They were best friends
until they became roommates.
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// Full
Blurb //
They were best friends until they became
roommates.
Booker Harris has spent the
last several years pushing himself to become the best goalkeeper in the
Championship League. Tired of living in the shadows of his headline-splashing
brothers, he has finally carved a path of his own.
As a child, Poppy McAdams
was content in her own little make-believe world, until the boy next door with
dimples and pained eyes came barreling into her makeshift fort demanding all
her attention.
Best friends for most of
their lives, everything changes when Poppy abruptly leaves London for
University.
Now she is back, and gone
is the awkward girl from Booker's youth. She has been replaced by a stunning
woman with secrets.
Secrets that Booker is desperate to know.
Sharing a bedroom wall with your best friend from
childhood quickly turns to anything but sweet and innocent.
// Excerpt //
“Did
you go out a lot in Frankfurt?” I ask because I’m still curious to hear more
about her time over there. “Did those German blokes you flirted with for tips
show you a nice time?”
She
twists her head to frown up at me, puzzling her brows at my random question.
“Are we really going to talk about this?”
I
shrug because, well, now that I’ve opened the can, I don’t really want to stuff
it all back in. “Did you leave anyone behind broken hearted?”
“No,”
she murmurs and a tense silence stretches out before us. “What about you? You
have a girlfriend I should know about?”
I
roll my eyes. “I wouldn’t have invited you to stay if I had a girlfriend.”
“Why’s
that?”
“Because…look
at you,” I scoff.
That
tense silence returns, but this time I can hear her breathing. I can feel the
rise and fall of her shoulders as she leans against me.
Her
voice is soft when she asks, “What do you mean, look at you?”
I
tug on my earlobe, feeling a stirring in my stomach that doesn’t have anything
to do with the massive amounts of whiskey I consumed tonight. “I think it’s
quite obvious, Poppy. You’re not merely a girl anymore. You’re…a woman. And
that haircut. I don’t know. It just…suits you.”
She
turns her head up and looks at me curiously. I return her gaze, noting the
light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose. I don’t think I’ve
ever noticed those before. She draws my eyes downward as she licks her lips and
a warmth spreads between us.
All
of the sudden, she sits up, pulling me out of the trance I have on her lips as
she situates herself crisscross to face me. I inhale deeply as her hand slides
into my hair right above my ear. “Looks like you could use a cut,” she croaks,
combing through the thick locks. I expect her to pull away, but she lingers,
her scent wafting over me. My eyes fall closed as she slices through every
strand and traces her fingertips along the nerve endings on my scalp, massaging
in slow, languid movements.
God, that feels good.
My
head nods to the side as I slur, “I’ve missed you, Poppy.”
She
exhales. “I’ve missed you, too, Booker.”
“No,
I mean, I’ve seriously missed you.”
Groaning from her touch, I add, “I put one of my lamps in your room. I know how
you hate the dark.”
Silence
ensues, so my eyes lazily open and find she’s watching me.
“I
don’t know why I said that just now,” I husk.
Her
hand falls away from my head, but I catch it with mine because, well, I’m not
ready for her to stop touching me yet. I want to be close to her like we always
used to be.
I
slide my fingers between hers, loving the softness of her hands against the
hardness of mine, the smallness of hers against the largeness of mine. She
feels so good against my skin. I never want to lose Poppy again. I’ve missed
having her near me like this.
Aching
for more, I pull her to me. Her legs unfold as she tucks into my chest, one
hand over my heart, the other still entwined with mine. She nestles into me
like she did when we were kids and she’d been crying about one of the many
animals that died at her dad’s clinic.
Pressing
her nose into my chest, her shoulders rise as she inhales deeply. I can feel
her warm breath through the fabric of my shirt and it feels good. Really good. I want her mouth to
open so her breath goes from warm to hot. I want her lips to part, and I want to
feel her tongue on my body. On me. Flesh against flesh.
I
crook my finger beneath her chin and lift her face to mine. She looks
beautiful. Familiar and comfortable, like a memory that I once lost. I lower my
head so we’re eye-to-eye and softly brush her lips with mine. It’s a kiss of
friendship. Of history. Of knowing someone so completely that you assume you
know what their lips will taste like before you even touch them.
But
I didn’t know.
I
had no fucking idea.
Meet the Harris TWINS in Challenge & Endurance
NOW AVAILABLE & Free on Kindle Unlimited (Standalone)
Challenge (free until September 8th)
Endurance (now available & free on Kindle Unlimiated)
// About the Author //
Amy Daws is a lover of all things British and her London-based love stories bring the incredible city to life on every page. Read all about hot British men, hilarious heroines, and unforgettable and original ensemble casts that pull out all the feels. For more of Amy’s work, visit www.amydawsauthor.com
// Review //
* * * *
I'm not exaggerating when I say that discovering Amy Daws' Harris Brothers series has been one of the highlights of the year for me. The first two books, Challenge and Endurance based on the twins Camden and Tanner, were full of English humour and wit that I knew I'd found my author soul mate in Daws. She's had her devoted fans eagerly waiting for the next brother, Booker and wouldn't you know it, she's surprised us!
Where Camden and Tanner are attention-seeking loudmouths with an endless supply of potty humour, Booker is the one who likes to hang back whilst soaking it all in. He's the "forever boy" who's all about family and loyalty and is unbelievably close to them. There's really no one else outside of that except for his childhood best friend, Poppy. She has always been the one who understood him and was his salvation during their younger years. Hearing that she's returning to London after a six year absence is the best news he can receive. They were always a tight little duo but it's shocking for her to see Booker again in person after all this time. So much has happened and she's changed. At least she thinks she has until she comes face to face with him and realizes without a doubt that she still has feelings for him, something that he's unaware of. The excitement of seeing each other again is compounded by the fact that they're no longer the young kids they remember. They're full grown adults now and it's hard not to notice or appreciate those physical changes which makes being roomies a little more challenging. There are hiccups, embarrassing moments, miscommunication, laughter and tears as they clumsily work their way towards each other.
Keeper didn't have me laughing out loud quite as much as the previous two books though there is plenty of awkwardness and shenanigans to have you chuckling. A couple of incidents even seemed like slapstick comedy. Booker is more on the serious side and honestly, caught up in his own crazy spin of what love and commitment are about. Poppy vacillates between wanting to move on and wanting what she's always wanted - him. Reading Keeper is definitely more of an emotional ride as Booker confronts his own misguided views and Poppy heals from past wounds. One of the best parts of the book is how much Gareth, the eldest Harris brother is in it. Until now he's been this mysterious, brooding person we've only seen snippets of but Daws is certainly setting us up for his story.
I can only guess that assigning each main character their unmistakable personality, especially when they're related has to be a tad tricky but I think Daws nailed it. She gave Booker and Poppy their own traits, hang ups and views that I truly felt I was reading something different. And that's what any reader wants is to feel these characters come alive and add to the story. Booker and Poppy are the adorably sweet couple that you need to meet right now and you will love!
~ Bel
*Source: an advance e-galley was provided in exchange for an honest review
