Blind Love: Interview Coming Friday July 17th Synopsis, Review, & Excerpt

Friday

July 17

"Blind Love"

7pm PST

Guess who’s coming?

Kishan Paul

She doesn’t need a hero. But a sexy Marine…that’ll work.

Though Lauren Baxter’s world is a blurry mess of colors, she has no tolerance for pity. With the help of her guide dog, Jack Sparrow, she’s built a good life for herself. She has everything she wants: her PhD, a thriving counseling practice and her independence.

When she meets her new neighbor, the man’s warm Texas accent and clean male scent weaken her knees. Her attraction to the former Marine is mutual and, unfortunately, a complication she doesn’t need.

Gabriel Briggs carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. He has his reasons for indulging only in short-term flings, but the feisty, green-eyed Lauren makes him want to forget every one.

In a rare moment of fragility, Lauren winds up in Gabe’s arms. One night together can’t break their self-imposed rules, right? But when a woman from Gabe’s past is murdered, the reasons he should have stayed away become painfully clear, threatening innocent lives he may not be able to save—especially Lauren’s.

Warning: Contains a blind therapist who doesn’t consider herself impaired; a meddling, erotic-novel-writing best friend; a hot ex-Marine with a shady past; and a loyal guide dog that howls “I love you” and is probably the sanest one of the bunch.

MY REVIEW:

     Wow, where to begin?  Well, I guess that would be with a couple who met in high school their senior year and fell in love.  Right after high school they elope against her parents’ wishes.  You see Lauren Baxter who the married Ben Dawson was treated like an incapable child due to her blindness.

     Once she married Ben she was happy just being his wife.  Finding what new things she could boundaries she could cross.   Thanks to his encouragement and support as well as her BFF, Sunny, she went to college. 

     Oh I don’t know after five years maybe her husband was so very faithful and supportive.  He was on Denver PD and all was good so she thought.  Yeah, that’s right he blew.  Her fairytale he blew it right out of the water.  Along with her self-esteem and her trust in him forever.  Some things you can never get back.  Even with him getting on his hands and knees ask for forgiveness and professing that he was still truly madly in love with her.  She said no that their marriage was over.  She said no and he just said okay, that he should do the right thing since, Hailey the mistress also a cop, was pregnant with his daughter.  The thing is she may have taken him back had he fought for her but he just didn’t.  That day at court she signed the paperwork and never looked back. 

     Now five years later she moved from where they used to live and he moved to Colorado since the P.D. had an opening.  There in Denver though Lauren found a nice condo that just shared a backyard.  Well, the elderly lady that lived there when she moved in moved.  Then a man bought it so he could flip it.  Gabe Briggs an ex-Marine has been there working on the house and planned on having it ready to rent by the end of the week so the renters could move in by the beginning of the semester.  It hadn’t been so bad but on a work day while she was on with a client she couldn’t hear because he was demolishing something within the house that went on all during one of her calls to a patient.  She needed to talk to him she had a full day of calls since she work from her home.

     When she finally gets there his voice is sexy as hell.  Being that she has blindness didn’t start until she was 15.  She had references to people, places, and things.  She was like “Wow 6’1” cowboy shirt, no shirt.”  Then when he starts talking and flirting it was almost a lost cause when she finally squeaked out why she was there.  He asked for her number to be able to call each day to check out her schedule because he had one to meet to which means working late in the evening.  Then she couldn’t tell if she got played.

     He asked her to dinner says she can’t because her boyfriend Jack is away on business and would not like that.  So, she wouldn’t want to do that to him.  He comes to find out later that her Seeing Eye dog is named Jack Sparrow.  But she goes out to the park for a jog and he tags along and the dog goes crazy in a good way.  She asked who is around he says Officer B. Dawson and he tells her where and the dog leads her.  This is the first meeting since the divorce.  She is shook up.  So Gabe invites himself over that night so they could have Chinese food and talk.  No sooner do they have their first sleep over when he gets a call saying he has to leave to go back to Houston, Texas for an emergency.

      Then her ex-husband with two detectives come over to ask if Gabe had stayed the night on Chinese night?  She says yes, why?  They say because she is his alibi since they found his wife murdered on the side of the road.  Now the ex-husband wants to be all protective, husbandly, and wants her back.  Not!

     From this point on it starts really moving I didn’t even tell you all that happens to this point that all relates to this couple Lauren and Gabe.  This is one book that keeps you on your toes and totally intrigued.  The characters are intense at times but fun and real.  Totally enjoyed this book.  I give this 5 ++++ stars.  Provided by Net Galley.

Her chocolate German shepherd, Jack Sparrow, nudged her leg as soon as she approached the front door. After rubbing his neck, she grabbed hold of his harness and stepped outside.

A beautiful mix of greens and blues touched with red swirled around her. After several blinks, her eyes adjusted to the brightness. She pointed in the direction of the neighboring townhome.

“Jack, Mrs. Rourke’s door.” A pang of guilt ran through her. She and her former neighbor had been close until Lauren placed her in a nursing home. It was one of the hardest things she’d ever done, but when an eighty-five-year-old woman sat in one’s kitchen butt naked talking about the weather, it left few options.

Jack tried to warn her but she ignored him and sent the poor dog to the backyard. She cringed at the memory of Mrs. Rourke’s bare skin under her hands when she hugged the old woman; it was one she wouldn’t soon forget. Since the episode, Lauren made a concerted effort to pay better attention to her guide dog’s whimpers and barks.

Together they made their way across the lawn. Once at the door, Jack sat down and waited for her to do the rest. Taking a deep gulp of fresh Denver air, she held it for a few seconds before slowly releasing.

Calm and patient.

That’s the person I am and that’s the person he’ll see.

Lauren felt the wall for the doorbell and pressed the plastic control. A few dozen doorbell presses later, realization hit. If he’s banging away in there, how’s he going to hear the doorbell? She slammed her knuckles into the wood for what seemed like an eternity but still no response.

Okay, time for Plan B. Since her home connected to the demolition man’s, they shared a common backyard.

“Jack. Home.”

He rose, maneuvering them back. Together, they marched into their townhouse, through the living room, and out the backdoor. Jack guided them across the lawn, straight to the offender’s patio. She banged her knuckles against the glass pane. After they were raw and felt like they were on fire, his hammering stopped. A few minutes later, she heard the sound of plastic blinds shifting. Lauren plastered on her biggest smile and waved. Metal slid against wood and the door opened.

The faint smell of sandalwood mixed with cedar filled her lungs. It was the same scent she’d gotten whiffs of the past four weeks since he’d moved in.

“Can I help you?” His soft Southern drawl flowed through her skin, warming her face. The image of a shirtless man in a cowboy hat and jeans leaning against the doorjamb popped into her head. For a moment, she forgot why she’d come.

“Umm, hi, I’m Lauren.”

“Hello, Lauren.” The amusement in his voice pulled her out of her cowboy fantasy.

Jack nudged her leg, reminding her they were there on business, not to drool. “I live in the townhouse next to yours.”

“I see you two jogging the park in the evenings.” From the angle of his voice, he sounded about six feet tall. She could hear the smile in his words. When he shifted his weight, the doorjamb squeaked. She wondered if his shoulder leaned against it, like the half-naked cowboy in her head.

Thank God I changed out of my onesie.

“They have some nice jogging trails.” Her voice came out husky and she caught herself playing with her hair when she responded.

What the hell?

Lauren dropped her arm and grabbed a fistful of her jeans to curb her need to twirl, flick or touch her hair—or him for that matter.

“I maht have to try them out.”

Maht? Yup, definitely a country boy. Images of tight jeans and cowboy hats filled her thoughts.

He cleared his throat. “Would you like to come in?”

Her heart thudded and her palms moistened at the prospect.

Yes…

“No, I wanted to ask a favor.”

“A favor?” The evil man continued his flirty tone, successfully melting her organs. “What kind of…favor?” The way he said the word had her brain exploring all the inappropriate things he could do with her—for her.

Stop it! You are stronger than this. Focus.

Lauren cleared her throat for the hundredth time. “I work from home and spend most of the day on the phone with clients.”

He chuckled. “Ahh. So putting in crown molding isn’t helpful, is it?”

Her stomach fluttered.

Speechless, she smiled and shook her head.

“Well, what time are you finished with work?”

“Five, tonight. But it varies.”

“So if I work on the molding after five…”

“I’ll be very grateful,” Lauren finished.

“How about giving me your number so next time I have a project I can find out your schedule before I start?”

Wait? Was that a line or sarcasm? He can’t be hitting on me.

No. It made total sense he needed her number. After all, sometimes she did have evening clients. “Okay, you want to get a pen?”

“I’ll remember.”

Lauren’s face heated.

Yup, he’s flirting.

She wiped her clammy palm on Jack’s back and rattled off the digits.

“I’m Gabe, by the way.”

“Hi, Gabe, and thank you.” She turned to rush away before she agreed to more than her phone number.

“Lauren?”

Damn.

“Since you’re done with work at five, how would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?’”