Blurb:
A sea change could be just what the doctor ordered.
Doctor Scott Penney used to be a Paediatric Oncologist—until he burned out. Watching children suffer and die took its toll on his mental health. To cope, he used anonymous sex as an emotional crutch, thinking it was better than hitting the bottle. But that inevitably destroyed his relationship with the man he loved.
With his tail between his legs and a year’s worth of celibacy under his belt, Scott accepts a position as an Accident and Emergency consultant, leaving his career in oncology and London behind.
Ben Jenkins is a paediatric nurse who loves his seaside city, his job, and his faithful old Labrador, Happy. When he meets the new doctor, Ben falls for Scott’s kind-yet-reserved personality—not to mention his good looks. Scott is great with the children who come through the hospital, but Ben senses there’s more to Scott than meets the eye.
Scott tries to resist Ben’s sunny charm—Scott’s not boyfriend material, after all—but it’s impossible not to fall in love with the sad looking old dog and his charming owner. As Scott and Ben get closer and the weather heats up, tragedy strikes and Ben is left wondering how much of Scott’s history he actually knows.
For them to move forward, Ben must show Scott that no matter what happened in the past, a beautiful day can always start after the sun sets.
**This can be read as a standalone**
Where To Buy:
Amazon
Review:
This was such a sweet story. Scott and Ben are so good together and they work so hard to overcome the obstacles they face. Their journey was a joy to read. The writing style was easy to read and hd me engaged the whole time. I enjoyed Ms. Jones’ writing style and how quickly the story goes by without my realizing it.
Scott was so broken at the start of the story. He made some pretty horrible choices but you could tell he was truly remorseful. It hurt my heart seeing him so low and without anyone to turn to. I was proud of him for his decisions to get in a better headspace. I adored seeing his friendship with Ben grow and blossom and slowly turn to romance. The scene where Ben walks out it powerful and so necessary for the kick in the pants Scott needed to move forward with his life. His past with his family is danced around until the end. I liked how it was ultimately handled and wrapped up. I was amazed how well he was able to keep all of that hidden throughout the story. I enjoyed seeing him so happy and content by the end of the story. You could tell he’d found himself.
Ben was a total sweetheart. He cared for those around him and was an amazing nurse that truly wanted to do good things for all of his patients. He had a heart of gold that was beautiful to see. His continuous extension of friendship to Scott no matter how many times it was turned around was amazing. I loved his dog Happy and his role in the story. The two of them could never have any enemies because of their ability to make everyone around them smile. Ben gave unwavering support for Scott as he handled the difficult times. I loved seeing him happy and in love by the epilogue.
These two go slowly at first. It is such a joy to watch those tentative steps to friendship blossom and grow. They definitely have their ups and downs but the way they support each other no matter what is beautiful to see. You can tell they’re completely in love and will handle everything life throws in their path without losing themselves or each other.
Stars:
Four
Exclusive Excerpt:
A FEW days later it was the end of Scott’s shift and we both had the following day off. He begged off going to the pub with the others, insisting it was his turn to cook for me.
I was not about to argue.
But when Happy and I showed up at his door, there was a distinct lack of cooking smells and I could see the kitchen was spotless from my position at the entrance.
I eyed Scott. “What are you cooking?’
“Pizza,” he said happily, leading me into the living room and flopping on the couch. Happy nestled at his feet.
“Uh huh. Do you need a hand?” I was sceptical, but knocking together a homemade pizza wasn’t that hard and it was still a bit early. I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
“Nope. It’s all under control.” Scott patted the cushion next to him. “Come and sit. They’re doing a rerun of Gavin & Stacey.”
Scott looked at me and together we blurted, “Gavilar!”
I laughed and slumped next to him on the couch. “Smitty was such a tool.”
“It’s a shame it only went for three seasons. James Corden is really funny.” When he’d stopped laughing, he asked, “Do you want a beer?”
I raised an eyebrow. “You have beer? You don’t drink.”
“Just because I don’t, doesn’t mean you can’t. I bought you a six pack of Heineken. I hope that’s all right?”
“Wow. Sure, thanks.”
Scott left me on the sofa watching the antics of Smitty and Nessa but soon came back with a beer for me and a mineral water for himself. “Cheers,” he said, handing me a green bottle. “So what did you do today?” he asked when he had settled next to me once more. The cushion dipped a little in the middle and our thighs touched. He was a calm presence next to me, so I assumed he had a good day at the hospital.
“Had lunch with Brett and Colin. Happy joined us so we had to sit in the beer garden at the pub.”
“Sounds harsh.”
“It really was,” I deadpanned.
“Brett is your ex, right?” At my nod he continued. “What’s it like, seeing him with someone else now? Don’t you get jealous?”
I shook my head, remembering this time last year. “Not anymore. I did at the beginning, but we split for a reason. Brett couldn’t handle the hours I worked—hardly ever getting a weekend off, working all night just to come home to sleep all day. We didn’t see each other much and it kind of just fizzled out. Colin has a nine-to-fiver. They’re happy together, I would never begrudge them that. What about you? Do you ever see Noah?”
Scott’s eyes turned flat. I knew it was a hard topic, and when he spoke, he seemed to choose his words carefully. “No. I don’t see any of my exes. As for Noah, I destroyed that relationship past being able to talk to him ever again. He’s with someone else now.” Scott lifted one shoulder. “He seemed happy last time I saw him. He deserves that.”
I had a feeling Scott wasn’t telling me everything, but I shook it off and focussed on the telly.
“I’m sorry,” I said after a few minutes of silence.
Scott turned to me, his gaze sad but soft. “You don’t need to apologise, Ben. I told you ages ago I was messed up. I’m getting better, thanks to you, but some things are still hard to talk about.”
“I understand.” Sort of.
Scott tucked one leg under him and faced me. “If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think I’d be this good, to be honest. You really helped after Arani, and I enjoy your company. Just having you here tonight after a long week helps more than you can imagine.”
Scott leaned forward, then seemed to catch himself before closing the distance. Our lips met briefly, a gentle caress. I closed my eyes, willing him to take it a step further. Scott cradled my face as he pressed his mouth more firmly to mine. Just when I was about to open for him, there was a knock at the door.
Scott pulled back slightly, his hand still on my cheek, and gazed at me, his dark eyes hooded. “That’ll be dinner.”
“Ha! I knew you weren’t cooking,” I admonished when he got up to answer it.
When Scott opened the door, his shoulders stiffened, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I could just see past him, and unless the local pizza delivery guy now wore designer duds and was in his mid-thirties, something told me dinner was off. My nerves said my night was about to be ruined.
About RJ:
RJ started as a reader and eventually made the progression to reviewing. It wasn’t until two men popped into her thoughts, insisting on telling her their story that she started to write. It started with one scene. A hot and dirty one in the shower.
RJ’s initial thought was if she could write their scene then they’d shut up and allow her to concentrate on other aspects of the day. That shower scene was 3000 words long and three hours of work. But they didn’t shut up. They told her their entire story and she didn’t sleep for days. Sometimes she couldn’t keep up with what they were telling her and she had to keep a notebook by the bed.
Whilst RJ was writing their story a side character decided he needed his story told too. Then other characters followed suit.
You see the problem? If RJ ever wants to sleep again then she needs to write.
RJ is a wife and a mother to two boys. Even her dog is a boy.
She is surrounded by males.
RJ writes emotionally charged, character driven romances. Her guys will always get their HEA, but it will never be easy.
Author Contact:
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Website: http://rjjonesauthor.com
Email: rjjonesauthor@gmail.com
Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/R.-J.-Jones
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Molly Lolly 