew he was just being practical.
But she could think about it, couldn’t she? Just for a moment? A little fantasy to dissolve her pain for a few seconds. Her marriage ending, her foot bleeding, the press hunting her down—it all just disappeared as he held her. She didn’t notice the exact moment when she allowed her body to melt into him, but by the time they reached the house, she had her cheek pressed against his shoulder.
“Can you believe it?” Damien asked, lifting her up and spinning them in a circle.
She laughed with pure joy, her mouth mere inches from his. “I can’t. It’s too good to be true.”
He smiled up at her, loving how she felt in his arms. The scent of her perfume enveloped him, and he loved the feeling of his hands under her perfect ass, holding her against him. Her flirty, short sundress rode up, and he wanted her to wrap her legs around his waist more than anything.
Their celebratory hug quickly turned into a real embrace, and she slowly slid down his body until her feet touched the floor as they both seemed to realize what was happening. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and his were around her waist. He knew he should let go, but he couldn’t. He needed to redirect them back to celebrating, where it was safe.
“You did it,” he said, pride surging through him at how she had handled the call.
“I didn’t do anything except get the good news.” Courtney said, her voice thick with emotion.
God, she was gorgeous. “Not true. You handled that perfectly. You didn’t say too much or give anything away, just in case.”
“Do you think I need to worry about Dawn?” she asked, still not letting go.
“I don’t think so. She’s about to hand over everything you need to nail Brock’s ass to the wall. No way they’d want her to do that,” he answered, glancing down at her lips.
Lifting herself onto her toes, Courtney moved closer to him. “Good point,” she whispered. “I think it’s safe.”
“I think so too,” he said, knowing they were no longer talking about Dawn. Do not kiss her. Do not do it.
Courtney inched closer to him, her mouth so close to his that he could feel the warmth of her lips.
He swallowed hard and fought every urge he was feeling long enough to say, “We can’t do this.”
“Because I’m married?”
“Married?” His head snapped back a little. “You’re hardly married. It’s because you don’t need the complications of a rebound—and I don’t need the complications of a connection with a client.”
She nodded, disappointment filling her eyes as she slid her arms down from his neck and down to his chest. But then she gave him a sexy smile as she balled up his T-shirt with her fist. “What about a connection with a friend? Would that make it okay?”
Before he could answer, she had closed the distance between them, pulling him down until her mouth met his, hungry and wet.
Giveaway!
AUTHOR BIO:
Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers. 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. Author links: https://mjsummersbooks.wordpress.com/ https://twitter.com/mjsummersbooks https://www.instagram.com/mj_summers_author/ https://www.facebook.com/MJSummersAuthorPage https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17105602.Melanie_Summers
Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for giving me the chance to read and review this book!
I'm not sure who this cute dog is, but this photo was included in the book details so heres a cutie to enjoy.
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