Praise For Harmony Bryce
The Anthony Brothers – ACCIDENTAL LOVE
"This story is one of the best I have read for a while now in the romance genre. It has an engaging story line which kept me reading right through in one sitting." – Carolc
"When I reached the end I was soon left with a need to hear more about these Anthony guys. I love knowing there will be more stories for each of them; each of them is so different it will
be interesting to see where the author takes them." - Mandy I Read Indie
"This story is fresh and satisfying with unexpected twists ... a real page turner! I was drawn into the Anthony family and fell in love with each member. A promising series, an
unconventional family." - Walden2013
"This book will fill your void and longing for a good love story. A fascinating and inspiring journey!" - Val Han
"Harmony draws you right in to the story of these boys lives so you are sitting in the living room. Love the storyline - and can't wait to read the next one!" - Gail E Morris
"I think Harmony Bryce has a good idea for a series and I look forward to what she comes up with next. An author to watch." - Iona Martin
"The plot of this story is simple and charming" - Diana M Hockley
Dear Friends,
Hello :O) How are you? I'm SO excited to meet you.
My name is Harmony Bryce, and I live in beautiful Sydney, Australia, with my family...including husband, three children, a sausage dog and a cockatiel.
I love reading...and I love writing. And my personal favourite is reading AND writing series novels...because, quite frankly, one book about a family is NEVER enough :O)
Welcome to the first installment in The Anthony series. I can't wait for you to meet Mavis, the "matriarch" of the family. She's warm, kind and loving. None of Mavis Anthony's five sons were born out of her womb, but every single one of them was born out of her heart. She's super excited at the thought of all of her sons coming home to be with her and desperate for grandchildren.
By the way, you'll love their brotherly antics. If you've got brothers chances are you'll be reminded of your own.
In this installment, you'll meet the first Anthony brother, Jin Anthony...he's so sweet and shy...and someone who very much likes being in control. All hope is lost for him though when he catches a glimpse of Mei-Lin, a beautiful holistic healer who can't speak a word of English :O).
This is their story. Chances are you'll be feeling on edge till the very last page.
Now please, make yourself a cup of tea, and sit back and relax. The Anthony family is eager to let you into their world.
Oh, something else I love is feedback. I'd love to hear what you think of Accidental Love. You can connect with me in a number of ways.
Have a wonderful day and, please, enjoy The Anthony Brothers - Accidental Love.
Warmly,
PS: I have quite a story in mind for Jin's brother Markus. Make sure you're on the mailing list for announcements about The Anthony Series, giveaways and special offers.
[email protected]
http://www.HarmonyBryce.com
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DON’T MISS BOOKS 2, 3, 4, AND 5 IN THIS SERIES, AVAILABLE ON KINDLE!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
Prologue
PROLOGUE
She sat cross-legged at the center of the king-sized canopy bed she used to share with her beloved husband. Strands of graying hair framed her face as she laid the leather-bound scrapbook in front of her.
Memories of what was filled her mind even before she opened the scrapbook. Evidence of moments shared between loved ones. The ever-present ache in her heart over her husband’s demise heightened as she flipped through the pages. If only Simon could see how they’ve all turned out.
A surge of pride overtook her grief at the thought of her five sons and how well they’d fared in life, especially considering their rather unconventional upbringing.
The pensive expression on her beautiful face was replaced with a smile, the wrinkles in the corners of her eyes crinkling as she thought about what was to come that day.
My sons are coming home. She shut her eyes, anticipating the noise that would replace the constant silence of the large Victorian home she’d lived in for the past decade. I miss them so much.
The house had been so lonely since her sons began to forge lives of their own one by one. They didn’t need her to hold their hands anymore. This was even true of her younger son who technically still lived there, but was usually away in pursuit of his now very promising music career.
She was happy for them, but she missed them.
None of Mavis Anthony’s five sons were born out of her womb, but every single one of them was born out of her heart and they were hers – she was their mom. Nothing could dampen her spirits that day, because they were all coming home.
CHAPTER ONE
The knock on the door jolted Mavis awake, making her sit up on the bed with a start. She blinked her eyes, trying to make sense of her surroundings. She saw the scrapbook on top of the bed and was reminded of how she’d been reminiscing. She frowned. I must’ve fallen asleep. A surge of panic hit her as she began to wonder what time it was. I wonder where they are. Fond images of her sons began to once again play in her mind.
Once again, someone knocked on her door.
“Ma?” a questioning voice called up from outside her open window.
She could immediately tell who it was and clapped her hands together. She wasn’t sure why he was knocking; he technically still lived there. It was her youngest son. “Come in, Santana!”
The knob twisted and the door creaked open, footsteps taking the stairs two at a time. Santana’s handsome face emerged around the corner of the master bedroom to see her, smiling wide. “Did I wake you?” he asked, concern suddenly traced in his brown eyes.
“No,” she lied. She then pointed at the scrapbook she still held on her lap. “I was just… remembering.”
Santana made his way inside and sat on the edge of her bed, a small smile forming as he looked at the worn scrapbook with affection.
She studied his features – his black hair and bronze, sun-kissed skin – such a stark contrast from her once golden locks and alabaster complexion. When Simon brought Santana home sixteen years ago, he was a frightened three-year-old who’d been passed on between five foster homes in the span of three years since he was put up for adoption. Now, he was a confident, charismatic musician who was already forming quite a following in their hometown.
“Did you get back just now?” she asked him. He’d been away for the past three days for an out-of-town gig with his band.
Santana nodded. He then brushed a stray strand of her hair from her face, tucking it beneath her ear. “You alright, ma?”
She smiled at him, squeezing his hand. He’d always been the affectionate one among the brothers. Santana. Always so passionate about everything that he does. Always refusing to be held captive by rules and regulations -- never afraid to chase after his dreams. She nodded. “I’m just excited to have you and your brothers all in one roof again.”
A mischievous grin then appeared on his face. “Then you’ll be happy to know that three of them are already waiting for you in the living room.”
Her face lit up like a light bulb and she couldn’t get out of the bed fast enough. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? How long have they been there? Who’s there?”
“Relax, ma,” Santana chuckled as she frantically searched the room for her slippers. “They’re not going anywhere. Don’t break your back running after them.”
She was giddy, and absently muttered, “now, where are those slippers?”
Santana got up from the bed to crouch on the ground, checking underneath the bed. As always, her slippers were there. “See, ma? I got your back. So just chill, okay?”
She was visibly relieved as she grabbed the slippers from him in a hurry to put them on. Without another word, she linked arms with him and began dragging him down the stairs with her.
Santana was laughing all the while, making fun of her excitement. “I really don’t get why you’re so excited to see them. Compared to me, there’s really nothing particularly special about any of them.”
Mavis rolled her eyes and playfully slapped him on the arm. “You’re all special -- every single one of you!”
“Yeah, yeah…” Santana’s eyes were twinkling. “I was just joking, ma. But admit it really… I’m your favorite, right?”
Mavis gave him a pointed look before chuckling and shaking her head. They then stepped into the living room where Markus, Jai and Zack were already waiting. Her immediate reaction was to wonder where Jin was, but she didn’t have time to worry about it. Four of her sons were home.
Jin would be along soon, and then Mavis would be on top of the world.
CHAPTER TWO
“Where do you think he is?” Santana said as he eyed the clock on the wall.
Mavis was off to the kitchen to prepare for lunch. The four brothers were on the veranda, catching up and waiting for Jin to arrive. Jin was of Chinese descent and had been brought home by Simon after a short work assignment he’d had in Hong Kong. Of the five young men adopted by Simon and Mavis Anthony, he was the second oldest and the most soft-spoken and quiet, mostly keeping to himself. Still, his silence presence was necessary to complete the bunch.
“I already sent him a message, but the man isn’t responding,” Markus informed them as he checked his phone for messages. At twenty-eight, he was the oldest of the brothers. A frown marred his dark brown face. The charismatic, adventurous and fast-talking man was always the one getting everyone into trouble with his crazy schemes and mischievous ideas. Now a stockbroker, he still loved living his life on the edge, enjoying the thrill of risk.
Jai lifted his dark rimmed glasses over the bridge of his nose as his fingers began flying over his laptop’s keyboard. His black, shoulder-length curly hair fell to his face as he focused on the keyboard. “I believe I can locate his coordinates given the right key. I have just the right algorithm…”
Markus threw a crumpled piece of paper at him. “Ugh…no one can understand you, fool.”
Zack chuckled. “I think he means he can track Jin down.”
“And you can’t just say that?” Santana gestured toward Jai.
Jai just harrumphed and went ahead with trying to find their brother.
Zack, the most serious of the bunch, was the one who looked most like he could be Simon and Mavis’ son. He had their blonde hair and their fair complexion. However, just like the rest of his brothers, he was adopted. Jai and Zack were the same age. They even had the same birthdate, but they were far from looking like twins.
Jai was brought home by Simon from India the same day Zack was brought to their home by a social worker. Both were orphans, but had the bond of blood siblings.
Jai eventually became a systems analyst and software developer. Quite the techie, he tended to talk in technological terms no one ever quite understood. His favorite solution was to roll his eyes when his brothers made fun of him about it.
It was often Zack who could translate for him, though he wasn’t much of a techie himself. Zack was a busy lawyer who probably got into that career track because he constantly had to get them out of trouble.
Most people do a double take when they see them all together – five young men of different nationalities, calling themselves brothers --but the Anthony brothers grew up blind of the differences. That Victorian home they grew up in was their refuge, a place where there were no distinctions between race and origin. They were brothers. That was it.
And though they were all leading their own lives, that day, to them, was sacred and it was always a day they were committed to honor by gathering together in their home. It was Simon’s death anniversary.
They knew that Jin, no matter how busy he was as a surgeon, wouldn’t miss their reunion for the world. So even though he was ridiculously late, there was no doubt in any of their minds that he was going to be there.
“Eureka!” Jai exclaimed, his eyes twinkling. “Jin Anthony is…” he rolled his eyes “…in the driveway.”
All four guys got up and rushed inside, passing by the kitchen, only serving to rattle Mavis, who had just pulled out an enticingly aromatic casserole from the oven. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“Jin’s here,” Santana announced.
Mavis brows crinkled. “How do you know?”
“Jai can try to explain, ma,” Markus smirked, “but you know Jai… you won’t understand a thing that comes out of his mouth.”
“Hey…” Jai glared defensively at his older brother.
“Let’s get the Jin man!” Zack passed Jai by, but stole a kiss from his mother’s cheek before heading off to the front door.
Neither Jin nor his brothers were prepared for what was to come.
---
Both parties found themselves rather surprised. Jin was taken aback that they were ready to pounce on him before he announced his arrival. He looked nervously toward the beautiful woman next to him.
His brothers could hardly contain their shock. They never thought the day would come when Jin would bring a girl home. He was notoriously picky and hardly dated at all – he was too busy.
And yet, there he was… Jin was standing in the driveway of their childhood home, looking as if he’d stepped out of a GQ magazine – the brothers would all agree later on – holding the hand of a very pretty and petite young Chinese woman.
There was a moment of stunned silence before the woman nudged Jin on the side, making him snap in to attention.
Jin cleared his throat took on a tone as if he were announcing a business partner. “Hello, everyone, this is Mei-Ling. Mei-Ling, these are my brothers.”
Mei-Ling was visibly surprised as she was introduced to each brother.
“That’s Markus, the oldest. That’s Jai and Zack. They’re practically twins… they were born on the same day and can read each other’s minds. Then that’s Santana, the youngest.”
Mei-Ling looked from Jin to the guys then back to Jin again. The confusion on her face was utterly precious. “They’re your… brothers?”
CHAPTER THREE
Jin shifted his weight from one foot to the other, knowing how strange the scenario appeared to Mei-Ling. I really should’ve told her about my background before bringing her here. What was I thinking?
Just about then, Mavis weaved her way past his brothers, cooing, “Where is he? Where’s Jin?” Her face lit up at the sight of him. “Jin!” She pulled him in for a hug.
If Mei-Ling was surprised at seeing Jin’s brothers, she was even more surprised upon seeing his mother. Jin couldn’t really blame her. There was a striking contrast between his handsome Chinese looks and Mavis’ blonde hair and blue eyes. She was the all-American poster mom.
Mavis, however, was delighted upon seeing Mei-Ling. The truth was that she was the first serious girlfriend any of the boys had taken home to meet her.
“You are lovely, aren’t you?” She pulled Mei-Ling into a warm embrace
the moment they were introduced.
Jin sympathetically looked at his girlfriend, who was now being ushered into the kitchen. He was certain she was about to be peppered with invasive questions by Mavis. He had little time to worry, though, since his brothers were now giving him pointed looks, ready with questions of their own.
“How is it that we haven’t heard of you having a girlfriend until now?” Markus asked, assuming his position as the oldest among them, his arms crossing over his chest as they all took a seat at the living room.
Jin chuckled and ran a hand over his clean-cut black hair. A blush quickly covered his pale white skin. “She’s not just my girlfriend.”
Santana’s eyes widened, ready for a juicy story. “You’re…going to be a dad?”
Jin cast a glare at his younger brother – one that clearly said, what is wrong with you? “No,” he shook his head. “We’re just engaged. That’s all.”
All four mouths dropped open.
“What?!” Zack eventually exclaimed. “Well done,” he followed.
They had a barrage of questions after their congratulations.
“When did this happen?”
“How did this happen?”
“How did you get a girl as pretty as her to agree to marry you?”
“How did you meet?”
“I thought you’d end up with the monks!”
It was Jai who’d cracked this joke, of course. Everyone paused and stared at him before bursting into laughter.
“Now, now, we all know Jin is just selective. Seems he’s chosen well.”
Jai looked absolutely dumbfounded and he began looking from Jin to his laptop then back to his laptop again. “Well… I just always assumed that…”
Red-faced, Zack was slowly trying to hold back the laughter in order to respond on behalf of his ‘twin’. “I think what Jai is trying to say is that next to him, we always figured you’d be the last person to get into a relationship.”
The Anthony Brothers - Accidental Love (#1), Contemporary Romance Series Page 1