Author:
Sometimes boy meets girl, and the stars align, and their future is laid out neatly before them. Together forever. Meant to be. But Max and Loren are not one of those couples.
Seventeen-year-old Max DuPont is on the verge of becoming a ward of the state and foster kid. Contrary to expectations, Max is not from the "wrong" side of town. He's from a good home in a nice neighborhood, but his mother left after his father lost his job and turned to drinking. Max has been struggling to keep his head above water ever since. All he wants is to survive his senior year, play hockey, and move on to college. When his dad lands himself in jail, Max has no choice but to accept an offer to live with his father's do-gooder attorney, Mr. Larssi. The only contingency is that Max must stay far away from Larssi's beautiful teenage daughter Loren.
Loren is aware that she's had every opportunity in her young adult life—at least, that is, every opportunity her parents designed for her. She excels in academics at a competitive prep school, she never parties, she never dates, and she's a budding ballerina and major hopeful for a Juilliard scholarship. But since her best friend Lily died tragically three months ago, Loren is lost. She knows just how precious life is. But she has no idea how to make the best of it. How can she live—really live—with obsessive parents breathing down her neck…and inviting the only guy who never noticed her to live right under their roof?
Loren's first step in living her own life might be to get Max to notice her. Max's only chance at a solid future without foster care is to keep his distance from Loren. But their chemistry is undeniable. And they can't fight the odds forever.
Now on to the excerpt.
Excerpt
“Check,” he says grinning and his dark blue eyes move to meet mine.
I feel a smile attempting to crack on the side of my lips. I could just stay here for the rest of the night, staring into his dark blue dimensions and trying to guess what goes on behind them. I don’t care about winning the stupid chess game. What I want to win is his attention. He looks everywhere except at me…until his gaze slowly moves down to my neck and then to my cleavage. But he quickly looks away—that’s what happens when a girl doesn't have much to show. There’s no way I’m making a move on Max. He’ll totally reject me. I look at my game and I can’t believe I’ve let him get this close to winning. I use my knight to capture his bishop, and the game ends in a draw. I feel defeated.
He shrugs, sinking his shoulders down. “I didn’t think you were paying attention,” he says. Did he notice me watching him the entire time? Well, that’s embarrassing.
“I didn’t think you were paying attention to me,” I reply and immediately feel heat running through my cheeks. Did I just say that? Max’s eyebrow goes up in a questioning look and then down in a frown. I lick my lips, thinking of something to say, and his eyes follow my movements. Nothing comes to my mind other than the desire to know what he’s thinking right now.
“I was,” he says. “I noticed you press your lips together when you’re thinking.” He mimics me. “And just a few minutes ago, I noticed your eyes are more green than brown, with a hint of yellow in the center.” He raises his hand to scratch the back of his neck and leans back in his chair. “You bite the inside of your cheek a lot. I couldn’t figure out why though.”
I swallow and move my hair from behind my burning ears to cover my face. I didn’t notice him looking at me at all, and right now, I wish his eyes weren’t glued on me. “I do that when I’m nervous.”
“Why are you nervous?” He places his elbows on his knees and leans forward, giving me his full attention. My feet shuffle and I wish I could hide under the table. You make me feel this way. You bring butterflies to my stomach every time I look at you. That’s what I wanted to say.
“I—I have a physics test tomorrow,” I say instead and hope he didn’t notice the stuttering in my voice. It tends to show when I lie.
Patricia Vanasse was born and raised in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil. Now she lives on a beautiful island in the Pacific Northwest.
She has been through Culinary Arts, Psychology, Law School, and now has finally
found her passion in creative writing. She also loves traveling, cooking, and
is an avid reader. Her strength- believes that everything is possible. Her
weakness- an obsessive relationship with caffeine.
Giveaway
Details:
Patricia is generously offering up a variety of prizes!
• A $25 Amazon gift card (international)
• A signed copy of AGAINST ALL ODDS (US only)
• 2 eCopies of AGAINST ALL ODDS (international)
Please enter via the Rafflecopter form.
• A $25 Amazon gift card (international)
• A signed copy of AGAINST ALL ODDS (US only)
• 2 eCopies of AGAINST ALL ODDS (international)
Please enter via the Rafflecopter form.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Check out the Tour Schedule!
- Monday, September 28th - Bewitched Bookworms -
Guest Post
- Tuesday, September 29th - Supernatural
Snark - Interview
- Wednesday,September 30th - Two Chicks on
Books - Excerpt
- Thursday, October 1st - For The Love Of Books - Review & Good In
The Stacks - Review
- Friday, October 2nd - The Bookmark Blog - Review together with Guest
Post
- Monday, October 5th - Here's to Happy
Endings - Review together with Interview
- Tuesday, October 6th - Curling
Up With A Good Book - Review together with Interview
- Wednesday, October 7th - Book Swoon - Review
- Thursday, October 8th - Ramblings
From Beneath the Sheets - Review & Fiksthun -
Review together with Guest Post
- Friday, October 9th - Kindle and Me - Review together with Guest Post
