Definitely Not Dating by Christi Barth 💕 Book Blitz & Gift Card Giveaway 💕 (Romantic Comedy)

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It’s a chance to start over for both of them…

Everleigh Girard always dates the wrong men at the worst times. The last debacle cost her a job and an apartment. But thanks to a crazy lottery win, she and her friends have a fresh start restoring a historic inn. Determined to make it a success, Everleigh swears off the dangers of dating entirely. Except…the town’s police chief is distractingly hot. So how much trouble could friends with benefits really cause?

Police chief Matt Halliday always puts protecting his town first. He’s blindsided when his house mysteriously burns down, and grateful his friends rent him a room at their inn while they finish renovations. It’s a great deal. Mostly. It’s hard to resist the very beautiful Everleigh. Love is permanently off the table for him—but lust is definitely on.

After their first red-hot kiss, keeping it casual is impossible. Can Everleigh teach Matt to trust again—especially when he’s keeping a secret that may put him and his new friends at risk?

“I’m not a distraction. I’m friendly. Period.”

The door slammed behind her. The blinds made a fast, whirring sound as Matt dropped them for privacy. “You’re half right.”

“About what?”

“You’re friendly. You have a way of fully engaging with a stranger that makes them feel instantly connected, cared about.”

“Thank you.”

“But you are absolutely a distraction.” Matt stalked closer, until Everleigh was pinned between a file cabinet and the aura of frustration that pulsed a scant two inches off of his body. A vein pulsed at his temple. “There’s something about you, Everleigh. Something that can’t be ignored. Something that distracts me when you aren’t even around. Because my brain keeps circling back to you without warning.”

Oh.

Oh my.

Maybe coming here was dangerous after all? And not at all because of the potential for criminals in lockup.

The chief was criminally sexy.

Geez, Ever wished she could share that joke with Amelia later.

Being very careful not to so much as take a deep breath and accidentally touch him—because he was clearly an emotional grenade with the pin popped and ready to explode—she asked, “How come the words sound like a compliment but you’re spewing them at me like they’re an accusation?”

“Because I don’t know what to do about it. About you. I respect your choice not to go any further. I have my own reasons to agree with that plan. Doesn’t mean you’re not still distracting the hell out of me by being you, Everleigh.”

“Just Ever,” she murmured.

“That’s a load of crap. There’s nothing ‘just’ about you.” He abruptly swung around. Stomped to his enormous chair behind the desk, grabbed hold of the top of it, then scrubbed his other palm across his mouth. “Sorry. Watching Kurtz stare at you like you’re a damn hot fudge sundae he wants to slurp up—it rocked me. Slipped the lock on my self-control.”

Indeed.

It really, really made her want to pick that lock again. When there weren’t so many people around.

Is it the chance of a lifetime or his biggest mistake?

When former hotel manager Alex Kirkland, his sister and their best friends pooled their money for an unusual lottery prize—a historic, dilapidated inn on the Maryland shore—as a last-ditch attempt to escape rotten circumstances, they never expected to win. But they’re all looking for a fresh start and a second chance, so Alex convinces everyone to move in and repair the building in time for the spring wedding season.

Sydney Darrow never planned to return to her hometown. But her family needs her and Sydney can endure anything for 90 days—including making sandwiches and serving coffee with a smile until she returns to her jet-setter career. When her grandma mistakes a handsome customer for the “fiancé” Sydney created when she thought her grandma was on death’s door, well...Sydney will do anything to keep her spirits up during treatment. She can persuade him to keep up the charade for a few months, right?

But when Alex agrees to play along, will they both fall for their own fiction?

Amelia Kirkland’s been head-over-heels for Teague Sullivan forever. Not that she’s ever let him know—as her brother’s best friend, he’s officially off-limits. That’s even more true once they become partners in rehabbing a historic inn. She can’t risk what she’s building with her brother and her friends just to fulfill a lifelong crush. Can she?

When Teague left the Special Forces, he didn’t know what would come next. Until his best friend, Alex, won an inn as a lottery prize and made him a partner. It’s his shot at getting everything he’s always wanted. Except for Alex’s beautiful sister. Amelia’s friendship was a lifeline while he was deployed, but that’s a line he can’t cross. He owes his friend too much to betray his trust. Now, though? Working and living with her every day? He wants more.

If their secret romance is discovered, it could ruin everything before the inn has a chance. But does their one shot at happiness require them to break all the rules?

💕 To be released September 27 💕

USA TODAY bestseller Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes contemporary romance. Christi lives in Maryland with her husband.