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Title: I Could Never
Author: Penelope Ward
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Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Forbidden Romance/Enemies to Lovers
Release Date: August 21, 2023
BLURB
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new forbidden, enemies-to-lovers storyβ¦
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It all started with an unexpected phone call.
Two years after my fiancΓ© passed away in an accident, his father died suddenly, leaving Bradβs adult, special-needs brother with no one to care for him.
The next thing I knew, I was on a cross-country drive to New Hampshire where Iβd be moving in to look after Scottie until I could get him into a group home.
The last thing I ever expected?
I wouldnβt be taking care of him alone.
Josh Mathers, my fianceβs best friendβwho also happened to be my sworn enemyβinsisted he was the better person for the job. He told me to go back to California, and I told him where he could stick that demand.
Our disdain for each other wasnβt anything new. It dated back to a text Iβd accidentally read years ago.
We hated each other. But we both loved Scottie, so neither of us budged.
Now we were living together in a tiny houseβwith one available bedroom. Thank goodness it was only temporary.
Over time, I realized the broody jerk I thought I knew was different than Iβd imagined.
I found myself slowly growing attached to someone I once considered the enemyβ¦and growing attracted to him.
Sure, both of us were guilt-ridden over Brad. We were also two grown people with pent-up frustration toward one anotherβstuck in a cabin in the woods.
But this was Josh.
I could never.
PRE-ORDER LINKS
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B&N / KOBO /Β GOOGLE PLAY
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**No Amazon e-book preorder.Β
Will go live on/around release day
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EXCERPT
Copyright Β© 2023 by Penelope Ward
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Josh sat at the table, casually having coffee as I walked into the house after my drive home from the salon. The smell of cigarettes emanated from him. He hadnβt smelled like that since the first day he arrived.
βWhereβs Scottie?β I asked.
βIn his room,β he answered without making eye contact.
I stated the obvious. βYou smell like smoke.β
βMust be the firewood.β He brought his mug to his mouth.
βBullsh*t. The pellet stove doesnβt emit any fumes.β
βYeah. I caved and had one. Big deal.β He pointed toward the door. βI did it outside, though, while keeping an eye on Scottie through the window.β
βYouβd been doing so well. What happened?β
He still wasnβt looking at me, and instead stared straight ahead. βJust human, I guess.β
Then something in front of him on the table caught my attention: pieces of ripped pages piled atopβ¦my journal.
A rush of adrenaline shot through me. βWhy do you have that?β
βItβs apparently your diary.β
βIβm quite aware of that.β My heart began to pound. βYou were snooping in my room?β
He shot daggers at me. βThink, Carly. Of the two guys in this house, who is the one more likely to have been ransacking your room?β
βYou were supposed to be watching him while I was at the salon,β I yelled.
βGod forbid I take a piss in peace. Is it not bad enough that Iβm showering with him now? Getting my balls tugged?β
I wanted to laugh, but this moment was far from funny.
βScottie ripped those pages out?β
βThe notebook is bright orange, like his iPad cover. Probably caught his attention. The drawer next to your bed was open, so he must have gone in there. I assume thatβs where you kept it. Admittedly, Iβd been letting him hang out in your room, but you sometimes do, too. I went to check on him, make sure he wasnβt doing anything bad, and found those pages strewn about.β A vein popped in his neck.
Josh was angry. Why? I shouldβve been the angry one.
βDid you read it?β
βI only happened to see what was on the pages he ripped. I didnβt read anything else once I figured out what the hell it was.β
This is bad. Starting to sweat, I asked, βBut how much did you see?β
He stood up from his seat and slowly approached me. With each step he took toward me, I took one back. When we could go no farther, he placed his arms on either side of me, leaning his hands against the wall. And I forgot how to breathe.
Fear. Arousal. Embarrassment. You name it, I was feeling it right now. Every emotion hit me at once.
His breath grazed my face. βHow much did I actually see?β He paused. βEnough to know you think Iβm an evil pig.β
Ugh. No. Now his anger made sense.
When he backed away, I walked over to the ripped pages on the table and sifted through them.
βItβs the last one, for reference,β he noted.
I read what Iβd written the other night.
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AUTHOR BIO
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Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.
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She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
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With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
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She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
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With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
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AUTHOR LINKS
OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD
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