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Stina Lindenblatt

SALE BLITZ: “Decidedly with Love” by Stina Lindenblatt

September 25, 2019 Leave a Comment




Title: Decidedly with Love
Series: By the Bay #3
Author: Stina Lindenblatt
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: January 15, 2018



Blurb

From the author of sexy romantic comedies comes the story of a meddling grandmother searching for lifelong love. For her hockey player grandson…

Fake Boyfriend Rule #1: never fall for your fake girlfriend.

Oops.

I run Aphrodite’s Boutique, a store that specializes in all things love-related. A store that I adore with all my heart, and which is at risk of being shut down and replaced with a condo development.

To save it, all I have to do is pretend to be Travis Hamilton’s girlfriend.

Sounds simple enough. Right?

Except he and I have a history together…but he doesn’t seem to remember me.

****

My feisty, well-meaning grandmother raised me after my parents died, but now she’s determined to help me find The One. But when most women I meet tend to be puck bunnies or women only interested in my hockey-player salary—and let’s not forget the nutcase of an ex-girlfriend—why bother?

Only a fake girlfriend will deter my grandmother’s matchmaking scheme.

Too bad the one woman who can help me is the sexy redhead who wants to assist me as much as she wants her eyeballs dunked in hot sauce and barbecued.

To convince her, I promise to help her with her own dilemma. But sometimes fire and ice really do mix. Now I have to decide if love is in the air—and if together Emma and I make something hotter. Something stronger. Something real.


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Excerpt

Emma
Sitting on the fountain’s ledge, I pulled on my rubber boots. Why the boots?
You didn’t expect me to climb into the fountain in my heels or go barefooted, did you?
“Wow, that looks like so much fun,” Hannah said, laughing. “If I didn’t have to go to work in a few minutes, I would’ve volunteered to help you. But alas…” She snickered. “Why are you doing this when there are no birds in the store to crap on the statue?”
“Just because there are no birds doesn’t mean Aphrodite doesn’t get dusty.” I had no idea if the woman in the toga really was supposed to be the Greek goddess of love, but she looked similar enough. “Plus I need to remove the coins, and it’s a lot easier to do that by climbing in the water to retrieve them.”
“If you say so.” The laughter in her voice was still there.
The bell above the door jingled and I glanced up to see if I was about to be busy—or if Lisa could handle things. Several people already were milling around, checking out the merchandise or trying on the lingerie in the fitting room.
Oh, God. Not him again.
Travis entered the store and his gaze settled on me.
“Oh, this should be good,” Hannah said. “Too bad I have to leave now if I want to make it to work on time.”
I turned my head to look at her. “What should be good?”
“The guy you were scowling at the other day is obviously here for a repeat. And this time he’s minus the senior citizen squad. On that note, I’m off now. I’ll call you later for the scoop.” She started backing away. “And have fun with your goddess.”
Before I could respond, she was out the door, pausing only long enough to give Travis a quick once-over and wave good-bye to me.
He wasn’t the only one to be given a once-over. Except in my case, his gaze slowly traveled up my body as if he were undressing me—removing my ever-so-sexy rubber boots; my whimsical blue floral sundress that brushed against my knees; my white lacy bra and underwear, which he couldn’t see but I was sure he was imagining on me. That, or he was imagining I was in a thong.
Once his gaze was on my face, his mouth slid up to one side. “The boots are definitely a nice touch. But I must admit I’m more a fan of stilettos.” He leaned in closer, his breath brushing against my ear…and my body decided to go rogue and ignore my brain telling it to take a step back.
“Especially when the legs they’re attached to are wrapped around my waist,” he added. No—the girlie part between my legs did not release a longing sigh. Not. At. All.
Note to self: add dirty talk to list of requirements for next boyfriend.
I stepped away from him, the back of my calves hitting the low fountain wall. “What are you doing here? I thought we weren’t checking out any more retail spaces until next weekend.”
“I came to talk to you.”
“I figured that, but now’s not a good time.”
“Why’s that?”
I indicated the fountain. “I have to clean it and remove the money. So unless whatever you need to tell me can be done while I’m working, you’ll have to come back later.” Or preferably never.
“I can wait.”
Of course he could.
“Don’t you have to be at work or something?” I had no idea what he did for a living, but it probably didn’t involve hanging around my store.
He opened his mouth to answer but didn’t get that far.
“Ohmigod, aren’t you, like, Travis Hamilton?” A tall teenage girl asked him. She was pretty, with an athletic body and long dark hair spilling down her back.
She didn’t wait for him to reply. “I also play defense. You’re like my idol.”
I felt my eyebrows climb north. Idol? Why would she idolize him?
And how did she even know him?
Maybe I should have Googled him…like I had with some of my past dates.
Not that I was going out with him.
He offered her a friendly smile—not like the smiles that threw me off kilter. “Nice to meet you.”
Her friend was looking at Travis as though she also had no idea why the girl was excited seeing him here.
“This is Travis Hamilton,” the dark-haired girl explained. “He plays defense for the San Francisco Rock. The NHL team.”
He does?
She kept chatting to him, mostly about hockey. Since I still had work to do, I grabbed the cloth on the ledge and climbed in. I’d already turned the water off before putting my boots on.
Have you ever tried walking through a fountain while wearing rubber boots? It’s not easy. And I don’t care how graceful you normally are, this sucks all the gracefulness from you in one easy swoop.
But I figured the sacrifice was worth it. For Aphrodite’s sake…which could only help benefit the store.
Now if only Aphrodite could help me with my lease problem.
Splosh. Splosh. Splosh.
“Ready for a little spa treatment?” I asked the statue in almost a whisper. No need for the customers to believe I was crazy.
I dipped the cloth in the water and began cleaning her.
“What are you doing?” Travis asked.
“What does it look like?” I spared him a glance over my shoulder. The girls he had been talking to were no longer with him.
“It looks like you’re giving her a sponge bath. Very kinky, by the way.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m cleaning her and then I have to remove the money.”
“What do you do with the money?”
“It goes to charity,” I said, my attention on my task.
“What charity?”
“A youth center for underprivileged kids where I volunteer.”
“Why a local youth center for underprivileged kids?”
I shifted around and glanced at him from over Aphrodite’s shoulder. “Why not there?”
The corner of his mouth twitched up to one side. “I asked you first.” At my silence, he continued, “The Rock encourages its players to be active in the community. Some players donate large amounts of money to a charity of their choice. Some participate in various events at the children’s hospital, which are always popular with the kids. For some players, they do it simply because publicity recommended they give back to those less fortunate—because it makes the player look good. Others do it because their charity has special meaning to them. So which is it for you?”
“Which type of player are you?” I replied. Or maybe he donated neither time nor money.
“I donate money to a charity that provides sports equipment to kids. Because of the cost, they might not otherwise be able to play hockey. And I participate in the annual wheelchair hockey game at the kids’ hospital.”
Did I have “selfless” on my list of requirements for potential boyfriends? No—but it was a given. I’d written off a few individuals in the past because they didn’t believe in donating either time or money to a worthy cause.
So, yes, my heart had warmed up a little bit more toward Travis. Not that it mattered. He wasn’t looking for a girlfriend, and I wasn’t looking to be a fake one.
“How come that charity and event?” I asked.
The smirk was back on his face. “Uh, uh. You first. Why the youth center?”
The coins in the water shimmered under the bright store light overhead, almost as if encouraging me to tell him.
“Because I understand what it feels like to be underprivileged. I grew up in foster care.”
Which he would know if he remembered me from school.
But he didn’t—so what was a girl to do?
Apparently Aphrodite had an answer for that. The pump that I had turned off before climbing into the fountain suddenly turned on. Water burst up from the jets, hitting me full on—and I shrieked. Ugh!
Then the fountain turned off as quickly as it had turned on, leaving me standing there with water dripping from my hair and down my body. My now-wet dress clung to me, leaving not much to the imagination, including my white lacy bra and underwear.
“Sorry,” Lisa called out, returning from the back. “I accidentally hit the switch to the fountain.” Her gaze landed on me, soaked and still standing in the water, and her hand flew to her mouth. Not from shock. She was attempting to hold back a giggle.
Nice.
I stepped over the fountain’s low wall. Squish. Squish.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, her hand still covering her mouth. The corners of her eyes crinkled with barely held back laughter.
Travis wasn’t doing much better.
I tried to yank off a rubber boot—which wasn’t easy when your foot was wet and you were standing. Swaying on one foot, I grabbed the closest thing available to hold on to: Travis’s arm.
And wow, the man worked out.
Don’t think about his muscular body. Don’t think about his hot, muscular body.…
I would’ve removed my hand from his arm, but it was either touch him or risk falling over.
The boot eventually slipped free of my foot. I tilted it, pouring the water back into the fountain. Once it was empty, I placed the boot on the ledge and proceeded to do the same with the other one while still holding on to Travis.
With what dignity I had left—which was pretty much zero—I walked toward the back where my office was located. With my body shivering, thanks to the air conditioning, I tossed an “I’ll be back in a moment” over my shoulder to Lisa.
In my office, I scanned the area for something to dry off with.
The door clicked shut behind me. I startled and spun around. Travis was standing in front of the closed door, his eyes dark and focused on my breasts. Or more specifically, my perky nipples pressing against the wet fabric of my thin bra and dress.
I crossed my arms in front of me, doing my best to hide the view. Doing my best to warm my girls up.
“Is this a good time to ask you again about being my fake girlfriend?” In his hand was a soft wool throw from the store. Red on one side and white on the other, it was covered in hearts of the opposite color.
“So what’s the deal? You’ll give me the throw if I agree to be your fake girlfriend?” There might have been some teeth chattering when I said it. “And just so you know, that’s not going to work. For one, I can’t sell the blanket if it’s dirty.”
“And what’s the second?”
“It will take a lot more than a blanket for me to agree to be your fake girlfriend.” A deliciously warm blanket.
“So does that mean you’re considering it?”
I shook my head. “There’s nothing you can offer me that will make me change my mind.”
“How about you not being forced to relocate? Would that cause you to change your mind?”
I snorted a laugh. “How exactly do you expect to do that? The owner doesn’t want my store in the building anymore because it won’t fit with the new image.”
“I might be able to change his mind.”
“Right. Might. So what you’re really saying is I help you and at the end of the day I’m still screwed?”
“No. That’s not it at all.” He stepped closer. “The blanket’s now mine. And I don’t care if it gets dirty.” When I didn’t say anything, he wrapped it around my shoulders. His finger accidentally brushed against my bare arm. And this time when I shivered, it was for an entirely different reason.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now back to you being my fake girlfriend.”
I shook my head again. “Not happening.”
“How about if I can’t get the owner to change his mind about your store by October first, I’ll help you find another location that fits your needs.”
“That’s not enough. If I’m pretending to be your girlfriend, I won’t be able to date a real man.”
“The last I looked, I am a real man.” He gestured at his shorts…and the noticeable bulge there. A bulge that wasn’t so noticeable earlier.
A laugh burst free. “Sorry. I wasn’t laughing at your manhood,” I quickly said, doing my best to not start giggling.
He raised an eyebrow and my attempt to curtail my giggle failed.






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Author Bio


Born in Brighton England, Stina Lindenblatt has lived in a number of countries, including England, the US, Finland, and Canada. This would explain her mixed up accent. She has a kinesiology degree and a MSc in sports biological sciences. In addition to writing fiction, she loves photography, especially the close-up variety, and currently lives in Calgary, Canada, with her husband and three kids.


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Filed Under: Decidedly with Love Tagged With: Books, Chick-Lit, Contemporary Romance, Decidedly with Love, Romance, Sale Blitz, Stina Lindenblatt, Women's Fiction

RELEASE BLITZ: “Decidedly by Chance” by Stina Lindenblatt

September 19, 2019 Leave a Comment




Title: Decidedly by Chance
Series: By the Bay #5
Author: Stina Lindenblatt
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: September 19, 2019



Blurb

She’s pregnant with another man’s baby.
He’s now the father to his little niece.
A sexy romance with all the feels!

Single Mom-To-Be Rule #1: watch out for those horny hormones.

Oops.

After a childhood of bouncing from one foster home to another and a series of failed relationships, I’ve taken matters into my own hands when it comes to starting a family.

Or rather, someone else’s hand. And a plastic cup.

I’d rather be a single mom than be let down again, and I’m definitely not looking for a baby daddy. That includes sexy workaholic game designer Wes Chiasson, thank you very much.

***

My software company has been my number one, two, and three priorities. But that all changes when I suddenly become the guardian of my three-year-old niece. Now my world has turned topsy-turvy with princesses and little-girl tea parties.

When Hannah Morrell needs a place to stay after the pipes in her apartment burst, I invite her to move in with my niece and me. Hannah is a pediatric nurse, and given my situation, who could ask for a better roommate?

Sounds easy. Right?

It is—until emotions get tossed into the mix. Because if there’s one thing history has taught Hannah, it’s that the people who’ve gained her love can’t be trusted.

And now I have to put my heart on the line to prove otherwise.


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Excerpt

Wes
The next morning, I walked into Connor’s office without knocking first. “What can you tell me about a Philip Stevenson? He’s a lawyer at Long and Fairbrother.”
“Any reason why you’re asking?”
“A friend of mine might be doing some business with him, and I want to make sure there’s nothing sketchy about him.”
All right, that wasn’t exactly the truth, but it was close enough. Business. Date. They were pretty much kissing cousins on the grand scale of things, especially where Hannah was concerned.
I knew Hannah’s dating life wasn’t any of my business. It was her choice if she wanted to date some loser—as long as said loser wasn’t also a big creep.
Which was why I was in Connor’s office. As Hannah’s new roommate, it was my duty to ensure things were on the up-and-up with this Philip guy.
“Give me three hours, and I’ll see what I can find,” Conner said.
“Great. Thanks. I owe you one.”
“You owe him what?” Jayden asked, strolling into the office. He handed Connor a short stack of files. “I need a level-four background check on these five guys.”
“I’m right on it.”
“Great. So let’s return to what Wes owes you…” He looked between us, expectantly.
“Have you considered the possibility that it has nothing to do with you?” I inwardly groaned. That was the worst thing I could have said to Jayden. It only spiked his curiosity.
“I have—for maybe one second. Two, tops. So spill it. What’s going on here?”
“Wes needed to run a check on some lawyer,” Connor told him.
“Why does Wes need you to do that?” Liam’s voice came from the doorway behind me.
I twisted away from the desk. “Why is everyone suddenly curious about what I’m doing?”
Jayden smirked. “Because we know whatever you’re up to is bound to be entertaining.”
Connor adopted an identical expression. “He’s got a point there.”
“Looks like we’re all in agreement.” Liam crossed his arms, demonstrating the bad-guy-beware stance he had perfected while with the SEALs.
“All right, if you really must know. A stranger asked Hannah out on a date, and I want to make sure she’s not going out with someone who’s bad news.”
“Are we talking about Hannah Morrell? The woman who’s one step away from getting her black belt, the woman who knows how to look after herself?”
The smirks on Connor’s and Jayden’s faces grew wider.
“That would be the one. Normally I would agree that she knows how to take care of herself. But she’s pregnant now, so I don’t think it’s a bad idea to ensure that she isn’t in over her head.”
All three men exchanged looks.
Shit.
“And for the record, you didn’t hear about the pregnant part from me. She’s going to tell everyone”—I looked pointedly at Liam—“including your fiancée, when she’s ready.”
Did you hear that? That was the sound of a pin dropping against Connor’s desk. That was how quiet the room was after my little announcement.
Liam was the first to get over his shock. “Hannah is pregnant?”
“I don’t suppose you’re the father?” That would be Jayden.
“Why would you even think that?”
“Because everyone knows you used to have a thing for her.” Jayden might have said it, but his tone implied I still had a thing for her.
“I didn’t have a thing for her, and I still don’t.” Right, just be happy that lightning can’t hit you inside a building, dumbass, an annoying voice in my head said. “And no, I’m not the father.”
“Do you know who the father is?” Liam asked. “Connor can do a background check on him. Just to be sure she won’t be dealing with some major headaches down the line.”
“Is that the guy you want me to do the check on?” Connor asked. “Is he the father?”
I shook my head, even though I had no idea if Philip the lawyer made a recent deposit at the sperm bank. Even if he had, chances were slim that Hannah ended up with his sperm. “No. He’s just a stranger she met in a store yesterday, and he asked her out on a date.”
“Okay, Connor, do the background check on Hannah’s date first. And then report back to us.”
“Us?” I asked.
“Yes, us. We want to know what we’re dealing with. We all like Hannah, and she’s my fiancée’s friend. If Ava even suspects I haven’t done my due diligence when it comes to Hannah’s dating life, I could end up losing my balls. And I’ve grown quite attached to them, no pun intended.”
I almost felt sorry for Hannah’s idiot date if Connor did turn up dirt on him. If the guys’ expressions were anything to go by, he’d be canceling soon after.
But none of this surprised me. The team had already dealt with the individual who had been fast on the draw when it came to towing Hannah’s vehicle. Connor had found dirt on him, and Jayden and Liam had a little chat with the douchebag to make sure he demonstrated restraint in the future.
“Is he picking her up for the date, or is she meeting him somewhere?” Jayden asked.
“She said she’s meeting him at Swizzle Sticks Lounge.” It was some fancy-ass place I’d taken a couple of dates to in the past.
“Time?”
“That part didn’t come up in our conversation yesterday.” I was lucky I even found out his name and where they were meeting up.
And that was only because she wasn’t expecting me to crash the date.
“Not a problem,” Liam said. “We can set up a detail to follow her from Travis’s building.”
“What exactly are you guys planning to do?”
“Quite simple. Jayden and Isabelle will show up at the meeting and make sure everything goes smoothly.”
My gaze shifted to Jayden. “You mean you two will be pretending to be on a date?”
“More like two colleagues going out after work to discuss work-related matters.”
Plausible? Quite possibly. “There’s only one problem with that plan,” I said, stalling on revealing the next part. “Hannah isn’t staying with Travis and Emma anymore.”
Liam’s eyebrows raised in either surprise or disbelief. “She’s already found a new apartment?”
“Not exactly. She’s moving into my condo this afternoon.”
Whatever emotion Liam had experienced with my first revelation had just done an unexpected U-turn. It was now fully in the disbelief zone.
“She’s moving in with you?” Liam asked, enunciating each word slowly.
“Well, not permanently. Just until she finds a new apartment. She wanted to give Travis and Emma some alone time before they become new parents.”
I’d already revealed the part about her being pregnant. I had no intention of also mentioning about the audio porn and her heightened level of horniness, thanks to the pregnancy.
A level of horniness her dumbass date might get to appreciate—unless Jayden and Isabelle succeeded in disrupting his plans.
What does it matter if she and the dumbass have sex? the annoying voice in my head asked.
I ignored it.
“But why with you?” Liam asked.
“Because I invited her to stay with me while she’s searching for a new apartment. But you have to admit, it’s a brilliant move on my part. She’s a pediatric nurse, and who knows kids better than a nurse who specializes in them? She’s about five steps ahead of where I am as Everly’s guardian and uncle.”
I had expected them to see the genius behind my inviting Hannah to stay with Everly and me. Instead, skepticism stared back at me.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Liam finally voiced.
“Why wouldn’t it be? She needs a place to stay. And now she has plenty of time to find the right apartment to move into. She doesn’t have to settle for less. I’ve seen some of the locations she’s been looking at. If you’d seen them, you would agree with me, too. They weren’t the right apartments for her to raise her baby.” And because I was on a roll, I threw in for added benefit, “Apartment hunting is exhausting and stressful enough when you aren’t pregnant. Hannah doesn’t need that extra stress now that she is pregnant.”
Slam. Dunk.
Clearly, the guys didn’t agree with me. The skepticism had been turned up several notches.
“Honestly, there’s nothing going on between us. So don’t make more of this than there is. I’m just being there for her as a friend. Any of you guys would do the same if you were in my situation.”
Yep, that didn’t do much to erase their disbelieving expressions either. “Do you want me to text you when she leaves for her date?” I asked Jayden.
“That will work. But first things first. I need to check that Isabelle is free tonight.”
“Tell her it’s for work,” Liam called after him. “She’s been after me to let her be more hands-on with our cases,” he added once Jayden was out the door. “Hopefully this will appease her for a while.”
Connor leaned back in his chair. “It’s one of our least dangerous cases.”
Right—not dangerous at all. Unless Hannah puts two plus two together when Jayden and Isabelle mysteriously show up at the same location as her and her dumbass date.
I kept that thought to myself.
Jayden returned a few minutes later to let us know Isabelle had agreed to the scheme. Connor got to work on gathering intel on Hannah’s date, and the rest of us returned to our own jobs.
Several hours later, we were in his office again, ready to hear the dirt on Philip Stevenson.
“I swear, he has to be the most boring man on the planet,” Connor said. “He’s a contract lawyer with no dings on any aspect of his work ethics. He hasn’t had a single speeding ticket, parking ticket, or accident. He has lived in San Francisco his entire life. His mother owns a store that specializes in Christmas and his father is an accountant. He volunteers once a month at the food bank and plays racquetball twice a week with a colleague, who was also his best friend in high school.”
By boring, I assumed Connor was referring to the man’s lack of a criminal record.
Or an indication that Hannah was in for a very dull night.
None of this matters, I reminded myself. As long as she has fun and he’s not a jerk, that’s all that matters.
Nope, I didn’t believe that either.






Also Available


#1 Decidedly Off Limits is 
FREE on all platforms!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS
GOOGLE PLAY






Author Bio


Born in Brighton England, Stina Lindenblatt has lived in a number of countries, including England, the US, Finland, and Canada. This would explain her mixed up accent. She has a kinesiology degree and a MSc in sports biological sciences. In addition to writing fiction, she loves photography, especially the close-up variety, and currently lives in Calgary, Canada, with her husband and three kids.


Author Links

WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
FACEBOOK GROUP
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM
PINTEREST
BOOKBUB



Filed Under: Decidedly by Chance Tagged With: Books, Chick-Lit, Contemporary Romance, Decidedly by Chance, Release Blitz, Romance, Stina Lindenblatt, Women's Fiction

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