whole latte love
I met author Rachelle Ayala online and she's a wonderfully supportive friend as well as a prolific author. So I'm delighted to welcome her to my blog today with a great excerpt from her latest release, Whole Latte Love. Okay, I admit it; I love latte! And I love b00k r3vi3w Tours!
Investment banking intern Carina Chen doesn’t need any distractions—especially the sexy, guitar-playing barista she rooms with for the summer.
Available from:
Add to your Goodreads
And here's your excerpt. Enjoy:
Excerpt #1 – Gem-Blue-Eyes and Latte
Hearts
Carina Chen had no time for nonsense.
“Show off.” She couldn’t help glaring at the shaggy-haired
barista as he demonstrated the art of milk frothing to a gaggle of college
girls.
Hair flipping and eyelashes fluttering, they oohed and ahhed
nonstop while he spun milk underneath the steam nozzle. When he layered the
milk over a cup of espresso, they squealed as if they were in the middle of a
group orgasm.
Carina elbowed her way through the crowded coffee shop and
ordered her cup from the female barista, whose line was much shorter. Serving
lattes didn’t require sleek muscles and gem-blue eyes.
“Yummy.” Her friend Sheila checked her watch. “I come just
to watch the show. Wonder which one he’ll take home tonight.”
“Only one?” Carina set her cup on the table. “Enough about
him. I still haven’t found a room for the summer. Didn’t you say you had a
friend needing a renter?”
Sheila stole her gaze from the demonstration of
coffee-making prowess and licked her lips. “Yeah, let’s wait for his break, and
I’ll introduce you.”
Carina looked toward the espresso machine. “Him? Never mind. I’m not sure I could
stomach the guy. He’s got to be full of himself.”
Sheila’s eyes wandered back to the front counter and
lingered. “You have to admit, he’s hotter than the Sahara.”
“That’s exactly my point.” Carina watched him hand a
steaming mug to a perky cheerleader. His mischievous smile did funny things to
her insides and it wasn’t even directed at her. “I need a quiet place to crash
after my eighteen-hour days, not some bachelor pad with nightly orgies. I can imagine
the revolving door on his bedroom. No thanks.”
Despite her hasty denial, warm flutters bubbled in her belly
when the barista stepped out from behind the counter. He was broad-shouldered,
but not bulky, and he moved with the easy grace of a mountain lion as he
collected the empties. Heck, the man probably boosted Abercrombie & Fitch’s
stock price two full points each time he bent over to wipe a table.
“You could at least meet the guy before you pass judgment.”
Sheila folded her arms. “Look, the important thing is, he has a great apartment
close to the Berkeley BART station.”
Easy access to rapid transit was a point in his favor,
but … “You sure he’s safe?”
“I promise. Dylan’s a boy scout. Besides,” Sheila said with
a sly smile, “an orgy or two might do you some good.”
While Carina struggled to close her gaping mouth, Sheila
raised a hand to wave him over.
Dylan wiped his palms on his apron and pulled a stool from
the next table.
“Hey, what’s up?” He greeted Sheila with a nod and trained
his eyes on Carina.
Up close, he was even more swoonworthy. Wavy brown hair hung
almost to his neck, and his jaw was stubbly, as if he’d forgotten to shave a
day or two. His presence filled all available breathing space between them, and
his piercing gaze felt like a tractor beam drawing Carina toward him.
“Dyl, this is Carina Chen. She needs a room to rent,” Sheila
said. “She’s working at Mogul this summer.”
“Nice to meet you,” Dylan said. “Investment banking?”
“Intern analyst.” Carina tamped down the pride swelling in
her chest as well as a more worrying heat in her lower regions. “I got the
offer two days ago, last minute.”
“Cool!” He gave her a thumbs up, and the thick silver cuff
on his wrist glinted in the late afternoon sunlight coming through the window.
“My roommate moved out two days ago. Must be fate.”
It had to be the sun’s heat that was making her sweat under
her suit jacket. Nope, it was definitely not Dylan’s sideways grin nor the way
his veins moved over his large hands when he flexed his fingers.
“How much?” Carina’s voice barely squeaked past her tight
vocal cords.
“Your share of the rent’s twelve-hundred a month. We split
the utilities. You get your own bedroom but we’ll share a bathroom.”
Sharing a bathroom with a guy might get tricky. Where would
she hide her feminine products?
“You’ll love it,” Sheila cut in. “It’s close to shopping,
restaurants, and the campus.”
“That’s so much more than I paid in Philadelphia,” Carina
said. “I don’t know Berkeley very well. Is that what rentals go for around
here?”
“It’s much less than San Francisco, especially the Financial
District.” Sheila hopped off her barstool. “I gotta hit the loo. Text me when
you’re ready to leave.”
“Wait, I’m not sure.” Carina faltered. Why was she acting
like this was a blind date? It wasn’t like she hadn’t lived in a coed dorm
before. Besides, a guy satisfied to work in a coffee shop was not her type, so
there should be no worries whatsoever about wanting him for a boyfriend.
Dylan placed his smartphone on the table. “I have to get
back to the job. Call yourself from my cell so I’ll have your number.”
Zing. His killer
grin hit the mark, right between her thighs. The guy knew what he was doing. Oh
no, she wasn’t giving her number to that kind of man. She’d ask Sheila if she
knew of any women needing roommates. She still had one more day to hit the
streets and go over listings, and she most definitely was not going to be
another phone number on his to-call list.
“I still have a few other places to check out.” Carina
picked up her coffee cup. “Do you think I could get a takeout cup for this?”
Dylan grasped the handle, his fingers lingering a beat too
long against hers. “Even better. I’ll make you a new one. This one’s cold.”
Carina’s cheeks warmed as a tingly shiver worked its way up
her arm. Geez, she wasn’t usually this hormonal.
“Wait, your phone …” Carina picked up Dylan’s phone and
walked toward the counter where he prepared the coffee. A poster plastered on
the wall showed him strutting with his guitar onstage with a band called The
Licked Blues. They had a gig at a club later this evening. Typical. Another guy
wasting his life away with no prospect of financial success.
“Almost done.” Dylan layered the espresso on the bottom of
the cup and dipped the milk pitcher up, then lowered it and cut across.
Carina gasped as a creamy heart floated to the top.
He handed her the takeout cup and rested one elbow on the
counter. “Carina, if you room with me, I’ll have one of these for you every
morning.”
His voice caressed her name like the languid beckon of a
lover calling her back to bed.
Carina swallowed hard, but before she could respond, Dylan
swung toward an elderly woman positioning her walker to get out of a booth. The
college girls waved and vied for his attention, but he took his time helping
the woman to the door before going back for their orders.
I’m a goner now.
Carina typed her number into Dylan’s phone.
About Whole Latte Love:
Investment banking intern Carina Chen doesn’t need any distractions—especially the sexy, guitar-playing barista she rooms with for the summer.
Free spirit Dylan Jewell appreciates the delightful universe of
women who vie for his attention. His goal in life is to do good, make happy
coffee, and help the homeless.
When Carina moves in, she insists on rules of conduct to quell
her instant attraction to Dylan. But when her boss asks her to turn Dylan into
a businessman, she can’t think of a reason not to take advantage of his
hospitality.
Their chemistry is white hot, but Dylan refuses to play Carina’s
game, unable to understand how he can fall in love with a woman who puts
profits in front of people. When Carina realizes Dylan isn’t budging, she risks
all to gain a single night with him. Will her gambit backfire or will Dylan
discover Carina’s true heart before she runs away with his?
Set in Berkeley, California, Whole
Latte Love is an
opposites-attract romance mixing bluesy rock music, hot, steamy love scenes,
and financial shenanigans.
About Rachelle Ayala:
Rachelle Ayala is the author of dramatic fiction crossing
genres and boundaries featuring strong but flawed characters. She writes
emotionally challenging stories and is not afraid of controversial topics.
However, she is an optimist and laces her stories with romance and hope.
Rachelle is an active member of online critique group,
Critique Circle, an active member of the California Writer’s Club, Fremont
Chapter, and a volunteer for the World Literary Cafe. She is a very happy woman
and lives in California with her husband. She has three children and has taught
violin and made mountain dulcimers.
Visit her blog at http://www.rachelleayala.com
or contact her at http://rachelleayala.me/author-bio/contact/
Blog: http://www.rachelleayala.com
or follow @AyalaRachelle on
Twitter. Subscribe to mailing list for upcoming books and giveaways. http://eepurl.com/lR5kv
Want to know more? Follow the tour!
and drink coffee!
and drink coffee!
9th June:
Margaret: Promo Post - Excerpt
Sanchit Bhandari: Promo Post - Teaser Pics
Samarpita Sharma: Book Review
10th June:
Laura Greenwood: Book Review
TB Markinson: Promo Post - Excerpt
Jessica Assidy: Promo Post - Teaser Pics
11th June:
Deea: Promo Post - Excerpt
DDS: Book Review
Vishal : Book Review
12th June:
Namrata: Book Review
Sheila Deeth: Promo Post - Excerpt
Sofia Lazaridou: Promo Post - Teaser Pics
13th June:
Kumiko Lei: Book Review
Jacquel Chrissy May: Promo Post - Excerpt
Becky: Promo Post - Teaser Pics
14th June:
DJ Sakata : Book Review
Elizabeth McKenna: Promo Post - Excerpt
Marilou George: Promo Post - Teaser Pics
Colleen Cook: Promo Post - Teaser Pics
16th June:
Shree Janani & Dhivya Balaji: Book Review
Annamaria: Promo Post - Excerpt
Tanya: Promo Post - Teaser Pics
17th June:
Cheshire: Book Review
Nishita Kumar: Promo Post - Excerpt
Autumn: Promo Post - Excerpt
18th June:
Paula: Book Review
Christina Livingston: Promo Post - Teaser Pics
Dawn Heslin: Promo Post - Excerpt
19th June
Ruth Hill: Book Review
Dee: Promo Post - Teaser Pics
Vicky: Promo Post - Excerpt
20th June:
Maniparna Sengupta Majumder: Book Review
Rae Quigley: Promo Post - Excerpt
Lori: Promo Post - Teaser Pics
21st June:
Melissa: Book Review
Jessica Webb: Book Review
Cinta Garcia de la Rosa: Promo Post - Teaser Pics
Cathy LaPeters: Promo Post - Excerpt
Comments
You get to enter your entries for the Giveaway that I have set up at http://b00kr3vi3wtours.blogspot.in/p/exclusive-giveaway.html exclusively for my Participating Tour Hosts. You stand a chance to win Digital Copies of The Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan!