Today Kate Deveaux is making a return with her latest release, Bride Undone, an older man/younger woman full of emotional complications. Keep reading to get a taste of this book along with my impressions of it. Make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win 1 of 2-$50 Amazon GCs and 1 of 5 e-copies of this book too!
Until she meets Wes — the sexy long lost father of her groom. The hunk from Texas confirms her worst fears. She is marrying the wrong man.
Battling her intense attraction for Wes, the flame between them burns too hot to resist. Chloe and Wes give into their scorching passion and struggle with the consequences of their love.
EXCERPT:
The door opened and Chloe jumped.
“Chloe?” Wes said in surprise. He froze in the doorway, his jaw tight and his eyes dark.
“Wes, I had to come talk to you.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He nervously glanced out into the hall. “I told you I’m sorry.” He stepped inside the room, leaving the door wide open.
He walked over to his desk and rested his fingers on the glass. “We really shouldn’t be together. I’m leaving today.”
“No, no, Wes.” She moved toward him. “It’s not your fault.”
Wes’ eyes changed from amber to dark espresso. “I have to get to a board meeting. Please go, Chloe.”
Her eyes searched his and she saw pain in his dark gaze. “I can’t.” She moved one step closer to him.
Wes shook his head. “I shouldn’t have come for the wedding. None of this would have happened.”
“Yes...yes, you should have.” A hint of desperation crept through her. “Well actually, there isn’t going to be a wedding, but that’s not your fault.” She searched for the right words. “I was having second thoughts before you ever arrived. I was going to churches and watching complete strangers get married. The wedding was doomed before you ever got here.” Her words tumbled out faster than she could think them.
Wes said nothing but his raised eyebrows and taut neck muscles told her she wasn’t getting through to him.
“I knew what Conner and I had wasn’t right, that there was something missing.” She knew she was babbling but she had to let him know how she felt. “I have feelings for you, Wes...feelings I can’t hide. You probably think I’m crazy, spying on strangers’ weddings, but it just wasn’t right, me and Conner. And when I met you I knew. The minute I met you.” Tears welled in her eyes.
Wes looked stunned, as if someone had punched him in the stomach. She thought he was going to bolt from the room. He stood there staring at her before striding quickly toward the open door.
Instead of leaving, he paused and looked back at her and then shut the door and deliberately pressed the lock button. He said nothing, just turned on his heels and walked back to his desk, placing his hand on the phone.
Shit, he was going to phone Conner. He was going to keep her there captive in his office and call Conner and tell him what a nut bar his fiancée was.
Immobile, she watched him as he picked up the phone.
“Marie. Cancel the board meeting.” He looked up at Chloe and they locked eyes. Chloe’s stomach flipped and she started to tremble as Wes spoke into the phone. “Some new information came and in and I need time to review it. Send them all back downstairs, will you?”
He hung up the phone and stood behind the desk, his posture tense. Chloe’s heart pounded in her chest.
“Chloe,” he said gently, coming around the front of the desk, but carefully keeping his distance from her.
“You might have cold feet. Everyone does. It’s natural.” His eyes softened to amber but she could see the tension in his taut neck muscles remained, belying his calm tone. “I didn’t mean to lead you on.”
Dammit. How dare he think he’d led her on? How dare he discount her feelings so casually and sound so condescending? She knew he felt it when they kissed. And he must be scared. She was too. His expression hardened and she braced for his rebuke.
Wes looked at her, but was silent.
“Wes, it’s not your fault.” She struggled to convince him. “But I can’t marry your son. I have feelings for you and I can’t ignore them. I don’t want to.” She stepped toward him, praying he didn’t push her away.
He didn’t move, just stood there stone-faced.
“Don’t tell me you don’t feel it too.” She gazed at his chiseled face, his strong jaw, the flicker of gold in his eyes making her melt inside as they turned tender.
“Chloe,” he said softly. “What am I going to do with you?”
“You feel it too, don’t you?” She narrowed the space between them until she could feel the heat off his body and the thrum of his pulse.
“Fuck,” he cursed as he looked down at his cowboy boots and then slowly back up at her. He shook his head as if in defeat and pulled her to him. He pressed her body hard against his, jarring her with the impact, but loving the strength in his embrace.
His lips met hers and he kissed her, hard and demanding. “Chloe,” he murmured, wrapping his arms tightly around her and making her body hum with desire. “Yes, I feel it too.” One hand smoothed the hair from her face, the other cupped her ass firmly as he pulled her harder to him and parted her waiting lips with his tongue.
She welcomed his tongue eagerly as she grabbed his broad shoulders, running her hands along his strong back, feeling the muscles ripple under her fingers as he moved her across the room while kissing her.
The backs of her legs met the edge of the couch as he hovered over her, pushing her down as he kissed her lips hungrily, then down her neck, trailing his lips along her décolleté. It was if he was going to devour her and she ached for it.
“Chloe?” Wes said in surprise. He froze in the doorway, his jaw tight and his eyes dark.
“Wes, I had to come talk to you.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He nervously glanced out into the hall. “I told you I’m sorry.” He stepped inside the room, leaving the door wide open.
He walked over to his desk and rested his fingers on the glass. “We really shouldn’t be together. I’m leaving today.”
“No, no, Wes.” She moved toward him. “It’s not your fault.”
Wes’ eyes changed from amber to dark espresso. “I have to get to a board meeting. Please go, Chloe.”
Her eyes searched his and she saw pain in his dark gaze. “I can’t.” She moved one step closer to him.
Wes shook his head. “I shouldn’t have come for the wedding. None of this would have happened.”
“Yes...yes, you should have.” A hint of desperation crept through her. “Well actually, there isn’t going to be a wedding, but that’s not your fault.” She searched for the right words. “I was having second thoughts before you ever arrived. I was going to churches and watching complete strangers get married. The wedding was doomed before you ever got here.” Her words tumbled out faster than she could think them.
Wes said nothing but his raised eyebrows and taut neck muscles told her she wasn’t getting through to him.
“I knew what Conner and I had wasn’t right, that there was something missing.” She knew she was babbling but she had to let him know how she felt. “I have feelings for you, Wes...feelings I can’t hide. You probably think I’m crazy, spying on strangers’ weddings, but it just wasn’t right, me and Conner. And when I met you I knew. The minute I met you.” Tears welled in her eyes.
Wes looked stunned, as if someone had punched him in the stomach. She thought he was going to bolt from the room. He stood there staring at her before striding quickly toward the open door.
Instead of leaving, he paused and looked back at her and then shut the door and deliberately pressed the lock button. He said nothing, just turned on his heels and walked back to his desk, placing his hand on the phone.
Shit, he was going to phone Conner. He was going to keep her there captive in his office and call Conner and tell him what a nut bar his fiancée was.
Immobile, she watched him as he picked up the phone.
“Marie. Cancel the board meeting.” He looked up at Chloe and they locked eyes. Chloe’s stomach flipped and she started to tremble as Wes spoke into the phone. “Some new information came and in and I need time to review it. Send them all back downstairs, will you?”
He hung up the phone and stood behind the desk, his posture tense. Chloe’s heart pounded in her chest.
“Chloe,” he said gently, coming around the front of the desk, but carefully keeping his distance from her.
“You might have cold feet. Everyone does. It’s natural.” His eyes softened to amber but she could see the tension in his taut neck muscles remained, belying his calm tone. “I didn’t mean to lead you on.”
Dammit. How dare he think he’d led her on? How dare he discount her feelings so casually and sound so condescending? She knew he felt it when they kissed. And he must be scared. She was too. His expression hardened and she braced for his rebuke.
Wes looked at her, but was silent.
“Wes, it’s not your fault.” She struggled to convince him. “But I can’t marry your son. I have feelings for you and I can’t ignore them. I don’t want to.” She stepped toward him, praying he didn’t push her away.
He didn’t move, just stood there stone-faced.
“Don’t tell me you don’t feel it too.” She gazed at his chiseled face, his strong jaw, the flicker of gold in his eyes making her melt inside as they turned tender.
“Chloe,” he said softly. “What am I going to do with you?”
“You feel it too, don’t you?” She narrowed the space between them until she could feel the heat off his body and the thrum of his pulse.
“Fuck,” he cursed as he looked down at his cowboy boots and then slowly back up at her. He shook his head as if in defeat and pulled her to him. He pressed her body hard against his, jarring her with the impact, but loving the strength in his embrace.
His lips met hers and he kissed her, hard and demanding. “Chloe,” he murmured, wrapping his arms tightly around her and making her body hum with desire. “Yes, I feel it too.” One hand smoothed the hair from her face, the other cupped her ass firmly as he pulled her harder to him and parted her waiting lips with his tongue.
She welcomed his tongue eagerly as she grabbed his broad shoulders, running her hands along his strong back, feeling the muscles ripple under her fingers as he moved her across the room while kissing her.
The backs of her legs met the edge of the couch as he hovered over her, pushing her down as he kissed her lips hungrily, then down her neck, trailing his lips along her décolleté. It was if he was going to devour her and she ached for it.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Kate Deveaux knows how to write a hot scene and there's plenty of them on display in this story as the young and sometimes naive Chloe discovers in the nick of time the right man to bring her happiness. It's not an easy journey though as their connection is looked down upon by some, especially by the man who's brought her fulfillment for the first time in forever. Just when Wes thinks he's reconnecting with his son he ends up running away with his son's fiancée as she discovers he's not who she thought he was. With danger hanging over her head, hiding out in an exotic oasis is just what the doctor ordered as they deepen their connection and make the impossible possible.
Chloe sensed early on that she couldn't marry Conner as he left her unfulfilled and questioning the intensity of her feelings for him. She opted for security over happiness which left me disappointed in her until fate intervened and she finally met the man to make her feel alive. She jumped into her newfound feelings wholeheartedly with little care for the consequences though. Sex was the only thing on her mind as she made up for lost time in numerous hot and heavy sexual encounters with Wes. Their time in the exotic hideout was like a fantasy where they did nothing but explore each other leaving little time for dealing with emotions. It's not until the very end that they deal with things head-on and things were left a bit unfinished especially where Conner was concerned.
Wes doesn't act or look like the typical father and I can understand Chloe's attraction to him as he's the strong and supportive type. Though they spend a lot of time together I'm not sure what else connects them as most of their interactions are of a sexual nature. There's no doubt they connect completely on this level though since their sexual encounters are scorching. Wes is much more worried about the ramifications of his being with Chloe than she is which resulted in moments of silence on his part as he didn't want to deal with reality. Though he seems devoted to Chloe I still feel a bit of uncertainty about their future as the issue of Conner and his rage is left unresolved.
Those who love intensely erotic stories will get just that with Bride Undone. There's not a lot of time spent getting to know the characters but there's an escapist feel to the story as the bulk of the storyline revolves around Chloe and Wes' decadent and sensual exotic vacation away from the issues of them being together. Ms. Deveaux writes these encounters with a lot of naughtiness and steaminess that leaves the pages on fire and kept me fully immersed in their time together. If you're looking for a decadently delightful escape from it all then count this as yet another feather in Ms. Deveaux's cap.
My rating for this is a C+
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Kate is a contemporary, erotic romance writer and die-hard romantic. It was after reading Jane Eyre in high school, that she became hooked on the idea of writing about romance, excitement and drama. Kate has been penning stories, from the sensual to the sinfully sexy, ever since!
A former wedding planner, Kate has always been "in love" with love! She was inspired to transition from writing racy short stories to full length manuscripts after meeting other authors in the romance world at industry workshops, conferences and events. Now a multi published contemporary romance novelist, Kate is a member of Savvy Author, Romance Writers of America (RWA) as well as their erotic romance chapter, Passionate Ink. Born in London, England, Kate has lived in both the U.K. and the U.S. When she’s not busy writing or reading, Kate can be found on the tennis court—yes, there’s even "love" in that game too!
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Thank you Scarf Princess for your review. Glad you enjoyed this less than conventional bride!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Kate
xx