Today we have the release week blitz for Melissa Fosterโs SEARCHING FOR LOVE! Check it out and be sure to grab your copy today!
Title: Searching for Love
Author: Melissa Foster
Genre: Contemporary Romance
About Searching For Love:
Discover the magic of New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster’s writing and see why millions of readers have fallen in love with the fiercely loyal and sassily sexy characters in the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. Love in Bloom novels are written to stand alone or may be enjoyed as part of the larger series, so dive right into this fun, sexy romance.
In SEARCHING FOR LOVE…
Zev Braden and Carly Dylan have known each other their whole lives. Their close-knit families were sure they were destined to marryโuntil a devastating tragedy struck, breaking the two lovers apart. Over the next decade Zev, a nomadic treasure hunter, rarely returned to his hometown, and Carly became a chocolatier and built a whole new life across the country. When a chance encounter brings them back into each otherโs lives, can they find the true love that once existed, or will shattered dreams and broken hearts prevail? Find out in Searching for Love, a deliciously sexy, funny, and emotional second-chance romance.
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Love in Bloom novels feature alpha male heroes and smart, empowered women. They’re flawed, funny, passionate, and relatable to readers who enjoy contemporary romance and women’s fiction.
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Exclusive Excerpt:
ZEV BRADEN DIDNโT know which was worse, seeing the woman who had captured his heart in second grade with another man or knowing his family had betrayed him by leaving him in the dark about her attending his oldest brotherโs wedding. Beau had gone all out to give his new bride, Charlotte, a fairy-tale wedding at Sterling House, the Colorado Mountain inn sheโd inherited. Heโd built a wedding tent that brought the enchanted forest indoors, with miles of white silk draped over an artfully built frame of tangled branches and decorated with tiny white lights and strings of faux pearls. A crystal chandelier hung from an ornate iron tree in the center of the tent, and flowers spilled out of lush centerpieces. It was an intimate setting for their large family and close-knit friends. But at that moment Zev didnโt feel quite as close to his beloved family as he normally did. He and his five siblings enjoyed giving each other a hard time, but they had always had each otherโs backs.
Until now.
He took another swig of tequila, chewing on that thought.
He should be celebrating the discovery of a lifetime this weekend. He had spent the last several years, and tens of thousands of dollars, searching for the wreckage of pirate Garrick โOne-Legโ Cleggโs ship, the Pride, which sank off the coast of Silver Island in 1716. Two days ago Zev had discovered three concretionsโhard masses that develop when metals start to disintegrate and combine with salts present in ocean water, forming a conglomerate that cements rock, sand, clay, and any nearby artifactsโat the site where he believed the ship had gone down. An X-ray of the masses had shown what appeared to be iron and silver artifacts and coins. Zev had given the largest concretion, which weighed nearly one hundred pounds, and the supporting X-rays and documentations to his attorney to begin the legal process of having the vessel arrested, which would hopefully grant him exclusive salvage rights to the sunken ship and all artifacts he hoped to find. But instead of celebrating his history-making discovery, he was downing tequila to dull the ache of seeing Carly Dylan again.
The Pride was supposed to be their discovery. Theyโd become obsessed with the sunken ship when theyโd seen a documentary about it in third grade, and their interest had only grown over the years. Theyโd even made plans to spend the summer after their freshman year in college searching for the wreckage. When they were kids, Carly had been his fellow adventurer, troublemaking cohort, and best friend, and as theyโd matured, sheโd also become his lover and, heโd thought, his future.
But that was beforeโฆ
Zev spotted Beau and their brothers Nick and Graham heading his way. Traitors. He stared them down as they approached. He and his brothers were all tall, broad shouldered, and athletic, but Zev and Beau had something else in commonโthe torturous past that had changed both of their lives.
Goddamn Beau. If they werenโt at his wedding reception, Zev would be tempted to knock the big-ass grins off each of their faces.
โI know youโre celebrating your discovery, but if you keep sucking down that tequila, itโll be the only thing leaving you flat on your back tonight,โ Graham said with a smirk. He was the youngest of Zevโs siblings. Graham and their brother Jax could be Beauโs doppelgรคngers, with short brown hair, meticulously manicured scruff, and serious eyes, while Zev and his older brother Nick wore their hair longer, and Zev let his scruff go long stretches without a thought, much less a trim.
Zev offered the bottle of tequila to Graham, chewing over the fact that heโd had to learn about Carlyโs living there, her close friendship with Beau and Charlotte, and the fact that sheโd catered desserts for the wedding secondhand when heโd overheard a conversation during the reception.
โNo thanks, man. The only thing I want knocking me on my back is my beautiful Sunshine.โ Graham glanced across the lawn, where their twin siblings Jax and Jillian were chatting with Grahamโs wife, Morgyn, aka Sunshine.
Zevโs attention was quickly drawn past Morgyn and the others to the woman who had haunted his thoughts and starred in his every fantasy for as long as he could remember. When heโd first seen Carly before the ceremony, stunning in a sexy peach dress that showed off her long legs and slim waist, their eyes had connected with the heat of summer lightning, and Carls had slipped from his lips like a secret just as Zevy had fallen from hers. Hearing her sweet, breathless voice after nearly a decade had left him momentarily numb. Sheโd been carrying a tray of chocolate desserts, following Cutter Long, a real-life fucking cowboy who Zev knew was one of Charlotteโs closest friends. Cutter had barely left Carlyโs side since the ceremony, and now Carly was holding his arm, laughing at something heโd said. Zev had once been the guy by her side. Theyโd even attended the same college. But that was a long time ago.
He couldnโt look away from her. She was even more beautiful than he had remembered. Her hair was a lighter blond now, but even after all this time he could still feel the silky strands trailing through his fingers. He could still see her big blue eyes sparking with heat and playfulness as they rolled around in the grass or treaded water in the ocean.
He gritted his teeth, struggling to push away the happier memories heโd held on to like lifelines since the day heโd broken up with her and left their hometown of Pleasant Hill, Maryland, two days after her best friend, and Beauโs then-girlfriend, Tory Raznick, had been killed in a car accident. Tory had been visiting a girlfriend and sheโd flown home early without telling anyone. Sheโd wanted to surprise Beau, but Zev had taken him out to a party. When sheโd texted from the airport, theyโd been drinking, and Beau hadnโt heard the phone. Sheโd called several other people looking for a ride home, but in the end, sheโd taken a cab. It was a stormy night, and the driver lost control of the car less than three miles from the airport. Zev knew it wasnโt his fault Tory had been killed, but guilt from taking Beau out that night, and the realization that someone they loved could be torn from their lives at any second, had tipped an iceberg that had crushed him.
Nick nudged Zevโs arm, jerking him from his thoughts, and said, โDude, Carlyโs looking hotter than ever. If Iโd known she was into cowboysโโ
โShut the fuck up.โ Zev took another swig of tequila.
Nick chuckled and tipped his hat. He was a horse trainer with a body built for a fight and an attitude that always seemed to be begging for one.
Zev had seen Nick knock a man out with a single punch, but that wouldnโt stop Zev from going after him if he continued pushing his buttons. He might be leaner than his massive brother, but his nomadic treasure-hunting lifestyle had also made him quicker. Fearless and fast was a dangerous combination when frustrations burned through Zevโs veins, as they were now. But he didnโt give Nick a chance to get any deeper under his skin. Instead, he set an angry stare on Beau and said, โWhy didnโt you tell me she was coming?โ He eyed his other brothers. โYou all knew she lived here, and nobody clued me in. What the hell is up with that?โ
Beau rolled his shoulders back and said, โThe last time I brought up Carly, you said youโd slaughter me if I ever mentioned her name again.โ
โYou did, bro,โ Graham agreed. โRemember? We were at Mom and Dadโs last Fourth of July, when Beau and Char got engaged.โ
How could he ever forget the day heโd never seen coming?
After Tory died, the pain and guilt had been so overwhelming that Zev and Beau had both needed to get the hell away from Pleasant Hill. Beau hadnโt been able to even be in the same room with his childhood best friend, Toryโs older brother, Duncan, without wanting to tear something apart. Although Zev had rarely returned home, heโd kept up with his family and had known about the ever-growing rift between Beau and Duncan. Which was why when Duncan had walked into their parentsโ house the night Beau had gotten engaged, Zev had been ready to take him downโuntil heโd learned that Beau had found a way to move past Toryโs death and had made amends with Duncan.
That was the day that had made Zev wonder if he could find a way to move past all that had happened, too. But the only person he wanted to move forward with was Carly, and before the wedding, heโd seen her only once since theyโd broken up, and sheโd made it clear she was over him.
โI know what I said.โ Zev leveled Beau with a serious stare and said, โBut come on, man. You couldnโt have warned me? You and Char are close to her. You knew sheโd be here with Cutter. What the hell?โ
โHey, I have no idea whatโs up with her and Cutter.โ Beau glanced at Charlotte, heading their way with Morgyn and her toughest sister, Sable, just one of the many Montgomery siblings who had made it to the wedding, and said, โBut please tell me youโre not going to back out of watching the animals for us while weโre on our honeymoon.โ He had surprised Charlotte with a weeklong honeymoon to the small village in France where her maternal grandparents had lived.
Zev had agreed to stay at the inn and watch their chickens and thief of a dog, Bandit, prior to his epic discovery because none of his siblings had been able to commit. Last night heโd arranged for the remaining, smaller concretions heโd found to be sent to his cousin Noahโs marine biology laboratory on the outskirts of town, where he could work on extracting the treasures while he was watching the inn. Heโd spent every minute since wondering which sibling he could wrangle into taking his place. But now that he knew Carly lived there, he didnโt know what the hell he wanted.
โThe horses are at Halโs ranch, so you wonโt have to muck the stalls,โ Beau said, as if it were a selling point. โI know youโve got a lot going on right now, but nobody else can do it.โ
โYeah, dude, I definitely canโt stick around to take care of their animals,โ Nick said. โIโm heading to Virginia to buy a couple of horses at the end of the week.โ
โMorgyn and I are leaving tomorrow for two weeks in Seattle, and everyone else is taking off first thing tomorrow, too,โ Graham added. โJilly and Jax have a big-city fashion show and will be gone for two weeks, and Mom and Dad have a meeting about the winery expansion.โ Their motherโs family owned a chain of wineries called Hilltop Vineyards, and their father, an engineer, was helping with the designs. โSorry, Zev, but itโs all on you.โ
Charlotte came to Beauโs side, looking gorgeous in her fairy-tale-style wedding gown, which Jillian and Jax, both fashion designers, had made for her. Beau put his arm around her and leaned in for a kiss. Seeing his brother happy and so in love again brought warm memories of how it felt to be with the person he loved. Zev stole another glance at the only woman who had ever made him feel damn near anything. He may not know what he wanted, but one thing was certain: Leaving was no longer his highest priority.
โDonโt worry,โ Zev said. โIโd never leave you hanging.โ
โBet you say that to all the girls, Foreplay,โ Sable said with a raise of her brows, earning chuckles from his brothers.
โWouldnโt you like to know?โ Zev countered. Morgyn had come up with the nickname Foreplay, which she claimed meant he was the guy women sought for a good time but never for anything long term. As far as Zev was concerned, that was pretty damn accurate.
โYouโve been staring at Cutter and Carly for so long, Iโm starting to wonder which one youโre into,โ Morgyn teased.
โYou know I donโt swing that way, Sunshine. But if I did, it wouldnโt be with that cowboy.โ Zev took another swig of tequila, his gaze shifting to Carly again. Jillian and Jax had joined her and Cutter, and it looked like they were all having a great damn time.
โFunny, I was thinking a cowboy was exactly what I needed.โ Sable flipped her thick mane over her shoulder and turned her attention to Nick. โWhat do you say, burly boy? Can all those muscles move on the dance floor, or are they only good for toiling away on your ranch?โ
โBaby, thereโs nothing this body canโt do.โ Nick put a hand on Sableโs lower back, leading her toward the makeshift dance floor.
โI want to dance!โ Morgyn exclaimed. She grabbed Grahamโs hand, and they followed Nick and Sable.
Charlotte took Beauโs hand and said, โTheyโre playing our song, hubby. We should dance, too.โ She stepped closer to Zev and lowered her voice to say, โCarly doesnโt bite, you know.โ
โWell, thatโs a damn shame, cutes,โ Zev said with a grin. โI always loved the way she used that sexy mouth of hers.โ
Charlotte gave a happy little squeal and said, โI bet sheโd bite if you asked her to!โ
โCome on, beautiful. Iโm sure Zev doesnโt need any help in that department.โ Beau led her away, leaving Zev alone with his dirty thoughts of Carly and her talented mouth.
No one knew Zev had run into Carly in Mexico when she was on spring break the year after Toryโs death. Heโd just finished a diving expedition, and he was having a drink in a bar when heโd heard her infectious laugh. Heโd thought heโd imagined it, but then heโd seen her across the room, stunningly beautiful and enticingly familiar. The second their eyes had connected, an inferno had blazed between them, and the all-consuming emotions heโd been trying to forget had nearly swallowed him whole. Their connection had always been so strong theyโd never needed many words to convey their thoughts, and that night had been no different. They hadnโt talked about losing Tory, or his leaving Pleasant Hill. In fact, they hadnโt talked much at all, except for Zev to say he was in no position to make any promises, to which Carly had said, I donโt want promises. I only want tonight. Theyโd spent one incredible night in each otherโs arms. Zev had known then that heโd made a mistake leaving the way he had, and heโd thoughtโhopedโthey might be able to find their way back into each otherโs lives. But when heโd woken up the next morning, Carly was gone without a trace, leaving him confused, hurt, angry, and fiercely determined never to feel that way again.
As he looked at her now, flashing her radiant smile at that fucking cowboy, he accepted the truth heโd spent years trying to deny. Carly Dylan hadnโt just captured his heart when they were kids. Sheโd claimed his entire beingโmind, body, and soulโand sheโd own them until long after the day he took his last breath.
Lita T’s Review: 4 Stars
Searching For Love (Love in Bloom# 70,The Braedens # 30, The Braedens and Montgomery, Pleasant Hill -Oak Falls # 6 by Melissa Foster. Zev and Carly have known they were meant to be since they were in the second grade. They loved the adventures they went on and had plans of going on many more. However a tragic accident Zev was left with so much guilt he left everything he loved in Pleasant Hill especially Carly. They haven’t see each other in years till Zev’s brother Graham’s wedding. The old sparks that were there still exist after all this time. Unfortunately so much hurt and a lack of trust stands between them. Zev is tired of his nomadic life and wants her back. He has 6 days to reconnect with her and he is determined to make them count. Carly has finally gotten her life under control. When Zev left her after they would be together forever her world was destroyed. With most books I have read by author, I would fall in love as the characters fell in love. This story was different. These guys were already in love. They just needed to get over their past to find their future. The sex was definitely hot and they had plenty. But their journey back to each other and the changes they both had to do emotionally to be with each other was entertaining as well as sweet and funny. Love this author’s stories. 4 chocolate truffles for me.
About the Author:
Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance, new adult romance and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Readers adore Melissa’s fun, flirty, and sinfully sexy, award-winning big family romance collection, LOVE IN BLOOM featuring the Snow Sisters, Bradens, Remingtons, Ryders, Seaside Summer, Harborside Nights, and the Wild Boys After Dark. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented.
Melissa also writes sweet and clean romance under the pen name Addison Cole.
Melissa has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Her interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping others see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.
Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on social media or her personal website.
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Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! I’m so happy you enjoyed Searching for Love! I can’t wait to visit your blog again soon XOXO
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