REVIEW and GIVEAWAY
Another Five Minutes
by Destiny Booze
Another Five Minutes is currently on tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. The tour stops here today for my review, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other participating blogs as well.
Description
Loving him is easy.
Fearing him is necessary.
Trusting him could be a deadly mistake.
Born deaf and living with an anxiety disorder, Brooke Hartley manages life in five-minute intervals. It’s all she can do to get out of bed each morning. She’s hidden inside her sister’s apartment for over a year.
Everything changes when Brooke’s sister goes missing. Her fragile world crashes. She is desperate to find her, and she’ll need help.
Haunted by a past he needs to forget, Scott Derrico keeps to himself until his gallery manager, Autumn Hartley, suddenly disappears. He is forced out of his isolation to help a woman that needs him with a terrifying intensity.
Scott tries to deny his attraction to Brooke. He doesn’t want to get emotionally involved but he craves her like nothing else. And, for her, he is a dark and sexy diversion to overcome her fear.
With a genuinely flawed and relatable heroine and a mysterious and protective hero, you won’t want this love story to end. You’ll beg … for another five minutes …
Excerpt
Scott stopped so he could stare at Autumn’s sister. He’d forgotten—again—that she was coming. Maybe if he’d remembered, he would have been more prepared.
Brooke was absolutely beautiful.
Her eyes met his, and he couldn’t look away. Those large, gorgeous eyes held him in place better than steel bars could have. He could stare at those eyes for the rest of the day, or week, or longer.
He suddenly remembered his manners. He’d told Autumn he would make this easier for her. He forced a polite smile, completely aware his behavior was not going unnoticed.
With a pointed stare, Autumn stepped toward him. “What’s wrong? And don’t answer where she can see you. She reads lips.”
He turned sideways, away from Brooke, opened his mouth to respond, and shrugged instead.
“Did you change your mind about her working here?”
“No, of course not.”
“Okay. So why are you looking at her like that?”
Again, he shrugged. What was he supposed to say? Sorry, but I don’t want to have the hots for your sister. You should have told me she was so beautiful.
“Oh,” she said, her eyebrows lifting.
Oh? What the heck did she mean by that?
“You realize I have a picture of my sister on my desk, right? It shouldn’t be a surprise to you that she’s pretty.”
He hadn’t noticed the picture. Obviously. And, she was way more than pretty.
Her look of surprise suddenly changed. “Scott, don’t you dare make a move on my sister. I mean it. That’s the last thing she needs right now.”
“That won’t happen.”
“Good. Now, please turn back around and say hello. I want her to feel welcome.”
Right. He turned back, shoved his hair away from his face, and instantly went right on staring. “Hey. Welcome to the team.”
Was that his voice? It was much softer than normal. He had to snap out of this.
She gave such a small smile that he wondered if he imagined it.
Had she understood what he’d said? Maybe he hadn’t spoken slowly enough?
He looked back to Autumn to make sure she wasn’t still glaring at him. She was. Oh hell. He walked away to his studio. This day was not going to get any easier.
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
“This is a stunningly original novel, well written and tense enough to satisfy the most finicky suspense story lovers. Highly recommended.” ~ Grady Harp
“This story caught me and would not let go! The instant attraction between Brooke and Scott was great but not the only pull in this story. I had to know what happened, who did it, and could not stop turning pages. […] From Brooke's past tragedies to the current situation, I enjoyed the entire package. I highly recommend this story.” ~ Christine Woinich
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
Brooke is deaf and suffers from anxiety - to the point where she can’t leave the apartment she shares with her twin sister Autumn. Scott is an artist who employs Autumn as his gallery manager and who struggles with his own internal demons. When Autumn disappears suddenly, Brooke and Scott team up to find her. In the process, two damaged people might just become whole again.
The story is told alternately from the points of view of Brooke and Scott in the third person. I had trouble keeping up with whose head I was inside and would have preferred if the story was told in the first person. The author vividly evokes Brooke’s feelings of anxiety with descriptions such as this one: “She drowned in the fear. That was what it felt like. There was no air, no escape, no help, no hope.” Her inability to speak is handled skillfully, although her thoughts and signing become confused towards the end, as they are both italicized.
Brooke’s and Scott’s sudden, intense attraction to each other may sound unbelievable to some, but I know from experience that feelings can develop that quickly. The thing I did find unbelievable – especially given her anxiety disorder - was that Brooke was willing to become intimate with Scott while she was so worried about her missing sister. I was disappointed that Scott admits he fell in love with Brooke because she’s so beautiful. I also wasn’t a fan of his nickname for Brooke: “little girl”. While the quick pace will keep you turning the pages, it feels like everything is wrapped up a little too quickly in the end.
A real page-turner.
Warnings: domestic violence, sexual references, sex scenes, graphic violence.
About the Author
Destiny Booze is an interesting name, true? Destiny’s mom found her first name in a romance book. Her last name was a gift from the man she loves.
She writes novels with intense conflicts, ongoing suspense, romance, and happy endings. She grew up at a campground where she spent her summers working long hours mowing, cleaning bathrooms, lifeguarding, and leading activities.
Destiny resides in Botetourt County, Virginia where she strives to be the best wife, mother, and writer that she can be. Her family is always priority number one. Other things of great importance to her are friends and her readers!
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card.
Links
