From New York Times Bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes THE ONLY ONE, a sexy new standalone novella in her One Love Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure you grab your copy and heat up your holiday!
EXCERPT:
The clock mocks me.
As the minute hand ticks closer to eight in the evening, I wrack my brain to figure out if I got the time wrong. Maybe we picked two. Maybe he said ten. Maybe we’re meeting tomorrow.
My chest twists with a desperate anxiety as I toy with the band on my watch.
But as the fountains of Lincoln Center dance higher under the waning light, I’m sadly certain there was no error in communication.
The only error was one of judgment.
Mine.
Thinking he’d show.
Drawing a deep, frustrated breath, I peer at my watch once more, then raise my face, searching the crowds that wander past the circular aquatic display at Manhattan’s epicenter for the performing arts. This fountain is so romantic; that’s why we chose it as the place to meet again.
One week later.
Foolishly I hunt for the amber eyes and dark wavy hair, for the lean, tall frame, for that mischievous grin that melts me every time.
I listen for the sound of him amidst the melody of voices, wishing to hear his rise above the others, calling my name, apologizing in that sexy accent of his for being late.
My God, Gabriel’s accent was a recipe for making a young woman weak in the knees. That was what he had done to me. The man melted me when I first met him last month in Barcelona at the tail end of my summer of travels across Europe.
When I close my eyes and float back in time, I hear that delicious voice, just a hint of gravel in his tone, and a whole fleet of butterflies chase each other in my belly at the resurgence of that faraway romantic dream.
I open my eyes, trying to blink away the inconvenient intrusion of memory. I should go. It’s clear he’s not coming tonight.
But, just in case I mixed up the times, maybe I’ll give him one more minute. One more look.
One more scan of the crowd.
I let the clock tick past eight.
I still don’t see him.
I’ve been here for more than two hours sitting on the black marble edge of the fountain. Scouring the corners of Lincoln Center. Peering left, then right down Columbus. Circling, like an animal at a zoo—pathetic modern-day female waiting for male to stay true to his word.
5.0 "My Penelope" Stars!!!
"What if fate was meant to bring us back together?"
One of my weakness when it comes to books' story line is "second chance romances". I really do not know but I am just very fond of a story that showcased great emotions and a topsy turvy feeling. So when I received "The Only One" in my reader, I cannot help myself devouring it. And boy Lauren Blakely did not disappoint. She yet again have written a story that compelled emotions with depth and a perfect blend of everything you want and then some. Proof enough to say that she is best in her writing. Because, this novella is more than what I thought it would be. It wasn't a cheesy and over the top second chance romance but a story so captivating. It was angst-ish and full of life, and really I cannot help myself from falling in love with it.
True, when I started reading the book, I cannot put it down. I was glued to Gabriel and Penelope's story. Their journey and how it was written wasn't boring but full of fun and mystery that I cannot contain myself from turning the pages curious what happened, what's about to come and how it will end. I wasn't disappointed really, because the words and lines written is engrossing enough I was hooked and I had so much fun. The characters, no question about that. Gabriel Mathias, this man... hoot!!! "The sexiest chef. The hottest cook. The heartbreaker in the kitchen." What woman wouldn't go insane with that kind of man? Perfect fantasy material. Perfect book boyfriend. What more can you ask for?
The twenty-four-year-old guy who dazzled me when I gave him my virginity a decade ago has nothing on this man in front of me. He’s as beautiful as heartbreak. With cheekbones carved by the masters, eyes the color of topaz, and hair that’s now shoulder-length, he’s somehow impossibly sexier.
Enter Penelope..this woman is just the right heroine for her I must say. A beautiful woman who knows what she wants and to be honest I love her character. As Gabriel puts it, "She feels like one—wispy, beautiful, just out of reach. The kind you want to be real, but when you wake up, you’re merely clutching to the hem of a cloud as it floats away."
Put them together and you'll get to have a beautiful story. I love it! I truly love it. This maybe a short story but it speaks so much.Yes, in Lauren Blakely's true fashion the book is truly full of heat, heart and humor. But more than that, the book puts second chance story to a new level. The Only One was epic. It was a true definition of destiny and fate and I love how it was depicted and delivered in the story. It really melts my heart. I even love how past was stressed out as "past". That what happened, happened and they cannot bring it back again. That the issues are no longer what happened before or the in betweens but on how they're going to face the present and accept that what happened is brought by fate to them and that they are rwally meant to meet the second time around. Isn't love the sweetest the second time around???Right!
“What if we needed those years apart so we could get it right the second time around?” Her eyes shine with happiness, and I’m sure mine do, too. “I think we’re getting it right. Don’t you?
For Penny,
Sometimes heartbreak happens for a reason. Sometimes hurt does make us stronger.
And now 10 years after, who would have thought they will start brand new tale as
A happily ever after unfolds in front of them.
About THE ONLY ONE:
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE SEXY ONE comes a romance about fate and second chances.
Let’s say there was this guy. And he gave you the most mind-blowing night of sex in your life. And you never saw him again.
Until ten years later.
Now, it turns out he’s the ONLY ONE in all of Manhattan whose restaurant is available for my charity’s event.
The trouble is, he doesn’t recognize me.
***
This woman I’m working with is so damn alluring. The first time I set eyes on her, I’m captivated and I can’t get her out of my mind. Even if it’s risky to tango with someone I’m working with, she’s a risk I’m willing to take.
The trouble is, she won’t give me the time of day.
But I’m determined to change that.
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Praise for Lauren Blakely and THE ONLY ONE:
"An extraordinarily dreamy love story that will melt your heart!"
~Beneath The Covers Book Blog
"This is an epic second chance romance that filled my heart with love, hope and longing."
~5-Stars! Two Book Pushers
"Lauren has knocked this one out of the park and down the street into the kitchen of Rocco DiSpirito. This book is smart, sexy, and full of surprises with characters you can't help but fall in love with. I want to find my very own Gabriel now. A sexy man with an accent who can cook for me. Who could ask for anything more?"
~Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews
"Insanely romantic and so genuinely charming..."
~Fresh Fiction Reviewer
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