Where Romance and Suspense Collide

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Review of Sea Breeze by Jennifer Senhaji

Sea Breeze Review by Sandra S. Kerns

First, let me introduce you to author Jennifer Senhaji in her own words.Jennifer's Author Photo

I was born and raised in San Francisco, CA, and have a husband and two children. Music is an addiction. I can often be found in the car, singing along at the top of my lungs to whatever is playing. I work full time, and I split my spare time between family, reading, blogging, and writing. I’m a habitual quoter. Lines from films and TV shows constantly pop into my head—my kids are the only ones that really get it. I’m an only child, and so of course I married a man who is one of ten children. Other than English, I speak Spanish, Moroccan, and a little French. I love to travel, but don’t do enough of it. Reading has been a passion for most of my life and I now love writing. I’m a klutz, and in my own mind, I’m hilarious.

 

Sea Breeze

Want a fast, fun, exciting read? Check out Jennifer Senhaji’s Sea Breeze available now on Amazon just click the book cover to buy it.

I read this book through in one sitting because I was enjoying myself so much. To me this is a story of metamorphosis. Jordan has lived her entire life responsibly because there was no other choice she could see. When an unexpected chance to spread her wings drops in her lap after an emotional life event, she grabs hold and never looks back. Well, maybe once or twice, but she never turns back. She has decided to try new things and a cruise ship is just the place for that. (Have you seen the activities on the ships nowadays?) Anyway, the one thing she isn’t looking for is one of the first she finds, a HOT man. Not only hot, but fun and sweet without being syrupy. Their journey through the Caribbean was so much fun because the author made you feel like you were right there. You could feel the humidity and the ocean breezes. There is romance, a cruise, you visit Puerto Rico, and watch the characters’ voyage through self-discovery. A great read from every perspective.

That’s my take, actually there’s so much more but I don’t want to spoil the fun for you. I do have permission to give you a little excerpt to whet your appetite, but before that here’s a little more insight into the story. Be sure to read all the way through the post. At the end there’s a special prize!

ABOUT SEA BREEZE:

Jordan has never been in love, or been anywhere. Trapped in Vegas, she schleps drinks and dodges losers, while suffering under a burden only she can shoulder. Her life is an endless stretch of blah with no escape.

Until now.

Instead of looking back, she’s sailing forward.

Eric has left his family and friends in San Francisco to travel the world, tending bar on a cruise ship to fund his adventures. He can charm any coed who comes aboard, but Jordan sees right through him.

On the blue cobblestone streets of San Juan, everything changes. Food. Music. Exotic locations. Possibilities. Setting out to discover the world, will Jordan discover herself?

Sometimes, adventure can set you free…

An Excerpt from Sea Breeze

The ship is still in port, so the wind is minimal as I scoot out of my shorts and step into the pool. The water is warm and I dive to the bottom. Back at the surface, I float on my back and gaze up at the blue sky and white puffy clouds above me. My arms fan out around me and I sigh, content. No worries, no responsibilities. No rushing home. My time is finally mine now. Guilt tightens my chest and a tear forms in the corner of my eye. I dive back under the water to wash it away. I couldn’t stop it, no matter how hard I tried. Nothing I did was ever enough.

I swim around for a while, trying to clear my head, and stretching my leg muscles. After all the walking today, I’m bound to be sore tomorrow. After about thirty minutes, I step out of the pool and sink into the hot tub. I rest my head on the ledge and my eyes close on their own.

A while later, an older couple joins me in the steamy water. I smile at them in turn and lean back, taking in the evening sky. Hints of a beautiful sunset are on the horizon. I’ve been soaking for a while now, and my fingertips are all pruned. I smile again at the couple as they exchange a quick kiss, and take my leave. Drying off, I slip back into my shorts. I can’t help flashing back to the moment I shared with Eric. I really wanted him to kiss me, but it’s probably for the best that he didn’t.

Back in my room, I find Kim lounging on her bed, flipping through a magazine.

“Hey, where have you been all day?”

I take a seat on my bed opposite hers. “I went ashore and spent the day in San Juan. It was amazing. What did you do? Did you go ashore?”

“No. I nursed a horrible hangover until about two in the afternoon. By then, it was too late to consider going. I ended up meeting a couple of my friends for Bloody Marys by the pool, and then we went to dinner.”

“Did you have fun last night?”

“We had a blast. You have to come out tonight, Jordan.”

“What’s on the agenda tonight?”

“We’re all going to meet up at Allure around ten. It’s the nightclub here on the ship. Are you in?”

Allure… That’s where Eric works tonight. He said he’d buy me a drink.  “Yeah. I’m in.”

I hope you enjoyed this excerpt from Sea BreezeIf you would like to connect more with Jennifer here are links to her social media and a chance to win a cool prize.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website: www.jennifersenhajiauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jsenhaji13

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jsenhaji13

Blog: http://jennifersenhaji.blogspot.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jennifersenhaji

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Jsenhaji

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/jennifersenhaji

GIVEAWAY:

Win an eBook copy of Sea Breeze and a $5 Amazon gift card from PageCurl Publishing and Promotion. Leave a blog comment with your idea of a dream vacation to be entered to win. Winner will be announced on PageCurl’s Facebook page a week from today!

 

More Retailers Offering Pre-order of A Daring Proposal

The first book of my new series, Colorado Dreams and Desires, is now available for pre-order at even more on-line retailers including the Apple iBookstore. Click the link to your favorite on-line book seller and snatch it up today!

A Daring Proposal begins a new series of stand-alone-books in which the heroes and heroines can only bring their deepest dreams and desires to life in beautiful Colorado. Jump up on Sterling’s saddle (the heroine’s favorite horse) and pre-order now so you can be one of the first to ride through this tale of betrayal, secrets, and love denied.

Please enjoy the excerpt below.

ADaringProposal-600x900

A Daring Proposal - Sandra S. Kerns

 Smashwords

Kobo

Three steps down the center aisle, in her painfully pink maid-of-honor gown, Chaney’s smile faltered. If not for the bride waiting behind her, she would have turned around and marched out the front doors. No, she wouldn’t give the surprise best man the satisfaction. She kept walking. She moved her focus to the groom. The fire burning in her eyes should make her soon-to-be brother-in-law burst into flames any minute.

He knew how she felt about Jed. Her sister did too. How badly Jed had hurt her. Okay, maybe they didn’t know how badly he hurt her. No one knew that. However, everyone knew she wanted nothing to do with him.

Besides, didn’t she have enough problems with the ranch, their father’s death, and Belle’s wedding? Chaney reached the front of the church. She turned to watch her sister walk down the aisle, and all her anger melted away.

Belle looked every bit the fairytale bride. The white as high-peak snow antebellum gown and jeweled tiara veil were perfect. The smile on her face brightened as she walked toward the man she loved. An odd mix of joy and jealousy knotted in Chaney’s stomach.

She wasn’t jealous of Belle. Her sister’s happiness meant the world to her. The jealousy came from knowing love wasn’t in the cards for her. Shaking off the stupid self-pity, she turned as her sister reached the groom’s side. Doing so put Jed in her line of vision again.

How dare he meet her gaze and smile? The knot in her stomach intensified, but Chaney didn’t let the pain show. This day belonged to Belle. Turning her gaze back to her sister, she clenched her jaw and prayed for strength while the bridesmaids whispered and giggled behind her. There was no mistaking what man they were whispering about. Women always fawned over Jed.

Even you.

Her hand strangled the bouquet she held with the unwelcome reminder of her and Jed’s past. A quick glare over her shoulder silenced the girls. As she turned back, the preacher asked who gave Belle’s hand in marriage.

“I do.” Chaney’s face flushed when the words croaked out of her dry throat. It should be their father giving his favorite daughter away. He hadn’t liked Belle’s choice of husband. Marrying the son of the man their father had quarreled with as long as she could remember should have been an insult. The only explanation was their father had been too sick to fight about it by the time Steve asked for Belle’s hand. They had no doubt waited until after he died to decide on the best man. If Dad had known they were planning to have Jed stand up, there would have been hell to pay. Dad made no bones about his feelings toward the man. He would have forbidden it.

The ridiculous thought had her hiding a grin behind a fake cough. Dad had never said no to Belle. To be honest, Chaney couldn’t remember ever saying it to her sister either. Even if she had known about Jed’s part in the wedding, she wouldn’t have this time. When their mother died soon after Belle’s birth, Chaney made Belle’s happiness her main goal.

At least you’ve succeeded at one thing.

The reminder of what a shambles the rest of her life was, made her pull her shoulders back, and stand taller. She didn’t know the meaning of the word quit. It didn’t matter what absurd challenges her father, Belle, or anyone else threw at her. She’d never backed down from a dare in her life, and she wasn’t about to start now. With renewed determination, she met Jed’s gaze straight on, daring him to look away first.

# # #

Jed held Chaney’s stare across the space between them. Her features remained calm, but her gaze held no warmth. Angry heat, yes. Warmth, no. Not when aimed at him, but every time she looked at Belle, her demeanor softened. When she glanced his way, hard didn’t quite define it.

It was obvious she hadn’t known he was the best man. The hate heating those caramel eyes was proof. Of course, she’d probably been too busy with her precious ranch to ask about details. He knew exactly how important the ranch was to her. God he hated that place.

Still, the heart he thought dead except regarding his daughter had been jump-started seeing Chaney again. The way the light through the stained glass windows danced on her sun-streaked brown hair. Her trim but well-proportioned body was temptation personified. The warmth of her melted caramel eyes . . . .

Warmth? Hah! Her eyes were hot. The kind of hot that would burn the flesh off a man from twenty paces. If luck were on his side, most of the wedding traditions would be overlooked. Like the bridal dance, and riding to the reception together. Being that close to Chaney might break the tight rein he kept on his control these days.

“May I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Sampson.”

The preacher’s pronouncement jerked Jed back to the ceremony. He joined the rest of the congregation in applauding the happy couple, while berating himself for letting his mind wander. At least he’d focused on the ceremony long enough to hand Steve the rings. When his cousin and Belle started down the aisle, Jed’s gaze once again found Chaney.

He took the few steps to meet her in the center of the aisle. Offering his arm, he swore sparks shot through the sleeve of his tuxedo at her touch. Obviously, the disastrous ending to their relationship hadn’t dulled his awareness of her.

Was there ever any doubt?

“Steve told me you knew,” he whispered.

“Of course I knew. Who else would Steve ask to stand up for him?”

Jed couldn’t hold back his grin. “You never were a very good liar.”

“It doesn’t matter. You would do anything for Steve. I would do anything for Belle. So, here we are.” She lifted her chin toward the new couple. “This is their day. It’s not about us.”

True enough. There were only two people Jed would do anything for: his daughter and Steve. Coming to Colorado to stand up for his cousin, despite all the unpleasant memories brought on by the place, was easy compared to what he needed to do for his daughter. However, he had to do something or his ex would take Ashley out of his life for good. It wasn’t because his ex cared about their daughter. No, to Johanna their daughter was a tool. A tool she could use to hurt Jed. If there was anything his ex loved, it was causing him pain.

He and Chaney reached the foyer of the church. Her hand disappeared from his arm as she ran to her sister, wrapping her in a hug. Jed remembered many such moments when they were younger. The two women were very close despite their differences. Watching them had often made him long for a sibling. Of course, to have siblings you had to have parents. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to push the old depressing thoughts down. He had enough going on without reliving a hopeless childhood.

“Hey, big guy. Can a bride get a kiss?”

Jed’s eyes popped open and he smiled easily at the cheerful blonde before him. He stepped up to his new cousin and gave her a kiss then hugged and slapped Steve on the back. After a minute, he stepped back and allowed others to congratulate the couple. Eventually, the church emptied and the wedding party returned to the sanctuary for a half hour of picture taking.

While he smiled and laughed, his mind churned with ways to win the upcoming custody battle. He watched the photographer take one last picture of the happy couple in front of a stained glass window. Love, as much as the sun through the glass, made the air around them radiant. He turned and saw the colored light cast a soft glow on Chaney’s face. His heart clenched for a moment as an outrageous idea came to him.

~ ~ ~ ~

I hope you will join Chaney & Jed for a wild ride and pre-order A Daring Proposal today.

Until next time, Happy Reading!

 

 

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