Vaughn's Pride
by Selena Laurence
Series: California Cowboys, #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 21, 2017
She's waited a lifetime. Can she stop him from wasting one?
Vaughn Jenkins is the youngest in a long line of proud men. But he was only seventeen when his parents were killed during a storm on a California highway. Seven years later, another stormy night nearly took Vaughn's life. Now he's half a leg lighter, full of shame and doubt, and taking it out on everyone around him, even the woman he's loved most of his life.
T.J. Brisco is the girl next door. She and Vaughn grew up together, inseparable friends, then high school sweethearts. But when tragedy strikes, Vaughn retreats, and this time is no different. She's determined to help him recover from his devastating amputation, but Vaughn's not going to make it easy. When his anger becomes too much for T.J.'s shattered heart, she decides their story is over for good.
He waved over his head and kept moving, looking down to make sure his leg didn’t get caught on anything in the crowded space. While the trajectory of his leg could be controlled well because he had an intact knee joint, he couldn’t feel if anything below his knee got knocked or caught when he was in close quarters. It made the navigating somewhat more difficult, and since he preferred not to fall on his ass in front of half the town, he kept his gaze down.
Which was why he knocked right into something, eliciting a squeak that jolted him out of his hyperfocused state. His hands shot out in reflex, and he caught whatever—whoever—it was as they stumbled. The other person’s weight pulled him off-balance, and he was forced to take another step, planting his good leg to keep upright. The extra step meant that his victim was now virtually under him, bent back in a slight dip as he held what was definitely a her.
His gaze moved up from a set of perfect breasts snug in stretchy azure fabric with a deep V in the front, and on to a neck that was smooth and slim. And then he reached the face, that face, the face that haunted him day in and day out, even when he wanted nothing more than to be free of it.
“Sorry,” he murmured as they stayed frozen in their embrace, T.J.’s big brown eyes blinking at him. But then his gaze dropped, against his will, to her breasts again, and he jerked both him and T.J. upright, setting her away as much as he could in the middle of the tables, stools, and people.
T.J. cleared her throat and smoothed her tight, short dress. Vaughn was caught speechless at the vision of his wholesome, lifelong best friend wearing something that looked like it belonged in a Los Angeles nightclub. The brilliant shade of blue contrasted with her black hair and golden skin, making her glow like some sort of goddess.
Fuck, she was beautiful.
Which was why he knocked right into something, eliciting a squeak that jolted him out of his hyperfocused state. His hands shot out in reflex, and he caught whatever—whoever—it was as they stumbled. The other person’s weight pulled him off-balance, and he was forced to take another step, planting his good leg to keep upright. The extra step meant that his victim was now virtually under him, bent back in a slight dip as he held what was definitely a her.
His gaze moved up from a set of perfect breasts snug in stretchy azure fabric with a deep V in the front, and on to a neck that was smooth and slim. And then he reached the face, that face, the face that haunted him day in and day out, even when he wanted nothing more than to be free of it.
“Sorry,” he murmured as they stayed frozen in their embrace, T.J.’s big brown eyes blinking at him. But then his gaze dropped, against his will, to her breasts again, and he jerked both him and T.J. upright, setting her away as much as he could in the middle of the tables, stools, and people.
T.J. cleared her throat and smoothed her tight, short dress. Vaughn was caught speechless at the vision of his wholesome, lifelong best friend wearing something that looked like it belonged in a Los Angeles nightclub. The brilliant shade of blue contrasted with her black hair and golden skin, making her glow like some sort of goddess.
Fuck, she was beautiful.
Another great read by Selena Laurence. Filled with emotion, this second chance romance hits all the right spots and delivers a story that has you not only rooting for the characters to get their HEA with each other, but also to make peace with themselves and their past.
Vaughn and T.J. have such a history. From best friends as children to dating in high school, these two have always been meant for each other. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes and pulls them apart. Of course Vaughn could never really let go of T.J., but neither could he commit. These two…it’s clear they should be together, and both of them want each other, but, like the title says, Vaughn’s pride gets in his way, which leads T.J. to think that maybe they don’t have a future and it truly is time to move on. When Vaughn realizes he might lose her forever it was wonderful watching him try to win her back. I loved watching these two try to find a new beginning to their story, and once they commit to trying to find their way back to one another they quickly realize that maybe going back isn’t what is going to help them go forward.
As usual, the author brings an emotion into the story that is real and relatable. From Vaughn’s frustration to T.J.’s heartbreak, you can really feel what these characters are going through. And the use of the flashbacks added so much to this story, adding additional layers of heart and emotion.“I don’t think it was slow we need so much as fresh – different – new. We don’t need to find the old us. We need to create a new us.”
We didn’t get to spend a lot of time with the rest of the Jenkins and Brisco families, but they both played an important part in telling T.J. and Vaughn’s story. I do love a strong family bond, and both families have that – within themselves and with each other. And the other supporting characters also added to the story.
If you are looking for a book with lots of emotion and heart, with great “real” characters who can make you laugh, smile, and cry, then this book is for you.
Also in the Series
Book 1: Cade's Loss - On Sale for 99¢ (limited time)
Selena Laurence is an award-winning and USA TODAY bestselling author who loves Putting the Heat in Happily Ever After. Her super sexy stories take place everywhere from rock concerts to family ranches, and her books can be found around the world in four languages, at libraries, bookstores, online, and in audio.
Selena lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she can often be found at a local coffee shop, hiking the trails, or watching soccer. At home Mr L, her kids, "goldendoodle" and "demoncat" keep her busy trying to corral chaos. A veteran Indie author, Selena also coaches writers through her blog and workshops on turning #Passion2Profession.
If you'd like to get to know her better, join Selena's reader/reviewer group on Facebook, or subscribe to her newsletter and get FREE books.
No comments:
Post a Comment