Paradise Cove

by Jenny Holiday

  At the stadium, Jake hoisted Pen into a baby carrier. Nora tried to tug the diaper bag from his shoulder, but he wouldn’t surrender it.

  Nora had noticed, early in her friends-with-benefits phase with Jake, how easy it was to be with him. It still was. And she still marveled over it. She had been so adamant, when she got here, about not getting into a relationship, afraid that to do so would mean bending herself to fit into someone else’s life instead of living her own.

  But it turned out that if you fell in love with a guy who liked your hair and didn’t mind zombie movies and never let you carry anything, you didn’t have to worry about any of that.

  “We’re sitting here?” she asked as he led them to a spot about twenty rows up behind the catcher. He knew she was a center field aficionado—she had told him about how her grandma used to take them all to games, and they’d sit dead center.

  So okay, maybe she’d spoken too hastily about Jake’s magical powers to make her happy. The man had to have one flaw.

  “Yup.” He settled into his seat, extracted Penny from her carrier, and turned her around so she was facing the field. “Home base.”

  Oh.

  “I was thinking,” he went on, his eyes twinkling, “about the age-old question of what is home base. We talked about it so much, but we never figured it out. But in retrospect, it was obvious.”

  “It was?”

  “Yeah.” He gestured in front of them. “Home base is home base.”

  She laughed. “Literal home base.”

  “Yeah. First base is rolling around nearly naked in a pink room. Second base is talking about sexual insecurities while grilling trout. Third base is sex without a condom. So obviously, home base is sitting behind actual home base in Comerica Park with the world’s greatest kid.”

  “I don’t know why we didn’t think of that before.”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, well, we aren’t always the smartest.”

  She grinned. “I’m not sure I agree with that. You suddenly seem super smart. Can you work out the zombie metaphor thing, too?”

  “No, I cannot. Some things just have to remain a mystery.”

  She swatted him on the shoulder. And kissed him on the cheek.

  The jumbotron came to life as the music kicked on.

  “It’s starting,” he said, shifting Penny to one arm and slinging the other one over Nora’s shoulders. “Watch the game, Doc.”

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  About the Author

  Jenny Holiday is a USA Today bestselling and RITA®-nominated author whose works have been featured in the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, and the Washington Post, and by National Public Radio. She grew up in Minnesota, where her mom was a children’s librarian, and started writing at age nine after her fourth-grade teacher gave her a notebook to fill with stories. When she’s not working on her next book, she likes to hang out with her family, watch other people sing karaoke, and throw theme parties. A member of the House of Slytherin, Jenny lives in London, Ontario, Canada.

  You can learn more at:

  JennyHoliday.com

  Twitter @JennyHoli

  Reader group: facebook.com/groups/NorthernHeat

  Facebook.com/JennyHolidayBooks

  Instagram @HolyMolyJennyHoli

  Praise for Jenny Holiday’s Novels

  Mermaid Inn

  “Bursting with humor, grand (and small!) gestures guaranteed to make you swoon, Holiday elevates the classic small-town rom-com.”

  —Entertainment Weekly

  “Holiday enchants with the sunny second-chance love story that launches her Matchmaker Bay series…This sweet contemporary romance is sure to win readers’ hearts.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “A picturesque locale, delightful citizens and some smoking-hot love scenes give this book all the feel-good joys.”

  —BookPage

  “Entertaining, wonderfully funny, romantic as all get-out.”

  —All About Romance

  One and Only

  “The perfect rom-com.”

  —Refinery29

  “A satisfying iteration of the contemporary bridezilla subgenre.”

  —New York Times Book Review

  “When it comes to creating unputdownable contemporary romances, Holiday is in it to win it.”

  —Booklist, starred review

  “Delightfully sexy and sweet, Holiday knows how to deliver the perfect combination of sexual tension and happily-ever-after.”

  ―Lauren Layne, New York Times bestselling author

  “One and Only is fantastic! A great start to a new series. Compelling characters, tons of heat, loads of heart. I highly recommend!”

  ―M. O’Keefe, USA Today bestselling author

  It Takes Two

  “Jenny Holiday turns up the heat and the charm for a summer read more satisfying than a poolside popsicle.…It’s hard to imagine finding a more delightful summer escape.”

  —Entertainment Weekly

  “This is romantic comedy at its best, complete with clever, sexy banter, a vibrant cast of characters, [and] a wedding that is a character in itself.”

  ―Washington Post

  “Holiday combines class and sass with a hefty dose of humor.…This winning hero and heroine will take up residence in readers’ hearts.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “[An] irresistible mix of lively, piquantly witty writing; sharply etched, marvelously memorable characters; and some completely combustible love scenes that are guaranteed to leave burn marks on readers’ fingers.”

  —Booklist, starred review

  Three Little Words

  “A perfectly plotted emotional journey.…Intense, heartfelt, mature and sexy as hell.”

  —NPR

  “Holiday adroitly combines all the requisite elements of a great rom-com—scintillating, witty banter and incendiary sexual chemistry—and a pair of protagonists whose emotional complexity and realistic flaws lend a welcome measure of gravitas to this brilliantly executed romance.”

  —Booklist, starred review

  “Combines pure fun with surprising depth.…Leavened with witty banter, Holiday’s sweet-hot tale captivates.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “[The] HEA is reached with warmth, humor, steamy interludes, excellent friendships and really delicious-sounding food.”

  —BookPage

  Also by Jenny Holiday

  THE MATCHMAKER BAY SERIES

  Mermaid Inn

  THE BRIDESMAIDS BEHAVING BADLY SERIES

  One and Only

  It Takes Two

  Merrily Ever After (novella)

  Three Little Words

  Fall in love with these charming

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  Abby Everhart has gone from being a top L.A. media influencer to an unemployed divorcée living out of her car. So inheriting her great-aunt’s homestead in Highland Falls, North Carolina, couldn’t have come at a better time. But instead of a cabin ready to put on the market, she finds a fixer-upper, complete with an overgrown yard and a reclusive—albeit sexy—man living on the property. When sparks between them become undeniable, will she be able to sell the one place that’s starting to feel like home?

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  Olivia Davenport has finally gotten her life back together and is now Harmony Harbor’s most sought-after event planner. But her past catches up with her when she learns that she’s now guardian of her ex’s young daughter. Dr. Finn Gallagher knows a person in over her head when he sees one, but Olivia makes it clear she doesn’t want his companionship. Only with a little he
lp from some matchmaking widows—and a precocious little girl—might he be able to convince her that life is better with someone you love at your side.

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  Café owner Emma St. James is planning a special event at Sweetwater Springs National Park to honor her mother’s memory. Which means she’ll need the help of the ruggedly handsome park ranger who broke her heart years ago. As their attraction grows stronger than ever, will Emma find herself at risk of falling for him again? Includes a bonus story by Hope Ramsay!

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  Firefighter Luke Marini moved to Sweetwater Springs with the highest of hopes—new town, new job, and new neighbors who know nothing of his past. And that’s just how he wants to keep it. But it’s nearly impossible when the gorgeous brunette next door decides to be the neighborhood’s welcome wagon. She’s sugar, spice, and everything nice—but getting close to someone again is playing with fire. Includes a bonus story by Melinda Curtis!

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  HARBOR

  by Hope Ramsay

  Jessica Blackwell’s life needs a refresh. So while she’s back home in Magnolia Harbor, she’s giving her architecture career a total makeover. The only problem? Jessica’s new client happens to be her old high school nemesis. Christopher Martin never meant to hurt Jessica all those years ago, and now he’d give anything to have a second chance with the one woman who always haunted his memories.

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  by Melinda Curtis

  Widowed after one year of marriage, city girl Lola Williams finds herself stranded in Sunshine, Colorado, reeling from the revelation that her husband had secrets she never could have imagined, secrets that she’s asked the ruggedly hot town sheriff to help her uncover. Lola swears she’s done with love forever, but the matchmaking ladies of the Sunshine Valley Widows Club have different plans…Includes a bonus story by Annie Rains!

  Discover bonus content and more on read-forever.com

  THE SUMMER HOUSE

  by Jenny Hale

  Callie Weaver’s too busy to think about her love life. She’s invested her life savings into renovating the beach house she admired every childhood summer into a bed-and-breakfast. But when she catches the attention of local real estate heir and playboy Luke Sullivan, his blue eyes and easy smile are hard to resist. As they laugh in the ocean waves, Callie discovers there’s more to Luke than his money and good looks. But just when Callie’s dreams seem within reach, she finds a diary full of secrets—with the power to change everything.

  PARADISE COVE

  by Jenny Holiday

  Dr. Nora Walsh hopes that moving to tiny Matchmaker Bay will help her get over a broken heart. When the first man she sees looks like a superhero god, the born-and-bred city girl wonders if maybe there’s something to small-town living after all. But will Jake Ramsey’s wounded heart ever be able to love again?