I am delighted to be taking part in the celebrations for Sarah Bennett's third book in the Butterfly Cove trilogy: Christmas at Butterfly Cove. I have an excerpt for you to sample and there's also the chance to win a £10 Amazon Giftcard, a butterfly journal and a butterfly necklace. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post. (Sorry, UK only). Before we get to the excerpt, here's a little more about the book:
All she wants for Christmas…
When talented artist Nee Sutherland returns to Butterfly Cove for her sister’s wedding, it’s only a matter of time before she has to face her own bridegroom – Luke Spenser – the man she impulsively married, then left in the middle of the night.
Nee hasn’t picked up her paintbrushes in months, a part of her is broken. She knows Luke might never forgive her, leaving him was the biggest mistake of her life – but could coming home for Christmas be the best decision she’s ever made?
Maybe all she needs is a little Christmas miracle…
A delightfully feel-good festive romance, perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley, Rachael Lucas and Hilary Boyd.
‘I’m not coming to Butterfly Cove.’
‘Luke…’
The ever-present simmer of anger in his gut boiled over.
‘Leave it!’ Damn. None of this was Arron’s fault, not Kiki or Mia’s either.
There was only one person responsible for turning his life upside down.
Again.
He shoved a hand through his hair. ‘Sorry.’
His brother hunched closer across the table. ‘You have to
speak to her sometime, bro. I don’t know what happened to her in New York, but
she’s a mess.’
His temper spiked again. ‘And how is that my problem?’
Aaron gripped his forearm. ‘She’s your wife, Luke. For
better, for worse and all that.’
He’d heard enough. He loved Aaron, but if he didn’t shut the
hell up, Luke would say something unforgivable. He stood up, lifted his glass
and drained the last third of his pint. ‘We’d better get back.’ He left the
table without another word.
He was a couple of hundred yards up the road before Aaron
caught up with him. Falling into step, he kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead
of them. ‘We heard your argument, Kiki and me. After the wedding.’
Luke stopped dead. ‘What?’
Aaron faced him, one shoulder lifted in an apologetic shrug.
‘Outside the barn. We didn’t mean to, we were in the shadows at the side of the
building.’
What the hell had they been doing lurking in the dark like
that? It had been the night Aaron finally opened his heart to Kiki and…oh. The
embarrassed flush on his brother’s face spoke volumes. He raised an eyebrow at
him and the redness darkened.
‘Yeah, anyway. We weren’t snooping, but we heard what Nee said,
about leaving you being a mistake. She sounded pretty sincere to me. Can’t you
at least give her a chance to explain?’
A car approached, and they stepped onto the grass verge to
let it pass. As soon as the road was clear again, Luke started walking. He
didn’t want to think about the wedding. Didn’t want to think about how delicate
and slight Nee had looked, the aching sorrow in her voice when she’d tried to
talk to him. He heard Aaron’s footsteps behind him. Without looking around, he
held up a hand in warning.
‘No more. The subject is closed.’
He couldn’t give her a chance to explain, because then he’d
have to admit to the true source of his anger—himself. For all his
protestations, he didn’t care why she’d left. He just wanted her back. And what
kind of an idiot did that make him?
My Thoughts
Warm and uplifting, this couldn't feel much more festive, with all the family gathered together over the Christmas period. Not everything goes according to plan of course and the focus of this book is the relationship between Nee and Luke. I think to get the most out of the story, it would be best to have read the previous two books in the series. The dynamic between the characters feels believable and the more peripheral characters all contribute something to the story as well.
Despite its life enhancing feel, there is more to this story than hearts and flowers. As you discover why Nee is unable to pursue her love of art, you realise that there is a lot of pain in the background. I must say I enjoyed finding out if she was going to be able to get over her anguish. Great characters, all with their own story, make this an enjoyable read.
In short: lashings of festive fun.
About the Author
Sarah Bennett has been reading for as long as she can
remember. Raised in a family of bookworms, her love affair with books of all
genres has culminated in the ultimate Happy Ever After – getting to write her
own stories to share with others.
Born and raised in a military family, she is happily married
to her own Officer (who is sometimes even A Gentleman). Home is wherever he
lays his hat, and life has taught them both that the best family is the one you
create from friends as well as relatives.
When not reading or writing, Sarah is a devotee of afternoon
naps and sailing the high seas, but only on vessels large enough to accommodate
a casino and a choice of restaurants.
Sarah is the author of the Butterfly Cove trilogy, published
by HQ Digital UK. You can also look forward to a new series coming in 2018, set
in the beautiful seaside town of Lavender Bay.
Thanks to Sarah Bennett, HQ Digital and Jenny at Neverland Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the Tour.
Giveaway (UK only)
To be in with a chance to win a £10 Amazon Giftcard, a butterfly necklace and a butterfly journal, just follow the link below and good luck! (one winner)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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