Pity Play by Whitney Dineen 💕 New Release Blitz and $25 Gift Card Giveaway 💕 (Contemporary Romance)

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But then he kisses me. And everything changes.

At least, I hope it has…

I’ve loved my brother’s best friend for as long as I can remember. Newsflash, he doesn’t see me that way. But now that Luke Phillips is coming to town and needs a place to stay… could this be my big chance?

It’s not like I’ve sat around for the last twenty-eight years waiting for Luke. Not really. But ever since I moved back to Elk Lake, I can’t help but hope I’ll run into him. Enter my big brother calling and asking if his bestie can bunk with me. My younger self is doing backflips at the possibilities.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Luke is looking for a long-term situation. He’s made it clear he’s got some business to take care of and then he’s on the first train back to Chicago.

But then he kisses me. And everything changes.

At least, I hope it has…

Pity Play is a brother’s best friend, close proximity, small town rom-com that takes place in the resort town of Elk Lake, Wisconsin. This is the sixth book in a series that read as standalones.

Walking to the bedroom door, I open it while staying hidden behind it. Then I listen for any sounds coming from my room. There’s nothing, so I tiptoe down the hall. I discover my room is empty, so Luke must already be downstairs. Exhaling loudly in relief, I continue to stare at my bed. It’s rumpled like it’s been slept in, but the covers are pulled as though an attempt has been made to make it.

Luke Phillips slept in my bed last night. As that image soaks into my consciousness, I feel teenage giddiness flow through me.

I hear a creaking noise behind me and immediately realize my mistake. Luke isn’t in my room because he’s in the bathroom across the hall. I turn to run back to my parents’ room, but something in my brain decides that it’s too far away, so I wind up dashing into my own room. I make a run for the closet and manage to cross the threshold in the nick of time.

From my secret vantage point, I watch Luke as he walks into the room. He’s only wearing a towel. Holy heck! What do I do now? I can’t stand here and watch him undress, can I? Well, maybe just for a second. I chastise myself not to act like a perve-o, but I take too long. Luke drops his towel which causes me to gasp, loudly.

“Lorelai?” I hear him call out. He doesn’t sound pleased.

He knows I’m here. All he has to do is walk over for confirmation. “Oh, hey, Luke …” I sound like an idiot. “I just came in here to get a … a … a sweater.”

He rustles around for a moment before I see his shadow creep toward the door frame. I turn to face my sweater collection, so I don’t have to make eye contact with him. “Did you find one?” Oh yeah, he’s mad.

Grabbing the first sweater I see, I take it off the stack and pull it over my head. Oh dear, it’s tight so I know it’s an old one. But the only way out of this situation is to keep going with the lie. Turning around, I force a smile to my face, and blurt out, “Good, you put some pants on.” Great, now he knows I saw his towel fall off. Why can’t I keep my mouth shut around him?

Embarrassment blooms across Luke’s cheeks. “Lorelai, I think we need to talk.”

Dear God, no! We can never speak of this, ever. “No need,” I tell him. “I’ll just move more of my clothes over to my parents’ room, so this never happens again. But I’ll do it later so you can keep getting ready.”

I try to scurry past him, but he gently grabs my arm to stop me. “This is the sweater you came in here to get?”

“Yes, it is,” I tell him emphatically. “It’s my favorite.” Belatedly, I look down and see that I’m wearing Mickey Mouse’s face embroidered across a purple acrylic garment that’s so small it’s practically cropped. If that’s not bad enough, there’s a big hole in one of the armpits and a snag running through Mickey’s face.

There’s nothing I can do but brazen this out, so I disengage from Luke’s hand and announce, “Mickey Mouse is my ideal man.” Then I make a run for it.

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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