High off her success of playing matchmaker for both of her sons, lodge owner Ruby Cavanaugh decides to try her hand pairing other eligible singles–starting with her executive chef and her new event coordinator.
Party planner Claire Choate has a cheating boyfriend who also happens to be her boss. After visiting Oregon for her brother’s wedding–which didn’t even happen–Claire is offered a job that gets her out of LA for good. How can she pass up an opportunity like that?
Even though he has little time for a social life, executive chef Geoffrey Bere loves his job. After a past complication left him gun shy about workplace entanglements, he lives by a strict, “no dating co-workers” policy. But when Claire Choate arrives on the scene, he finds himself ready to break his own rule.
Will Ruby cement her reputation as matchmaker extraordinaire or will Claire and Geoffrey prove too much of a challenge for even her?
Find out in this deliciously fun third installment of Seven Brides for Seven Mothers!
Geoffrey follows behind. Once he walks into the kitchen, he puts his hands up on either side of the doorway, effectively blocking the only exit. “From the expression on your face and the long pause, it sure feels like there’s something else on your mind.”
“No. Nope. Not at all.” Omg, Claire, shut up!
“Well, there’s something I want to ask you.”
I feel like my soul lifts straight up and I’m watching us from the ceiling, like I’m having an out-of-body experience.
“What’s that?” I see myself say to him. This must be what it's like to be high. It’s not unpleasant, just really weird.
He steps toward me slowly, making me feel like a caged tiger. My heart is beating so fast I wouldn’t be surprised if it jumped right out of my throat. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime,” he says.
“You mean, like friends going to the movies or something?” I sound every bit as nervous as I feel.
He tilts his head from side to side as he replies, “More like a casual date.”
“I thought you couldn’t date!” I practically yell at him like I’m saying, I’m not going to rob that bank with you!
“I’m not in a position to get serious with anyone right now,” he explains, “but I don’t see any problem with dating casually.”
What does that mean? Is he after a friend with benefits situation? ‘Cause I’m not that kind of girl. Then, I suddenly wonder if I could be. Is Geoffrey interested in testing the waters before committing to something more, or is he holding firm to the idea of not getting serious with anyone? So many questions.
“Claire?” Geoffrey’s voice busts into my tornado of thoughts.
“Yeah?”
“Do you want to go out sometime?”
Silence. “I do … but …”
How do I finish the sentence without making myself sound like some pushy woman? I’m not interested in getting serious with someone so soon after breaking up with Jack, but if I did decide to get serious, I could definitely see it being with someone like Geoffrey. Could I just be casual with him if he’s telling the truth and that’s all he’s interested in?
“I feel like I’ve just asked you to conjugate verbs in Latin,” he jokes, obviously trying to break some of the tension in the room.
“I feel the same way,” I confess. I decide to quit beating around the bush and just lay my cards out on the table. “I like you, Geoffrey, and I’d like to go out with you, but I’m worried about you not wanting to get serious.”
“I can’t get serious.” His voice sounds strangled, like he’s dragging chains around his neck.
“I don’t think I want to get serious right now either, but …” There’s always a but. “I’m not a casual kind of dater by nature.”
“Meaning you don’t sleep around,” he cuts right to the chase.
I’m sure my face is beet red as the heat of embarrassment washes over me. “I’m the kind of girl who wants to get married and have a family someday. I’m not the kind who’s looking for hookups.” I could seriously die of mortification, but I know that telling him this is the right thing to do.
“I’m not exactly the kind of guy who asks a girl to jump into bed with him out of the blue.” He sounds offended.
“I’m not saying you are. I just don’t want to get hurt again and being up front is the only way I can keep that from happening.” This conversation is about as painful as exfoliating your face by dragging it across rough pavement.
Geoffrey clears his throat and shoves his hands into his pockets before saying, “Would you like to go out with me sometime as friends?”
The angel on my shoulder is yelling “DANGER!”
But the devil on the other shoulder is louder. She’s screaming, “Tap that, girl!” I’m afraid my devil is pretty loose with her charms.
I open the cabinet and pull out two bowls while I weigh my options. Either I go out with Geoffrey as friends, which would be excruciating, or I don’t go out with him at all, which would be even more unbearable. I turn around and discover that he’s advanced toward me while I wasn’t paying attention. He’s practically standing on my feet.
I put my hands out and push him back slightly before answering, “I’d like to go out sometime.”
“Tomorrow night?”
“I suppose that would be fine,” I tell him, feeling like a flock of pterodactyls have taken over my innards. I remind him, “As friends …”
“Right. As friends.” He’s staring into my eyes so intently that if this were a scene in a movie, the soundtrack would be picking up the tempo to increase tension—as well as matching the cadence of my accelerating heartbeat. The scene would reach its peak and Geoffrey would pull me into his arms while the “Hallelujah Chorus” started to play.
But this isn’t a movie, so that’s not what happens. What happens is that Geoffrey reaches out and takes my hands—tingles!!—before leaning down and practically whispering in my ear—more tingles!—“I think I’d better get going. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“I thought you wanted some ice cream,” I accuse, like I’ve been churning it by hand all day.
“I wanted something sweet, but I don’t think ice cream is going to do the trick anymore.”
Dear. Lord. If that isn’t enough to make me melt, he leans down and kisses my cheek. The brush of stubble from his beard causes electric currents to zip through me and it’s all I can do not to jump into his arms and demand that he take me now.
I’m glad I’m leaning against the counter when Geoffrey pulls back because it’s the only thing holding me up. With a slow smile, he says, “Good night...friend.” And then he turns and walks away.
I don’t move until I hear the front door open and close. Holy. Crap. I’m walking dangerously close to a precipice that could either kill me dead or offer me a second life. The problem is, I don’t know which one it will be.
 | Who doesn’t want their mom to play Cupid? Addison Cooper had planned on an all-expense paid vacation to the Cayman Islands to celebrate her most recent business success. Instead, she’s trekking to the outback of Oregon to help a friend of her mother's. Reclusive novelist Brogan Cavanaugh’s new thriller just hit the New York Times Best Seller list. To reward himself, he was planning to spend the summer at his family’s fishing cabin until his mom unexpectedly calls in a favor. Even though moms Libby and Ruby have been best friends since they were college roommates, Addison and Brogan have barely spent time in each other’s company. And when they did, things didn’t go well. How will they react when they start to suspect their interfering mothers are setting them up? Find out in this deliciously funny rom-com about mothers who really do know best and the children who don’t know they need them. |
 | Tara Heinz began her modeling career at the tender age of twelve. After spending fifteen years drooling over forbidden foods, she does the unthinkable. She enrolls in culinary school and becomes a pastry chef. After a nasty breakup with her rock star boyfriend that leads to tabloid war, Tara takes a job at a rural lodge in Oregon to escape the spotlight she no longer desires. James Cavanaugh is a farmer in Oregon. His days are spent building his business and his nights are spent sleeping, so he can get up at four in the morning. Ruby Cavanaugh has plans for her son that involve her new pastry chef. Of course, neither James nor Tara know what’s going on until it’s too late. |
 | Family drama is something Lutéce Choate struggles to avoid. With a mother who’s an award-winning country western song writer, an aunt who’s a Country Music Hall of Famer, and a brother who’s a rock star, it hasn’t exactly been a low-key kind of life, and she’s ready for a break. Then Lu’s younger sister, Claire, goes off and gets engaged to a prince from Malquar, bringing the dreaded spotlight back to shine on their family once again. Lu wants to go to the engagement party about as much as she wants to yodel the Star Spangled Banner at the Grand Ole Opry with her crazy relatives. Alas, not going, doesn’t appear to be an option. Alistair George Henry Bere Hale is not the heir, but the spare. Without the weight of the Crown in his future, he’s managed to live the carefree life of a man about town. That is until his younger brother gets engaged before him and their mother starts pressuring him to settle down. Alistair represents everything that Lutéce has come to despise—he’s a rich, playboy, partier, who’s always in the spotlight… But Alistair doesn’t feel the same about Lu. In fact, he’s quite drawn to his brother’s future sister-in-law, prickles and all. When Lu and Alistair’s mothers witness the sparks between their children, they start to make plans of their own. Will Lu relax her prejudices long enough to get to know Alistair? Find out in the fabulously funny fourth book in the Seven Bride’s for Seven Mothers Series. 💕 To be released August 13 💕 |
Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries -- not always in that order.
Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.
She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.
Gold Medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2017.
Silver medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.
Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.
Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.
Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017
Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017
This looks fun!
ReplyDeleteThe cover is really cute and fun!
ReplyDeleteOn second thought, you never can have too many chefs.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWhitney Dineen is a new author to me, but I look forward to reading this. I always love meeting new authors. Thanks to this blog for the introduction.