Hollywood talent scout Jules ends up in the small, ranch town of San Sity, Florida to scout talent for an upcoming reality dating show to be filmed in the town. While the town’s quirky relatives all think they have what it takes to be a star, there’s one man who stands above all the rest: Mitchel Scott.
Or so he claims.
Jules and Mitchel fight each other at every turn, but neither of them is prepared when their growing animosity turns into love.
Tropes: Cowboy, enemies-to-lovers, interracial, brokenhearted hero, soul mates, small-town
Jules and Peppermint were at Mitchel’s ranch thirty minutes later. Jules parked their rental
car on the road, in complete awe of what stood before her.
The scene looked like something out of Little House on the Prairie.
Acres of luminous, rich land that ran for miles over the hill. Amid this living portrait sat a two-story, off-white house made of shingles with a black roof. An elegant pavilion brought a sophisticated Southern charm to the place. Two hammocks, a patio table and a vibrant display of flowers highlighted the architectural centrepiece.
Peppermint knocked on the front door, but no one answered. But the black Ford truck suggested Mitchel was around somewhere.
“Over there!” A forceful, masculine voice shouted through the breeze. “There, Annie! Get in line, Buck!”
“What in the world?” Jules headed off in the direction of the screams. The air overflowed with the overlapping sounds of cows mooing and horses neighing.
Jules hadn’t been on a farm or ranch in her life, nor had she wanted to be. She was a city girl through and through. She didn’t even like to go outside, let alone camp, or even be anywhere near animals. The only cow she wanted to see was on her plate.
“Where are we going?” Peppermint huffed and puffed, struggling to walk her little roly-poly body up the hill.
Jules had expected the ranch to smell like shit and she kept checking her shoes to make sure she hadn’t walked in any cow pies. But the ranch didn’t stink at all. She couldn’t get enough of the sweet yet slightly pungent perfume coming from the mouth-watering red apples hanging from the trees.
“Ah.” Jules stood on top of the hill and, when she saw him, immediately wobbled, falling backward.
“Whoa.” Peppermint caught her. “Are you okay?”
Peppermint’s words didn’t register. Jules heard nothing and saw nothing except this Adonis who sat on his horse, herding the wandering cattle.
“Over there!” He nudged a cow with his horse’s nose and the cow got back in line. “Line, line!”
“That’s him.” Peppermint huffed and puffed, sweating. “I told you he was perfect.”
Mitchel took his cowboy hat off and glanced in Jules’ direction, but not long enough to
notice her. He was everything Peppermint said and more. Hell, he was even more attractive than Jules imagined.
She started sweating, but not from the sun. Her stomach flip-flopped like it did the first time a boy kissed her and her toes curled just at the sound of his voice.
Ranching did a body great because there were fitness trainers that had nothing on this man. By the length of his legs, he was at least 6’4”. He controlled his horse with strong, sturdy arms. Under his white tank top, Jules saw he had just the right amount of muscles. She didn’t like a really bulky man, but he had to be fit. And Mitchel… well, he was all that and then some.
He tapped the horse with his boots and he could probably smash bricks with those thick, toned thighs. Hands so big they could grab Jules’ entire ass with one scoop.
“Jules?” Peppermint nudged her. “Jules!”
“W… what?” She swallowed. “Oh, uh. My God. He’s… he’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”
“I told you he was hot.”
“Hot is an understatement.” Jules felt like someone had knocked the wind out of her.
“Dan’s gonna love him when he sees him. He’s an instant star, right?”
Jules swallowed. “I wanna have his baby.”
“Jules, Jesus.” Peppermint laughed.
“I gotta get a video.” Jules took out her phone and recorded him. “Dan needs to see this for himself. Look at him.” Her heart jumped. “It’s so sexy how he’s so in control. Look at how the cows follow him.”
“Shit, as good as he looks, I’d be following his ass too.” Peppermint snickered.
“Fuck.” Jules slanted her phone, her nipples begging to be sucked. “He is… oh, he’s something.”
“Miss Atlas?”
“Ah!” Jules turned to see a shapely redheaded woman who looked to be in her early to mid-twenties wearing cut-off denim shorts and a shirt that stopped at her midriff.
The Daisy Dukes wannabe grinned, raising the brim of her cowboy hat so they could see her emerald eyes. “Sorry if I scared you.” She chewed gum. “I’m Melanie. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Atlas.”
Jules nodded. “You know who I am?”
“Who doesn’t? You’re the most exciting thing to happen to this town in ages. What are you doing here? Did Mitch know you were coming?”
“No, but I really need to speak to him.” Jules put her phone up. “Think he can spare a few minutes?”
“Let’s find out.” Melanie yelled into her hands, “Mitch, you got visitors!”
“Whoa.” He stopped his horse and looked over at Jules.
“Hello!” She waved.
But instead of him smiling or showing any excitement, he rolled his eyes. “I’ll be inside in a minute!”
“Come on.” Melanie started down the hill. “I’ll let you in the house.”
car on the road, in complete awe of what stood before her.
The scene looked like something out of Little House on the Prairie.
Acres of luminous, rich land that ran for miles over the hill. Amid this living portrait sat a two-story, off-white house made of shingles with a black roof. An elegant pavilion brought a sophisticated Southern charm to the place. Two hammocks, a patio table and a vibrant display of flowers highlighted the architectural centrepiece.
Peppermint knocked on the front door, but no one answered. But the black Ford truck suggested Mitchel was around somewhere.
“Over there!” A forceful, masculine voice shouted through the breeze. “There, Annie! Get in line, Buck!”
“What in the world?” Jules headed off in the direction of the screams. The air overflowed with the overlapping sounds of cows mooing and horses neighing.
Jules hadn’t been on a farm or ranch in her life, nor had she wanted to be. She was a city girl through and through. She didn’t even like to go outside, let alone camp, or even be anywhere near animals. The only cow she wanted to see was on her plate.
“Where are we going?” Peppermint huffed and puffed, struggling to walk her little roly-poly body up the hill.
Jules had expected the ranch to smell like shit and she kept checking her shoes to make sure she hadn’t walked in any cow pies. But the ranch didn’t stink at all. She couldn’t get enough of the sweet yet slightly pungent perfume coming from the mouth-watering red apples hanging from the trees.
“Ah.” Jules stood on top of the hill and, when she saw him, immediately wobbled, falling backward.
“Whoa.” Peppermint caught her. “Are you okay?”
Peppermint’s words didn’t register. Jules heard nothing and saw nothing except this Adonis who sat on his horse, herding the wandering cattle.
“Over there!” He nudged a cow with his horse’s nose and the cow got back in line. “Line, line!”
“That’s him.” Peppermint huffed and puffed, sweating. “I told you he was perfect.”
Mitchel took his cowboy hat off and glanced in Jules’ direction, but not long enough to
notice her. He was everything Peppermint said and more. Hell, he was even more attractive than Jules imagined.
She started sweating, but not from the sun. Her stomach flip-flopped like it did the first time a boy kissed her and her toes curled just at the sound of his voice.
Ranching did a body great because there were fitness trainers that had nothing on this man. By the length of his legs, he was at least 6’4”. He controlled his horse with strong, sturdy arms. Under his white tank top, Jules saw he had just the right amount of muscles. She didn’t like a really bulky man, but he had to be fit. And Mitchel… well, he was all that and then some.
He tapped the horse with his boots and he could probably smash bricks with those thick, toned thighs. Hands so big they could grab Jules’ entire ass with one scoop.
“Jules?” Peppermint nudged her. “Jules!”
“W… what?” She swallowed. “Oh, uh. My God. He’s… he’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”
“I told you he was hot.”
“Hot is an understatement.” Jules felt like someone had knocked the wind out of her.
“Dan’s gonna love him when he sees him. He’s an instant star, right?”
Jules swallowed. “I wanna have his baby.”
“Jules, Jesus.” Peppermint laughed.
“I gotta get a video.” Jules took out her phone and recorded him. “Dan needs to see this for himself. Look at him.” Her heart jumped. “It’s so sexy how he’s so in control. Look at how the cows follow him.”
“Shit, as good as he looks, I’d be following his ass too.” Peppermint snickered.
“Fuck.” Jules slanted her phone, her nipples begging to be sucked. “He is… oh, he’s something.”
“Miss Atlas?”
“Ah!” Jules turned to see a shapely redheaded woman who looked to be in her early to mid-twenties wearing cut-off denim shorts and a shirt that stopped at her midriff.
The Daisy Dukes wannabe grinned, raising the brim of her cowboy hat so they could see her emerald eyes. “Sorry if I scared you.” She chewed gum. “I’m Melanie. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Atlas.”
Jules nodded. “You know who I am?”
“Who doesn’t? You’re the most exciting thing to happen to this town in ages. What are you doing here? Did Mitch know you were coming?”
“No, but I really need to speak to him.” Jules put her phone up. “Think he can spare a few minutes?”
“Let’s find out.” Melanie yelled into her hands, “Mitch, you got visitors!”
“Whoa.” He stopped his horse and looked over at Jules.
“Hello!” She waved.
But instead of him smiling or showing any excitement, he rolled his eyes. “I’ll be inside in a minute!”
“Come on.” Melanie started down the hill. “I’ll let you in the house.”
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Stacy-Deanne (Dee-Anne) is an award-winning author of romantic suspense, mystery, thrillers, contemporary romance, historical romance and women's fiction books. She's written Top 100 bestsellers, and her work has been praised and reviewed in USA Today numerously. She loves writing stories that focus on main characters who rarely get the spotlight such as characters with physical disabilities, mental illness, and terminal diseases.
Stacy is known for bringing versatile stories to her readers. With her you never know what you're gonna get, which separates Stacy's work from the pack. Stacy's books are full of passion, thrills, intriguing characters and so much emotion you can't get enough! If you want something different and unpredictable then definitely check out her work.
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Sounds a great story, can't wait to read it! Congrats to the author
ReplyDeletenice excerpt
ReplyDeleteThanks for the amazing excerpt. I want to read more.
ReplyDeletesounds so good.
ReplyDeleteThe characters come alive on the cover! I would love to read their story!
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