For August’s #ForeverSummerReading exclusive, we have an excerpt from From Here to You by Jamie McGuire, now on sale! Also, don’t miss a giveaway to win Forever Romance’s latest releases.
As soon as I read the summary for Jamie McGuire’s latest novel, From Here to You, I *knew* I needed this book in my life…
As Darby Dixon sits in a tiny Texas church bathroom on her wedding day holding a positive pregnancy test, she realizes that marrying her fiancé would be the worst decision of her life. She’s never been very good at standing up for herself, but she’ll sure as hell stand up for her baby. With very little cash and a ton of courage, she flees town to take a new name and start a new life.
As a Marine, Scott “Trex” Trexler worked in the most treacherous, corrupt, war-torn places on earth. With his new top-secret security job, he finally has a chance to return to the one place he’s felt at peace: Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The moment Trex checks in at the hotel where she’s working, Darby knows he’s dangerous. He may want her to think he’s another hotshot firefighter, along with all the others battling the nearby mountain blaze, but something doesn’t add up. No way will she get involved with another man she can’t fully trust – and Trex clearly isn’t telling her everything. As Darby’s ex gets closer and closer to finding her, both she and Trex will soon find out that what you don’t know can hurt you.
Romantic suspense is my jam, so this combination of a runaway bride, a secretive hero with a soft spot for the heroine, and the very present threat of danger is the juicy, angsty, swoony stuff of my dreams!
Thanks to our friends at Forever Romance, and as part of August’s #ForeverSummerReading campaign, we have an exclusive excerpt from From Here to You, where Darby and Trex have their meet-cute. We also get a glimpse of some of the major abuse Darby has suffered in the past:
I rapped my knuckles against the door. “Housekeeping,” I said, unsure if that was the right thing to do or not.
“Just a sec!” a man yelled, and a then a crash sounded from somewhere inside the room. “Shit! Hang on!”
The door swung open, and my eyes scrolled up over white terry cloth, chest, neck, and then a pair of baby blue eyes. The man was breathing hard, holding open the door, holding his breath when his gaze caught mine. It took him a moment to form a single word. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I smiled. “Towels?” I said, holding them up.
“Uh…”
“I’m sorry, did you…?”
“Yeah! Yeah,” he said, taking them off my hands. “Sorry about that. I tripped over the damn… never mind. Thank you.” He grinned. Not the kind of smile a predator like my ex would flash, hoping to draw me in. “I’m Trex.”
“Darby,” I said. Just the sound of my name seemed to please him. He couldn’t stop staring at me, and I couldn’t look away.
“Oh. Damn it, I’m sorry.” Trex dug into his pocket, producing a twenty-dollar bill, and placed it in my palm. “Thanks again.”I peered down at the worn paper in my hand. “That’s really not necessary.”
“I insist.”
I handed him back the money, forcing myself to say the words that came to mind. “No, thank you.”
I turned on my heels, leaving Trex standing in the doorway, smiling all the way to the elevator. Saying no to someone for the first time in a long time—maybe ever—gave me a feeling impossible to describe to someone who’d never been a doormat most of their life. It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. I didn’t remember feeling so happy.
“Darby,” Trex called from his room.
I froze, looking at him over my shoulder. I wondered how long it would take for the paralyzing fear at the sound of a man’s voice saying my name to flush from my system.
“Would you like to grab dinner sometime?”
I couldn’t erase the ridiculous grin from my face. “No thanks.”
“What about lunch?”
“No thanks.” My smile probably wasn’t convincing, but I couldn’t help it.
“Do you just love shooting me down, or am I really that detestable?”
“Yes,” I said, dancing the second I was alone inside the elevator.Confrontation and saying no weren’t something I’d been capable of doing. Even if it lead to a horrible death, I would rather go along with a stranger than listen to the alarms going off in my head, desperate for me to exercise self-preservation than to hurt his feelings. I was taught to be polite, comply, appease since I could communicate. Hug that stranger, kiss that aunt, smile to everyone, even if my gut said they were trouble. It’s the reason I found myself on the lap of a friend’s father at midnight during a sleepover with his hands down my pants, and why my grandfather was confident in persuading me to rub him in places I didn’t want to look at much less touch.
Saying no was my new superpower, and I would use it every time I had the chance, from now on.
Friends, From Here to You is at the top of my TBR list and I can’t wait to dive in! Add this to your TBR list and grab your copy today!
Goodreads | Purchase your copy!
Make sure to enter the #ForeverSummerReading giveaway HERE, where 10 people will win a complete set of August’s #ForeverSummerReading lineup, including: From Here to You, The Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting, Don’t Close Your Eyes by Christie Craig, Tough Luck Cowboy by A.J. Pine, Memoirs of a Dragon Hunter by Katie MacAlister.
