The Broken
Road Synopsis:
Megan
Connors’s life is not going in the direction she thought it would. With her
love life in the dumps, she doesn’t think it could get any worse until her
long-time crush, Shane asks to move in. After all, he has no clue that she’s
been in love with him for the past ten years. But fate has a way of turning
things around.
As their relationship goes from “just friends” to lovers, life takes a turn for the unexpected. Shane isn’t the person that Megan once fell in love with all those years ago. Shane has a past; murder and drugs is a portion of what he’s been hiding and is only revealed once the FBI knocks on Megan’s door.
Secrets, tragedy, and deceit force Shane—and Megan—to make choices that will change their lives forever. Once Megan learns the truth, will she still want to be with Shane? Or will someone else be at the end of her broken road?
As their relationship goes from “just friends” to lovers, life takes a turn for the unexpected. Shane isn’t the person that Megan once fell in love with all those years ago. Shane has a past; murder and drugs is a portion of what he’s been hiding and is only revealed once the FBI knocks on Megan’s door.
Secrets, tragedy, and deceit force Shane—and Megan—to make choices that will change their lives forever. Once Megan learns the truth, will she still want to be with Shane? Or will someone else be at the end of her broken road?
Excerpt from Chapter 1 – The Broken Road.
The doorbell interrupted my train of thought
and Penny started her happy wiggle. I quickly put her in the mudroom so she
wouldn’t charge the delivery guy and grabbed some money from my purse. I opened
the door and was startled. Standing on my front porch was Shane, holding my
dinner.
“Hey,
trying to steal my dinner? Don’t make me sic Penny on you!” I joked, letting
him in. Shane is gorgeous. Dressed in his usual attire of baggy jeans, a black
long-sleeved shirt, and motorcycle jacket, my heart hurled into my throat at
the sight of him.
“Oh
what? Death by pooch?” he shot back, following me into the kitchen. He shook
his head when I offered him money for the dinner. His six-foot-three, two
hundred thirty pound hockey player frame fills my small kitchen. Shane has this
presence about him that always makes me feel safe and secure. That same
presence makes me want to fold myself into his muscular arms. Shane gives fantastic hugs, I thought
wistfully.
“I thought you were meeting Allison for
dinner,” I asked, as I took the food out of the bag. Shane shrugged out of his
leather jacket and hung it on the back of the chair, then opened the door for
Penny.
“Yeah, we were supposed to meet her brother
later on, but she said that she didn’t feel well.” He poked his head in my fridge. “What’s up
with the rabbit food in here?” He asked, taking out a beer and sitting at the
table.
I
rolled my eyes at that comment. “You know my New Year’s resolution.” I smacked
his hand as he inched toward my egg roll. “I'm trying to be healthier.”
Shane took a swig of beer and laughed. “Right. That’s why you have
Chinese food for dinner, beer in your fridge, and a stash of candy up in the
cabinet.”
“Whatever. That is my emergency stash. Every
woman needs to have her emergency stash.” I said with an indigent huff.
“Besides, you can't complain about the beer, especially since you drink it.
Here. You might as well eat this since you can't find anything else.” I tried
so hard to not act like a total idiot, but I couldn’t help the goofy smile on
my face as I handed him a plate. Penny’s tail thumped on the wood floor as she
looked expectantly at the food served.
We
ate for a few minutes in silence. My heart raced a mile a minute; every time I
looked up, his hazel eyes stared straight back at me. It was as if he could
hear my heart skipping. “So what’s going on tonight?” I dumped my leftover rice
into Penny’s bowl and put the plate in the sink. Shane tiredly rubbed his face
and goatee. His brown hair looked like
it had been weeks since he had last seen the barber. He stretched his long legs
out in front him and yawned.
“I'm not sure. I’m beat. Adrian has had me
working all night on this special project, and then I was running around all
morning. I feel like I haven’t sat down all day.”
“That
sucks. So then why you aren’t at home sleeping?” I replied, putting away the
food.
Shane
stood up and silently washed the dishes. Drying his hands on the dishtowel,
Shane turned, looked at me. “Honestly, that’s the main reason I'm here. Well,
to pick up the DVD, but something else, too. I need to ask you a favor. You
remember Ben is getting married to Paige, right?" he asked. Ben is Shane’s
roommate, who I’ve known for years. I nodded.
“Well, Ben has accepted a job in Baltimore,
near Paige's condo. So he’s moving in with her next week. The lease on the
apartment is up anyway and since I'm practically broke, I need a place to
crash,” he said, his eyes boring holes into mine.
It
took a beat before I fully grasped the question. Holy shit, he wants to move in with me! The romantic, wishful part
of me started doing a happy dance in my head, until the smarter, more realistic
side smacked the other one down and told it to shut up.
“So,
you’re asking to move in.” I said cautiously, as I walked into the living room
and sat on the couch. Shane sat down at the opposite end, facing me. So that’s
why he is here. I should have known. I must have a big sucker stamped on my
forehead. I could never say no to him and he knows that.
“It
will only be for a little while, until I can get my own place. Please?” He gave
me a pleading grin. I chuckled, and then became curious.
“What happened? How did things get so
screwed up?” I asked casually.
“It’s been building for a while. I lost my
job at the dealership two years ago. At that point, I couldn’t find anything
substantive, except for side jobs working with Adrian. I couldn’t keep up with
the rent at the old place, so I was evicted and moved in with Ben. Credit cards
were maxed out and I depleted my savings. But things are looking up. I’m paying
off my debt a little bit at a time and I managed to get a full time spot at the
shop. I’m trying to clean up my act, but I really can’t get a place of my own
quite yet.” he said quietly, almost like he was ashamed. I felt bad for him.
While I was with Tommy, I didn’t keep up with my old friends as much as I
should have. I had lost Shane for a while and never knew about these problems.
My best friend Jen is practically his sister and told me a few times that he
was having some issues and just being a regular pain in the ass, but she never
went into detail. After three years, I’m
still trying to catch up on his life. I felt a swell of pride for him; it took
a lot for him to say that to me.
“I’m
sorry to hear that. What about Allison? Why don't you move in with her?” I
replied, playing with the string on my sock. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear
the answer to the question.
Shane gave a dry chuckle. “Yeah, we’re not on that page yet. Plus, her
two roommates don't really like me.”
I
felt some relief. Then some slight apprehension. Could I block out these
feelings? Yes, I resolved. I had to. Besides, he’s with someone else. We can be
just friends... I hope.
“Yeah, sure, you can move your stuff in,” I
said with a smile, “Only until you can find something on your own.” I pushed
aside the doubt that had been looming. Shane and I are just friends, what could
go wrong?
“Thanks Megs. You’re so great to me.” He surprised me by wrapping me up in a hug. I
quietly inhaled his cologne and closed my eyes. This is going to be harder than I thought.
I let out a fake chuckle and pulled back.
“So, when are you bringing over your stuff?” I asked. Hopefully, I had a few
days to prepare. I had a comforter set in the laundry room that he could use
for a while and would need to get more towels.
“Well, I figured you wouldn't leave me out
in the cold, so I brought over what could fit in the truck.” He practically
bounced off the couch and gave me a knowing smile.
I swatted
him in the leg. “You arrogant jerk! What makes you think I would have said yes?
I could have said no!”
“Aw, come on. You can never say no to me.
Don’t try and lie,” he said, calling my bluff. Shane laughed as walked out the
front door. I sat on the couch for a minute, shocked at what just happened. I
think Shane pulled a fast one on me. He’s moving in and I don’t think I had the
opportunity to say no. I had to chuckle,
he hasn’t changed one bit. Still uses
his charm and smile to get what he wants.
While Shane brought in his pillows and trash
bags of clothes, I made up his bed in the guest room. He added his toiletries
to the bathroom and I got a pang of nervousness. This is going to be interesting. I
watched him as he came out of the yellow bathroom and into his new room. I only
had one shower. The fantasies I used to have about the two of us in the shower
came flooding back. I could feel my body blush and quickly turned my attention
to an invisible speck on the comforter.
“So is Allison going to be okay with you
living with me?” I spoke up, hoping my face was not as red as it felt.
He
paused in hanging up a white polo shirt and winked. “She’s just someone I like
to have fun with. We’re not serious, so she’s cool with it.”
“Ah…. Okay. Um. Good. I just wanted to make
sure there weren’t going to be any issues,” I mumbled, as I headed back down
the stairs. I had to get out and cool off.
These feelings would need to be separated if this was going to work. I
quickly pulled on my shoes and winter coat for Penny’s last walk of the night.
The
temperature had dropped and the smell of snow lingered in the air. Penny and I
quickly walked down the tree-lined street. I hoped she would hurry up and go already, but she took her sweet time.
Twenty minutes later, we returned home to find Shane’s black Ford F150 gone and
the lights off. I didn't want to think of where he had gone off to. It's none of my business. It's none of my
concern. I have to remember that, I told myself.
I
unclipped Penny, put the leash on the rack next to the door, and walked into
the kitchen. Stuck to the usually blank fridge was a note in Shane’s chicken
scratch.
“Went to get my bike from Ben’s.”
I
shucked off my snow boots and coat, locked the doors, set the alarm, and headed
upstairs with Penny in tow. After peeling off my clothes, I paused. I normally
sleep in my underwear. That would have to change with Shane living here. It
could be awkward if he peeked in and saw me in nothing but my Victoria Secret
panties. I put on a tank top shirt and cotton boxers and climbed underneath the
cloud-soft down comforter. Penny climbed onto her large dog bed and did her
usual routine of turning around until she got comfortable. This had been one
hell of a day and I was over-exhausted. The last thing I remember was hoping
that Shane came home alone.
My Review: 4 1/2 stars
What a thrilling ride to be taken on! Megan initially lets Shane move in because he needs a place to stay. Total torture for her initially, because they're friends. Friends that are both holding something back from the other. There were all kinds of things going on, and Megan didn't know what was really happening with Shane. The doubts and questions rolling through her mind were eating her up inside. Shane knows what the truth is but he can't tell anyone. There is a lot of action and some serious romance going on, but there's one hell of an ending that you certainly don't expect. Kept me glued to the pages once Shane and Megan got involved because of the twists that just kept coming. Great job Melissa!
Broken
Promises Synopsis:
The Sequel to the sexy,
suspenseful novel, The Broken Road
“A day never went by when I didn’t dream about Shane, that one day
he would come home to us. I imagined that our days would be filled with talking
and reconnecting. Our nights would be full of hot, sweaty sex. However, things
weren’t going the way I imagined. Baby steps, Megan. He just needs to
adjust. I couldn’t change what happened
and we would have to take things in stride.
We can’t be the same couple we once were, not overnight. “
When Shane shows up at Megan
Connors’s carport one rainy night, Megan thinks she was dreaming. The man who
stole her heart, the father of her unborn child was the same man she feared
dead from drug Cartel explosion. Elated and overjoyed, Megan believes they will
finally get their happy ending.
But the happiness doesn’t last long.
Shane’s long road home created demons, demons that Megan can’t fight. Past
discretions come back to haunt them, and with that comes the paranoia and the
distrust. And the trouble doesn’t stop
there. Danger threatens their lives at every turn, and when the time comes,
Megan must make the ultimate decision.
Will Shane
and Megan have their happily ever after? Or will that be another Broken
Promise?
Excerpt from Broken Promises - Chapter One
“I couldn’t
get to you fast enough. Every way I turned led me farther and farther away. I
don’t how I made it back. The only thing that kept me going was hoping that you
were all right. I love you so much. You don’t know … you just don’t know how
you kept you kept me going,” he whispered and lowered his head to mine.
The feel of
his lips, the heat of his breath, pulsed through me like a shot of lightning. I
shrugged off my towel and threw my arms around him, responding with everything
I had. The pain of losing him, the overwhelming joy of seeing him, the desire
that had been suppressed for so long, all these emotions washed over me like a
waterfall. I held onto him as if he would disappear at any moment.
His tongue
caressed mine like a familiar dance partner. Breathtaking and sensual, my pulse
raced. My blood boiled. Muscular arms held me against his body, as close as we
could with this basketball between
us. I mentally groaned. It became difficult to keep him close, and the more I
tried, the more awkward it felt. Despite our emotions running high, we could no
longer ignore the elephant in the room.
My Review: 4 1/2 stars
I love the conclusion to this series! If you haven't read the Broken Road, stop and go read it before reading Broken Promises.
This book picks up right where the first left off. I was so glad when Shane actually came home. I was so happy that he wasn't in the house when all that happened. I loved how protective of his growing family he was, but at the same time a bit frustrated. I think they could have benefited from talking things through a bit more, but that's my opinion. Shane and Megan are spectacular together and I'm so happy that she didn't have to go through all of this alone. Some definite twists and turns, but that's what makes it such a good book. I loved the way things ended. Melissa did a great job with this series!
This book picks up right where the first left off. I was so glad when Shane actually came home. I was so happy that he wasn't in the house when all that happened. I loved how protective of his growing family he was, but at the same time a bit frustrated. I think they could have benefited from talking things through a bit more, but that's my opinion. Shane and Megan are spectacular together and I'm so happy that she didn't have to go through all of this alone. Some definite twists and turns, but that's what makes it such a good book. I loved the way things ended. Melissa did a great job with this series!
The Broken Road - Book 1 - http://www.amazon.com/The-Broken-Road-Series-ebook/dp/B005EDQHIM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1400709211&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Broken+Road+Series
Broken Promises (book 2) - http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Promises-The-Road-Series-ebook/dp/B00IFFNMVG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400709211&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Broken+Road+Series
About the Author
Melissa grew up in Maryland by
the Chesapeake Bay, where her favorite memories took place near the water. Now
she lives near Washington, D.C. with her family, dog, and a lot of fish. In
between the chaos of laundry, chasing after her three children and trying not
to burn dinner, Melissa continues to find her escape by feeding her addiction
of reading and writing about love, suspense, and sarcasm.
Melissa loves to hear from
readers! She can be contacted by:
Email – melissa@melissahuie.com
Website – www.melissahuie.com
Twitter – www.twitter.com/melissahuie
Facebook – www.facebook.com/melissadhuie
Goodreads –
www.goodreads.com/melissa_huie
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