Excerpt:

Aidan had been watching this woman since her arrival. It hadn’t been intentional, but he had been in one of the upstairs bedrooms when he saw her car pull up, and had watched in fascination as she inspected the yard. While he felt mildly guilty for causing the other decorator to lose her job, he couldn’t help but be intrigued by her replacement. From what he’d observed so far, this woman was somebody who took notice of details. It wasn’t hard to see the appreciation in her eyes as she looked at the house.

And he couldn’t help but look at her with appreciation. The woman before him had fiery red curly hair and a body with the kind of curves that made a man want to…scratch an itch. Damn it. This was so not the time for that thought to come to mind. As she straightened before him, he had to admit she was even more stunning up close. Tall. In heels, she was maybe only four inches shorter than he and that was saying something. Most women didn’t come close to his six-foot-two-inch height.

Aidan’s mouth went dry when she took off her sunglasses and he caught sight of the greenest eyes he had ever seen. She smiled and held out her hand in greeting. “Mr. Shaughnessy, hello,” she said, her voice was just a bit husky. “I’m Zoe Dalton.”

For a moment, Aidan couldn’t speak. He reached out and took her hand in his, fully intending to give her a business-like handshake, but as soon as he felt her soft skin, he pretty much forgot his own name.

You really have been without a woman for too long, he admonished himself. “Miss Dalton,” he murmured, forcing himself to focus. He shook her hand a little too roughly and released it as if she’d burned him.

Zoe was equally speechless. Why did no one mention that this man was the sexiest thing on two legs? His rock star brother may have been nominated one of the sexiest men alive, but Riley had nothing on his older brother. Dark hair, blue eyes, and hands rough enough that Zoe wanted to feel them all over her. It was rare for a man to make Zoe feel small and delicate, but Aidan was built like a linebacker and managed to make her feel it now.

Zoe fanned herself briefly as Aidan turned and walked away.

And the view was just as spectacular from behind.

She almost groaned.

Her gaze was lingering on how fine he looked in those faded jeans when he cleared his throat. “I want you to look around this house, Miss Dalton, and tell me everything you see that’s wrong.”

She swallowed hard and stepped forward. “Everything?”

Aidan turned to face her, crossing his large arms across his chest. “I want you to start at the front door and walk through the entire house.”

There was the potential here for things to go south very quickly. Beyond what she’d read in Sarah’s files, Zoe wasn’t familiar with his work, so she didn’t want to risk offending him, but Martha did tell her to do whatever Mr. Shaughnessy wanted done without argument. With a brief nod of her head, Zoe placed her soft leather briefcase on the granite countertop, pulled out her tablet and began to type furiously, creating her own document on the house.

Walking to the front door, she stepped out onto the porch and swung the door closed before opening it again. “The door sticks a little,” she began as she walked back inside. “There’s some paint on the hardware on both the interior and exterior sides.” She closed the door and looked around the entryway. Stepping to the right, she opened a closet door and looked inside. “There should be electrical in here. It’s a deep closet so I’m pretty sure people would appreciate having a light inside.” She closed that door and noticed that Aidan hadn’t moved from his spot in the living area.

Pretending not to be bothered by him watching her like that, she stopped and made some notes on her tablet. There was a fabulous cubby unit across from the closet. It had coat hooks and plenty of compartments to house baskets and all kinds of decorative items. She ran her hand over the built-in bench and frowned. “This needs to be sanded down more and another coat of paint added.” Turning to face him, she said, “Chances are, a homeowner would cover this area with a cushion, but that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be smooth.”

If she wasn’t mistaken, he actually smirked.

Next to the entryway closet, she found a half bathroom and turned on the light inside. Unimpressive. “The paint is sloppy in there. It’s not plumb, either. The dark paint on the walls against the white ceiling accentuates that. There’s a wave going on in there that almost makes me seasick.”

Zoe crossed the entryway and opened the door to the two-car garage. She peeked her head in to look around quickly and shut the door before turning back to Aidan. “There’s a crack in the concrete floor by the electrical box. Sometimes concrete does that but if you’re going to patch it, make sure that it doesn’t look like a patch.”

The smirk broadened slightly.

Zoe typed a couple more notes and walked into the living area until she was standing about three feet away from Aidan. She met his eyes briefly before turning around and facing the entryway from this angle. With a tilt of her head she stopped and frowned. “It’s out of plumb on the garage side of the entryway. If you stand here you can see the curve in the wall.” She didn’t wait to see if he’d look; she had a feeling he was already well aware of all of the problems.

Doing a slow three-sixty turn, she stopped and typed, then faced the living area. “The color is wrong in here.” Lifting her head, she looked directly at him. “Granted, I don’t know what color you were going for but this is too yellow. You can see those beautiful, dark chocolate-colored cabinets in the kitchen from here. Between those and the dark floors, the walls are all wrong.”

“Tell me why,” he said deeply.

“You’ve got some amazing colors going between the floors, the cabinets and the stone in the fireplace. This color on the walls doesn’t do any of it justice. It’s a yellowish beige, and it’s boring. You want something that is going to complement everything that you’ve done. You want a color that people are going to walk in here and go ‘wow’.” Looking around again, Zoe shrugged. “This doesn’t inspire. This is the weekend-warrior-handyman special.”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Zoe regretted them. Maybe he liked that yellow. Maybe he’d chosen it and it was the one color Sarah hadn’t substituted. Why couldn’t she just keep it professional? She’d never had trouble focusing with any of her other clients.

She turned and looked at him and noticed that the smirk was gone. He looked pissed. Okay, there were two ways she could play this. She could immediately apologize and grovel a bit or she could move on and hope she was just blowing it out of proportion.

“I think we can do something better with the furniture.” And option two it is! “The sectional is fine but we can jazz it up once we change the colors in here.” Moving to the kitchen she went on for about five minutes about the things she saw that weren’t quite right—brush strokes in the paint, crooked glass tile in the backsplash—and decided to stop there. His silence was killing her. She typed a few last notes on her tablet before putting it down and leaning against the countertop.

“Do I pass?” she asked.

“Excuse me?”

“I take it that this is a test to determine if I can see that the problem is in the details. Let me assure you, Mr. Shaughnessy, that I do. I have a real problem with craftsmen who rush through a job and put out shoddy work. I think the homeowner deserves a house that has been put together perfectly. And as for the finishes and decorating,” she said as she stood a bit taller, “we want potential buyers to come in here and not only want to buy this house, but to want their own to look as perfect as the model. If not better.” She paused and shrugged. “Not that it will be possible because the model will be perfect on steroids.” There, Zoe thought, he can’t be pissed at me if he knows that I’m a perfectionist too.

He quirked a dark brow at her. As much as Aidan hated to admit it, he was impressed. And he wasn’t impressed easily. Zoe Dalton had not only seen everything that he wanted her to see, but she had even picked up on an issue or two that had escaped him.

Not an easy thing to do.

Aidan continued to stand there and look at her, so Zoe figured she’d better nudge him along. “Are we ready to hit the upstairs? I have a list of problems with that staircase.”

And in that moment Aidan Shaughnessy thought that he just may have met his match.

Now click here to get your copy now – Made for Us (The Shaughnessy Brothers)

Full Name: Aidan Shaughnessy

Nickname (if applicable):

Occupation: Building Contractor              

Height: 6’2

Hair Color: Dark Brown    

Eye Color: Blue        

Age: 34

Originally from: Coastal North Carolina

What makes you the perfect date? (50 words or less):  No one – including myself – has ever said that! But if I had to say something, it would be that I like to take care of all the details so that my date doesn’t have to worry about a thing.

What do you look for in a woman? (50 words or less) Typically someone strong and independent but also enjoys being taken care of.

Describe yourself in 100 words or less: I’m a bit of a control freak – or so I’ve been told! I’m hard working and know exactly what I want out of life. I can be quiet and observant – a bit of a people watcher. I don’t enjoy crowds very much. I prefer if I’m out, to be out in a small group or with one person.

**********

Love Walks In by Samantha Chase is the second installment in The Shaughnessy series. Every time I read a book from Samantha I’m surprised and absolutely engaged in her story.

Hugh Shaughnessy has always had a plan and been in total control, it’s the only way he can guard his heart. Never in his wildest dreams could he imagine what unfolds at work. When Hugh meets Aubrey, its memorable and laugh out loud hysterical! This might just be what Hugh needs to shake him up, if that’s even possible.

For a man who has money and an amazing career, yes I am jealous ;), he’s still not fulfilled. There is something magical about Aubrey. Will she be the one to loosen him up? It’s going to take letting himself go out of his comfort zone, off the scheduled and predictable path, to discover what he needs.

Aubrey Burke is hiding from a huge mistake and unintentionally falls into a temporary life of parties, wine, and a lot of great food. Will she find a happy-ever-after or will she push Hugh away? Will Hugh be the one to stop her from running?

Both have reasons for hesitation when love is involved. Will they be able to trust each other? When they wind up working together they will discover that not everything can be planed out. That theory that opposites attract is put to the test and it will be amazing. It will take a village of family and friends to get these two together.

I love the setting of this novel, it’s the perfect escape from the hectic work week. Sit back with a glass of wine, a decadent cheese plate and a few chocolate truffles and discover how yummy love can be.

Another must read sexy story that has amazing characters – each one has a purpose and there are a few that have become my new favorites! The Shaughnessy Bachelors are interesting, compelling and can handle the unexpected. Oh, did I mention super sexy too? This time the destination is a resort and a vineyard. Two places I would love to be right now!

Samantha, it sounds like we have much to look forward to for the Shaughnessy family. I can’t wait to see whose story is next and where we go!

I received this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review.

Excerpt:

Aubrey woke up the next morning and instantly groaned when she realized last night wasn’t a dream. She had cried all over Hugh until she had practically collapsed. Then he had carried her to her bed and gently put her down, kissing her forehead. And just when she thought he had taken his chance to escape, he was back with a glass of water for her. He made sure she was comfortable, kissed her gently again, and then he was gone.

Ugh. The poor man must be wishing he had just let her rob his office and not interfered. She was a mess. A stinking hot mess. How in the world was she supposed to face him this morning, knowing he must think the same thing of her? Aubrey eyed the balcony, but it was too high to escape that way.

“No more running,” she murmured as she climbed from the bed, still wearing last night’s clothes. It wasn’t particularly early—eight a.m.—but she wasn’t sure if Hugh was an early riser or not. Hopefully he was already down at the office. She’d shower and get herself feeling human again before seeking him out.

Thirty minutes later, dressed in one of her new outfits—black capris and a sky blue sleeveless blouse—Aubrey stepped out into the living room. And froze.

Hugh was sitting at the breakfast bar drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper. “Good morning,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if you were big on breakfast, so I had them send up an assortment of food—fruit, cereal, muffins, that sort of thing. If you’d like something hot like eggs or pancakes, we can have them sent up, too.”

He wasn’t asking her to leave.

He was offering her breakfast like everything was completely normal.

Nervously tucking her hair behind her ear, she straightened in her spot. “Listen… Hugh, about last night…”

He waved her off. “Today is a new day,” he said with a sincere smile. “Okay?”

There were so many things Aubrey wanted to say, but she took the lifeline he extended, returning his smile. “Okay.” She walked over to where the breakfast tray was. Her practical side told her to have some of the fresh fruit, but the other side urged her to have one of the giant muffins.

“There’s banana nut, blueberry, and chocolate chip,” Hugh said as he watched her.

“As much as I would love the chocolate chip one, I don’t think it’s quite right for breakfast,” Aubrey said, sighing as she picked up the plate of fruit. Before she knew it, Hugh was beside her, taking the plate from her hands. “What are you doing?”

He leaned in and spoke to her in an exaggerated whisper. “You’re technically on vacation. It’s okay to have chocolate for breakfast. Besides, I won’t tell.”

She looked at him and couldn’t help but giggle. “It just feels so wrong.”

Now it was Hugh’s turn to chuckle. “It’s okay. Live a little.” Without a word, Hugh put the muffin on a plate, handed it to Aubrey, and took her by the shoulders, directing her to the breakfast bar. “Sit. Eat.”

And she did. It was quite possibly the best muffin—or breakfast—she’d ever eaten. It felt completely decadent, and it wasn’t until she was halfway through it that she realized Hugh was staring at her. Swallowing the last bite, she looked at him. “What?”

His face was resting in his hand and he was smiling—he seemed to do that a lot. At least, he always seemed to be smiling at her.

“It’s good to see you enjoying a meal.”

Aubrey looked at him quizzically. “What are you talking about? I always enjoy my meals.”

Hugh shook his head. “I know I can’t speak for how you normally eat, but since you’ve been here, you’ve been very reserved while you ate. This muffin? It was a completely different experience.”

She wanted to be a little bit offended by his observation, but couldn’t. “If you can believe it, that’s the first time I’ve ever eaten baked goods for breakfast. It was never allowed.”

Hugh’s shocked expression was almost comical. “How is that possible? What about bagels?”

Aubrey shook her head.

“Donuts?”

“Definitely not.”

“Toast?”

She laughed. “That’s not a baked good.”

“Technically, it is. Bread is baked, therefore toast is a baked good.”

Aubrey rolled her eyes. “Okay, then to be clear, I’ve never eaten the kind of baked goods one would find in an actual bakery for breakfast.”

“That borders on child abuse.”

Get Your Copy Here:
Love Walks In (The Shaughnessy Brothers)

Full Name: Hugh Shaughnessy

Nickname (if applicable):

Occupation: Luxury Resort Owner/Designer                  

Height: 6’3

Hair Color: Dark Brown    

Eye Color: Blue        

Age: 32

Originally from: Coastal North Carolina

What makes you the perfect date? (50 words or less):  I am extremely attentive. I believe in taking a woman out for a romantic dinner with dancing and candlelight and making her feel like she is the most important thing in the world.

What do you look for in a woman? (50 words or less) She’s intelligent and easy to talk to but who isn’t looking for forever. I travel a lot and she would need to be understanding of that.

Describe yourself in 100 words or less: I’m a really regimented man. I mean really. I like things done a certain way and I’m a stickler for routines and schedules. Some say I’m overly cautious – in every aspect of my life – but that doesn’t mean that I’m boring. I have an appreciation for the finer things and I’m outgoing and enjoy being around people and making new friends.

**  Originally posted on 6-29-16 **
*****

Always My Girl by Samantha Chase is the third installment in the Shaughnessy Brothers series, and it is AMAZING! Another satisfying and very refreshing story that dives into the lives of the Shaughnessy family with Quinn Shaughnessy. I must admit, he’s one of my favorite brothers because of he loves cars!

Quinn has always craved things that go fast since he was a young boy. At the beginning of the book there is a tender scene that takes me back to being a kid and it just melts my heart. Samantha sums it up perfectly with this image.

All grown up Quinn has had his share of fun, women and a fantastic career. One that included racing cars until something happened that found him walking away from it all. Even then Quinn couldn’t figure out what exactly it was that he was chasing. All he knew was that there was a void that couldn’t be filled, that is till Anna Harrigan finally got his attention.

Anna and Quinn have been friends since she was six years old, and I love that their friendship has weathered through the tough times. If only Quinn would notice the woman she’s become he might finally find an everlasting love. Anna isn’t the little girl he once knew. Now grown up she’s finally ready to do something about her crush and be noticed.

With a little coaxing from her best friend, Anna decides to change things. But they are both in for a surprise when they realize that their feelings run deeper than they ever expected. What will Quinn do when he discovers how Anna really feels, will he stay or push her away?

Check out this teaser and you’ll see exactly what Anna’s up against.

Sometimes it takes a push from a friend to make you realize what your looking for is right next door. How many of us grew up loving the one person they thought they’d never be able to win? What will Quinn do when Anna begins to change and her interest in cars takes a surprising turn? Is it that she’s changing or is that he’s finally admitting how he really feels? Perhaps the reason he hasn’t quite found that someone special yet is because he hasn’t realized what’s been in front of him his entire life.

Samantha has written a story that so many readers can relate to, one that’s written so tenderly that it will make you laugh, cry and rejoice when you read the last page.

There are at least three more books that we can hopefully expect from this series – Owen, Riley and Darcy. I hope they each have their story shared soon! A bonus with this series is that you the reader become part of this amazing family and love when everyone pops up from previous books.

I had so much fun having Samantha on the blog this week and I hope you all enjoy Always My Girl as much as I did.

I received this ARC from the publisher for a fair and hones review.

Still not convinced? Check out this excerpt Samantha sent over and see for yourself.

Excerpt:

He high-fived you?”

Anna nodded. “He high-fived me.”

“Wow…just…wow.”

“Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction too.”

Zoe sat back in her seat and frowned. “I don’t even know what to say to that. Even when Aidan was being a complete jerk when we started dating, he never would have…”

“High-fived you when you were looking to hug him?”

Raising her glass of iced tea, she saluted Anna. “I give you props for not picking up a bat and slugging him.”

“It was tempting but there were too many witnesses.”

Zoe chuckled. “So…now what? What happened when you guys got home?”

“Nothing. I came back here alone and Quinn?” She shrugged. “I have no idea where he went. Probably to the pub with everyone.”

“You didn’t go?”

“Between the high-five and Mark’s comment…I just needed to get away.”

“Okay, but you’ve talked to Quinn since then, right? I mean, it was four days ago.”

Anna shook her head. “He texted me the next day and said he needed to put in some serious times on the restoration job.”

“I still can’t believe he’s doing it,” Zoe said with disgust. “After everything Jake did…”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Anna interrupted. “I told everyone I didn’t mind and I don’t. Sort of.” She cursed. “Not really.”

“Anna, come on! How can you sit here and tell me you honestly don’t care? That guy was a creep! And what he tried to do to you was criminal! How can you sit here and tell me you want to encourage Quinn to do this job? There will be other restorations! Does he really want the recognition so badly he’s willing to do a job that is nothing but a constant reminder of what Jake Tanner did?”

Anna hadn’t really thought of it that way. With a sigh, she rested her head on the back of the sofa. “He’s only doing because I told him to. I know how important getting this restoration part of the business is to Quinn. This job was not only a big deal because of the kind of cars they are, but because Jake had already lined up magazine interviews and deals for the big reveal. How could I take that away from him?”

“How could he not offer to?” Zoe snapped. “Honestly, out of all the Shaughnessys, Quinn really is the most clueless. And that’s saying something!”

“He did, but I talked him out of it. So I’m partially to blame. I’ll be all right,” Anna said, but she didn’t honestly believe it and the look Zoe gave her said she wasn’t buying it either.

“So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t really know. We had a couple of weeks where we were inseparable and that’s never happened before. I know he has a lot of work with the new shop that needs his attention and I guess when he has the time, he’ll let me know.”

Zoe stood, clearly agitated. “You’re too good to him. Too forgiving.”

“What am I supposed to do?” She paused. “And besides, I told him to leave me alone.”

“Oh, please. You were upset. Now you’re supposed to drive over to the shop and demand he talk to you, for starters! Then you get in his face and tell him to man up and stop hiding when things get tough! And lastly, tell him if he ever high-fives you again instead of accepting the hug you’re requesting, I’ll come over there and hit him over the head with one of those giant wrenches!”

Anna chuckled. “Man…does Aidan ever win an argument with you?”

A slow smile crept across her face. “Not if he knows what’s good for him.”

Click the book cover or title to get your copy here now!

Made for Us (The Shaughnessy Brothers)

Love Walks In (The Shaughnessy Brothers)

Always My Girl (The Shaughnessy Brothers)

 

Be sure to stop by the blog tomorrow for Coffee With The Shaughnessy crew. There will be a giveaway too!

Author Info:

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller/contemporary romance writer Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan’s Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40’s to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.

When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.

For more information, please visit Samantha’s website – www.chasing-romance.com

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