All
Over the Place
By:
Serena Clarke
Blurb
Livi
Callaway has fled back to London after a reality TV disaster in New
Zealand. Safely anonymous in the big city, she’s determined to stay
under the radar from now on. But her attempts to build a new life are
complicated by unexpected visitors from her old one, and new dangers
and temptations lie in wait.
Late
one night, she meets a mysteriously sexy American on the Underground
– and the events that follow take her from Pooh Bear to the golden
lights of Paris, via a trail of rock stars dead and alive. A family
in disarray, a determined Swede, a crazed Australian and a childhood
friend (who might yet be more than that) have her all over the place
as she tries to discover the American’s secret – while keeping
her own.
With
help – and occasional hindrance – from her friends, what she
eventually finds is something unexpected . . . sometimes, running
away can lead you to exactly what you didn’t know you needed
Excerpt
After
the third time, an American voice said, “You’re like an onion
tonight.”
She
turned and replied, without thinking, “That’s
not the kind of vegetable I’d choose to be.”
The
instant the words left her lips she knew it was all wrong. A mere
second too late, it was blindingly obvious that he had said not
onion, but yo–yo. How could she possibly
have imagined that anyone would randomly liken her to an onion? Now,
as she looked up at tanned skin, dark eyes, glossy hair, and teeth
that could only be from across the Atlantic, her heart beat out of
sync. She took in distressed jeans, vintage polo shirt, and a
battered leather satchel hanging from his shoulder.
Suddenly
she was unsteady on her feet, not just because the train was lurching
unevenly. Looking at his face, perplexed and amused, she willed the
floor to open up and drop her on the tracks. She would rather be
electrocuted on the line than be a late–night crazy person on the
Underground under his perfectly proportioned scrutiny. But there was
nowhere to escape until the next stop, so she stood, cheeks flaming,
praying he would take pity on her and pretend he hadn’t heard
anything.
Instead,
he said thoughtfully, “No, if you were a vegetable it would be
something much more delicious. Sweet corn…cherry tomato, maybe.”
Was
he flirting? She chanced another glance. A rugged sweep of stubble
and a scar on his jaw roughened his looks, only making him more
compelling. Well, of course, she thought, anyone who looks like that
must flirt for a living. But suddenly she was uncomfortably aware of
the harsh lights, and how tired she must look. She ran her hand
through her hair, though she knew it wouldn’t make any difference.
“That’s a nice thing to say,” was all she could think of to
reply.
“My
mom always said, you know, if you can’t say anything nice…she was
English, she liked good manners. Plus, it’s important to say nice
things to nice girls, don’t you think?” And he gave her a wink.
She
couldn’t help laughing, he was so shameless. “How come you can
get away with being so cheeky just because you do it in that accent?”
“You
tell me,” he replied. “I don’t think you spring from round here
either.”
Just
then the train began to slow again, and there was a surge as people
started to squeeze along to the doors. The American put his arms out
and made a protective space around her, shaking his head. “Oh, no.
You can stay here this time. I’m not letting you go until I solve
this mystery.”
Up
close he smelled warm and woody and clean, and she had to stop
herself leaning in, eyes closed, and breathing deeply. At this
distance he could probably hear her heart pounding. His full mouth
turned up at the corners, a permanently tempting curve. Her hips
threatened to arc towards him in a very inappropriate way. She
wouldn’t have been surprised at the crackle of blue sparks. If she
actually made contact with any part of him, she felt, there was a
real chance she would just burst into flames.
Then
the doors closed and the train started moving, and he grabbed the
overhead strap to steady himself. “Maybe that was my stop,” she
said, heady from their closeness. “Then what would I have done?”
“Come
for a drink with me?”
She
was enjoying this now, feeling a glow, forgetting her embarrassment,
and her sore feet and backache from standing in the salon all day.
“At this time of night, unless you want to go clubbing, I don’t
know where you’d find somewhere to just have a drink. This isn’t
LA or New York.”
“I’m
not from LA or New York, I’m from Idaho.” He looked at her
closely. “And maybe I didn’t mean somewhere.”
“Ah,”
she said, and suddenly felt a little flat. That’s right, she knew
this story. Off she would go to his place, with him and his charm and
banter. They’d have a night that seemed unbelievable. And the next
day it would be unbelievable, unbelievably awkward, as she pulled on
yesterday’s clothes and tried to find her way to an unfamiliar tube
station, with unbrushed hair and uncleaned teeth. The walk of shame.
She had no interest in taking it. There was a time, when she’d
first arrived, maybe…but not any more.
Her
change of mood must have shown. He said, “I’m sorry, maybe that’s
not something you should say to a nice girl from…?”
Looking
at his expectant, handsome face, she gave herself an internal shake.
Lighten up now, she said to herself, he’s just a guy on a train,
even if he does look like he stepped out of a catalogue. Just enjoy
that someone, maybe, fancies you a little. And she pushed her
shoulders back and put her smile back on.
“Actually,
I was born here, but I’ve been living a long way away. Further away
than you.”
His
face lit up. “Australia!”
“No,
sorry to disappoint you.” Why was Australia always the first guess?
Anyone would think there was no populated land beyond Sydney. Next
stop Antarctica.
“Well
then…damn, this is my stop.” They lurched together as the train
made a last jolt, and his satchel banged against her hip. All at once
she was aware of the crush of other travellers again, as they began
their relentless move towards the door. The American was carried
along in front of two large ladies, but called over their shoulders,
“We could try
to find somewhere.”
She
hesitated for a moment, not wanting him to be gone. Then, just as the
two of them realised his bag buckle had caught on hers, the large
ladies swept him out and the doors closed. They looked at each other
through the glass, his expression going through a progression from
confusion to surprise to a sort of panic. And she was left holding
his bag as the train pulled away.
Review Rating: 4 LIGHTNING BOLTS
Review: Sometimes all you need is to get away to grab a bit of perspective.
That's exactly what the heroine, Livi feels she needs to do. Reeling from a betrayal and needing some time, she flees to a new place for that start over moment. What she finds is something amazing, fresh and new.
The story is filled with memorable characters. There's such room for growth for Livi, and I enjoyed getting to read about her journey. The plot is filled with rich, deep emotion, engaging characters and dialogue, and plenty of intrigue that kept me turning the pages. This is one of those light, refreshing reads. There's plenty of humor and reasons to bring a smile to your face. Overall, the story kept my attention and I was glad to have a chance to read it. Ms. Clarke is certainly an author to keep an eye out for!
Author
Bio
Serena
Clarke has had her fair share of adventures and disasters, living in
thirty-nine houses, in seven cities, in four countries. She’s now
settled in New Zealand, and all those ups and downs provide great
inspiration for writing. Luckily, she has a tall, dark, and handsome
husband to help look after their two boys while she dreams up
stories. Turns out that happily-ever-afters happen in real life too.
Author
Links
Twitter:
@Serena_Clarke
Crimson
Romance:
http://www.crimsonromance.com/crimson-romance-ebooks/crimson-romance-books-by-author/serena-clarke/
Buy
Links
You can follow along with the tour here
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Author: Denyse M Bridger
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
