BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - ROM-COM - ONE WEEKEND IN BARCELONA by Christi Barth

One Weekend in Barcelona

by Christi Barth

Publication date: September 13th 2024

Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

BLURB

Hudson Locke’s world shattered when the band he started with his best friends fell apart. Sure, he’s super successful now, subbing as a drummer for huge acts, but he wants one of his own. One he can build. A place where he can belong. But he’s only got one shot–and one weekend in Barcelona to test out potential bandmates.

Zora Rosenthal can’t fail. Not again, anyway. She’s been in 3 bands that crashed and burned. This weekend is her last chance to join one that will actually succeed. It’s vital that she impress Hudson with her incredible talent on guitar–and prove that she’s easy to get along with, also.

The problem starts when Hudson and Zora get along too well. It’d be beyond stupid to even think about getting involved.

Or kissing each other.

Or admitting all the things they want to do to each other…

On top of that, the third potential member is horrible. Will their band actually form before it falls apart? Will either one back out because of their…connection and how badly that could go once they start working together? Or will this one weekend send Hudson and Zora down a new path–together?

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EXCERPT:

“There’s a level playing field between us. We’re almost, maybe, partners, remember?”

Hudson thumbed a droplet of water off the bottom of her lip. The light touch tore through her like a lightning bolt. “I remember everything that’s happened since I walked into our suite yesterday. Everything about you.”

The air was charged. No, the individual molecules of oxygen were charged. The kiss—the one she had so stupidly initiated—had changed everything. Unlocked the professional barriers. Zora was certain that the naked want for him was obvious on her face.

She interlaced fingers with him. “We shouldn’t.”

“No. Big no.” Hudson lifted their joined hands to brush a kiss on the backs of her knuckles. Then he looked up at her from beneath tragically wasted-on-a-man long lashes. “But I will if you will.”

His boyish semi-dare made Zora laugh.

It broke all the accumulated tension.

Until she put a hand on his neck and pulled his head toward her. Then, a whole new tension permeated the deck. “I want to say yes to you.” Zora whispered the next words against his lips. “I want you.”

“We’re already in unison. That bodes well.” Hudson’s fingers dug into her hips as he propelled her to the edge of the tub. “We’re also in unison that this is probably stupid?”

“Yes.”

“Either one of us can stop at any time with no hard feelings?”

“Yes.” Zora bit back a giggle. Hard to imagine Hudson calling for a time-out to discuss the business implications. Not with all that pent-up lust darkening his eyes to indigo.

“And that, most importantly, I want you more than I want a recording contract. More than bringing John Bonham of Led Zeppelin back from the dead to jam with me for a night. More than—”

Zora leaned her forehead against his to cut him off. “No comparisons. Be in the moment. Here. Now. With me. That’s the only way this works.”

“Right.” He tugged at her loose ponytail to tip her head back. Then he angled it to the side. And scraped his teeth along where her pulse thrummed in her neck.

Huh. There was a good chance her on-loan couture dress would leave that area exposed. A hickey probably wasn’t a good accessory to meet and greet the heir to the throne.

Zora didn’t care. A hickey was the least of the problems with what they were doing, and she didn’t care about any of them. Her brain needed to turn off.

 

Author Info

USA TODAY bestseller Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes contemporary romance. Christi lives in Maryland with her husband.

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BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - CONTEMPORARY - ONE WEEKEND IN VENICE (One Weekend, #1) by Christi Barth

One Weekend in Venice

One Weekend, #1

by Christi Barth

Publication date: May 24th 2024

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

BLURB

Cady Staunton and Jasper Holt have been best friends forever–and only friends, aside from one unexpected kiss in Vegas eight years ago. But everything changes during a destination wedding in Venice.

Their rock band may or may not be breaking up. Jasper is definitely hiding a secret from her. Actually, they’ve both always hidden their true desires for each other. They intended to keep it that way until circumstances–and another accidental kiss–lead them to take a leap.

They’ll use this weekend in Venice to test shifting from friendship to something…more. If it doesn’t work? They’ll go back to being best friends. Except…that never works. And there’s still the problem of Jasper’s big secret and what to do about their band. Will their friendship, let alone their attempt at love, even survive the weekend?

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EXCERPT:

have you ever seen us be romantic?”

“No. Of course not.”

“Then why do you believe Jasper’s going to propose?” And—more to the point—why wasn’t Jasper busy shooting down this stupid rumor too?

Levi raised his arm before saying, “Because you’re single. Desperate.”

Nobody had asked for the answer to be crowdsourced. “That’s not—what? How do I give off desperate vibes?”

“You don’t.” Hudson awkwardly patted her shoulder. “Aside from I know you’re thirty.”

“Yes, but it isn’t 1930. God, Hudson, pull your head out of your chauvinistic, patriarchal ass.”

“And you made a promise. You two never go back on your word.”

Well. It was nice to be appreciated. Cady did take great pride in her reliability. It wasn’t sexy or exciting, but it kept their career moving in the right direction. It also meant that she was the go-to friend to fix any and everything.

Enough was enough. Jasper was a few steps ahead of her, making his way over the low, narrow stones of an arched bridge. All while he mimed a sword slicing through the air. She took the steps two at a time to catch up.

She tried, anyway.

The anorexically thin bootie heel slid between the cobblestones. That rolled her ankle. Cady plummeted sideways. As her body slid through nothingness, she remembered Jasper’s whole point about visiting this bridge.

No freaking guard rails.

Then the breath whooshed out of her as a strong arm banded her to a chest that might as well belong to a gargoyle as it was so hard. Instinctively, her hands clasped behind Jasper’s neck.

“Bella signorina,” he murmured. “You’ve got to be more careful.” He triumphed over gravity and brought her upright—but only for a second.

As soon as both of her feet were planted, he tipped her the other way into a deep, right-outta-the-movies dip, bracing the small of her back against his thigh. Jasper kissed her. Cady gasped, and his mouth stole the breath as it settled over hers.

It felt…intentional.

Unlike last time, they were both sober. No excuse to fall back on. Nothing to prove.

And yet…

The kiss kept going. They both sank into it. As if they were lovers who’d reunited after being parted for years. His tongue took the lead in swirling and tasting and thrusting.

She distinctly felt everywhere they touched. The soft edge of his hair against her thumbs. One breast against his rock-hard pec. The distinct bulge in his pants along her ribs.

That was for…because of her?

Cady’s eyes flew open. She immediately met Jasper’s unwavering stare and the heat in them that almost threw off sparks. No mistake. He definitely knew who he was kissing.

And yet…

The kiss still kept going. It got wetter. Hotter. Deeper. More passionate. All her nerve endings were on high alert to the heat of the May morning. The strength of Jasper’s thigh against her ass. A strong scent of the sea from the tidal saltwater of the lagoon with a chaser of gasoline from all the boats.

Mostly, though, she smelled Jasper. The lemon, sage, and mossy cologne he’d worn for as long as she’d known him. And she tasted the sweetness of the strawberry crostata they’d chased with espresso before leaving the hotel.

And…she felt desire—strip your clothes off at the front door levels of desire—roaring through her. This wasn’t a casual kiss to be laughed off. Cady wanted all of him. Naked. Over her.

All of Jasper.

All of her best friend.

Oh, shit. Her best friend. She was making out and on the verge of dry humping her best friend. In broad daylight. That had to fall under “Things That Labeled You an Ugly American.” A bad tourist.

 

Author Info

USA TODAY bestseller Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes contemporary romance. Christi lives in Maryland with her husband.

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BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - CONTEMPORARY - ESCAPING VALENTINE'S DAY by Christi Barth

Escaping Valentine’s Day

by Christi Barth

Publication date: February 2nd 2023

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

BLURB

An Italian romance is on the menu, but is she ready to order?

Content creator Rory Hibbert knows Valentine’s Day is only fun for couples and chocolatiers. For singles like her, it’s a day of disappointment. And that’s why her new marketing agency client has arranged a tour of Italy crammed full of activities to distract from the holiday. This trip is a test for Rory—if it goes well, it will jump-start her new social media career.

There’s just one snag: the ex she never got over is also on staff.

Huck Cranshaw walked away from the love of his life for a huge opportunity on a cooking competition show. At least, that’s the excuse he gave Rory at the time—and he’s regretted it for five years. Cooking for tourists was supposed to be a stopgap between restaurant positions. Now it could be much, much more: a chance to fix the past.

But when an Italian prince catches sight of Rory, Huck’s not the only one vying for her heart this time. Can Cupid still steal Rory’s heart when the truth finally comes out?

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EXCERPT:

What were the odds of, out of the blue—hell, in the middle of the wild blue yonder—running into the biggest mistake of your life?

Whatever they were, Huck Cranshaw should’ve played ’em.

Head still down, the woman muttered, “If I say no, will you keep walking?”

He hadn’t been positive what with all her gorgeous dark hair chopped off. But that attitude—he was certain.

“Rory. C’mon. Look at me.”

Eyes the color of browned butter dragged up slowly. “Hi, Huck.”

Seeing her again felt like a bowling ball had landed on his diaphragm. A total gut punch. “Wow. I can’t believe it’s you. After all this time. You changed your hair.”

“It has been five years. Also? One of the traditional steps of dealing with a breakup, after ice cream and wine and crying until your pillowcase drips, is a drastic haircut.”

Ouch. Talk about not pulling any punches.

Yes, he’d broken up with Rory.

Yes, he’d been young and an insensitive idiot about it.

Yes. He regretted it. Deeply. And had for a very long time. So Huck would stand here and take any and everything she dished out. He deserved it.

He just craved so much more from her.

Pointing at her hair, he said, “It looks great. You look, um, spunky.”

No smile popped out at his compliment. A sneer did, though. “Just what every woman longs to hear. A description usually saved for the kid who sprains his ankle but manages to hit the game-winning homer anyway.”

“Jesus, Rory. You want a better word?” Huck threw his hands up, banging his knuckles against the overhead compartment. “You look beautiful. You always look beautiful. My throat’s clogged with all the things I want to say, all the places I want to kiss you. But I didn’t think you’d want to hear those words.”

After a long moment where he couldn’t tell what was going on in her head, Rory gave a sharp nod. “Fine. I’ll take spunky after all.”

Was that a truce? He stepped forward, arms moving slowly out from his hips. With the same caution he’d use around a wild animal. “Should we hug?”

“Not unless you want me to call an air marshal on you.”

Not a truce, then. His arms dropped. But he wasn’t giving up. This was an opportunity. Maybe his only one. Rory had nowhere to go. He could finally apologize, beg for forgiveness. Now that she’d processed the shock of seeing him, Huck backpedaled into polite formality.

“How are you?”

“I’m great. Peachy keen. Why are you on my plane?”

Wow. Two lions in heat were less combative than Rory. “Your plane? Funny, I thought that was Alitalia painted on the side of the fuselage. If I’m on a private flight, why’d I get a bone-dry chicken breast last night instead of champagne and filet?”

Ignoring his sarcasm, she restated, “Why are you going to Italy?”

“New job. What about you?”

“Same,” she bit out.

That was a shock. Her overly protective parents had practically stroked out when she’d gone to college in a different state. Hard to imagine them not fighting tooth and nail if she switched countries. “Really? You’re moving to Italy for work? Talk about cutting the umbilical cord.”

“No. This is a temporary gig. I’m still in Chicago.”

Where you should be.

Rory didn’t say the words out loud. She didn’t need to. He saw them in the rigid posture of her slight frame. The uplift to her pointed chin. The weight of all their years together pressed down so hard it was amazing the plane didn’t dip in the sky.

Back to the safety of formalities. “Nice town. I was in New York for a while, but now I’m back in San Francisco.”

“I know.” From the fast triple blink she gave, Rory hadn’t meant to let slip that she still had any awareness of Huck.

Interesting.

Maybe he had a chance at finagling forgiveness after all…

 

Author Info

USA TODAY bestseller Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes contemporary romance. Christi lives in Maryland with her husband.

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BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - ROM -COM - DEFINITELY NOT DATING (Love Lottery, #2) by Christi Barth

Definitely Not Dating

Love Lottery, #2

by Christi Barth

Publication date: May 4th 2021

Published by: Tule Publishing

Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

BLURB

It’s a chance to start over for both of them…

Everleigh Girard always dates the wrong men at the worst times. The last debacle cost her a job and an apartment. But thanks to a crazy lottery win, she and her friends have a fresh start restoring a historic inn. Determined to make it a success, Everleigh swears off the dangers of dating entirely. Except…the town’s police chief is distractingly hot. So how much trouble could friends with benefits really cause?

Police chief Matt Halliday always puts protecting his town first. He’s blindsided when his house mysteriously burns down, and grateful his friends rent him a room at their inn while they finish renovations. It’s a great deal. Mostly. It’s hard to resist the very beautiful Everleigh. Love is permanently off the table for him—but lust is definitely on.

After their first red-hot kiss, keeping it casual is impossible. Can Everleigh teach Matt to trust again—especially when he’s keeping a secret that may put him and his new friends at risk?

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EXCERPT:

Matt could tell she’d keep filling the silence with rambling unless he stopped her. Did he make her nervous? Or was she just second-guessing one of the nicest freaking things that anyone had ever done for him?

He put a hand on her upper arm. Tried with all his might to keep it more of a casual tap, and not let it turn into a squeeze or caress. “Sorry. You caught me off guard. I didn’t know what to say. ‘Thank you’ isn’t enough. This is all way beyond thoughtful.”

Her cheeks pinked up. The flush was adorable.

It made him wonder what else could make her flush like that. And then Matt cursed his one-track mind.

“Oh, it was no big deal.” Everleigh shrugged both shoulders.

No. He couldn’t let her dismiss such a meaningful gesture. Or not understand what an impact it’d made on him.

So Matt stroked his hand up to her shoulder. Did the same on the other side, as well, to prevent her from another shrug. And if his thumbs made contact with creamy skin due to the wide neck of her tee, well, he didn’t regret it.

“Stop. It was unnecessary. Took time and effort from your packed day. It was considerate. And I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate it. You made me feel like this really is a place I belong. That’s exactly what I need right now. Somewhere I can feel anchored.”

“Well, good. I’m relieved. I just wish there was more I could do.” Everleigh licked her lips. “To make you comfortable.”

Matt was a lot of things. A police officer. Lieutenant Commander in the Coast Guard Reserve. Son. Boss. Friend.

But he wasn’t a saint.

It had been a hell of a rough week. And it was only Wednesday. A drop-dead gorgeous woman was at 11 out of 10 on the flirt scale. If Everleigh wanted to make him feel better, what kind of a chump would he be to resist?

“Oh, I’m plenty comfortable.” Matt moved his hands up the sides of her neck until they framed her heart-shaped face. “Let’s see if the two of us can move that needle up to something way better than comfortable. For both of us.”

It wasn’t as far down to her lips as expected, because Everleigh stood on tiptoe to meet him halfway. This was no tentative first peck. No cautious easing into things.

Matt knew what he wanted. And Everleigh seemed just as eager.

They skipped over all the first kiss slowness. They skipped about five minutes ahead. Matt took her mouth like it was already his. Because she offered it so willingly. Because she molded her tight, lithe body against his.

Everleigh tasted faintly of…strawberry ice cream. And an inherent sweetness that was all her. There was warmth. Pliable softness, yet also a firmness as she returned his kiss. Equal want, equal giving. Which made it the perfect kiss.

They were swaying in tandem, almost like an unheard melody played. Or maybe it was just their pulses syncing up.

Matt tilted her head to the side a bit more. Then he unleashed the desire he’d been working so hard to ignore since their first meeting.

His tongue swept into her mouth. Immediately, hers danced and twined around his. Teasing, just like Everleigh herself. Fun, sweet, but with a backdraft of heat. Like one of those jalapeño margaritas with a kick that made you crave more.

Matt wanted so much more.

 

Author Info

USA TODAY bestseller Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes contemporary romance. Christi lives in Maryland with her husband.

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NEW RELEASE - ROM-COM - THE ACCIDENTAL FIANCE (Love Lottery, #1) by Christi Barth

The Accidental Fiancé 

Love Lottery, #1

by Christi Barth

Release Date: February 23rd 2021

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy

Is it the chance of a lifetime or his biggest mistake?

When former hotel manager Alex Kirkland, his sister and their best friends pooled their money for an unusual lottery prize—a historic, dilapidated inn on the Maryland shore—as a last-ditch attempt to escape rotten circumstances, they never expected to win. But they’re all looking for a fresh start and a second chance, so Alex convinces everyone to move in and repair the building in time for the spring wedding season.

Sydney Darrow never planned to return to her hometown. But her family needs her and Sydney can endure anything for 90 days—including making sandwiches and serving coffee with a smile until she returns to her jet-setter career. When her grandma mistakes a handsome customer for the “fiancé” Sydney created when she thought her grandma was on death’s door, well...Sydney will do anything to keep her spirits up during treatment. She can persuade him to keep up the charade for a few months, right?

But when Alex agrees to play along, will they both fall for their own fiction?

 

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Alex’s expression morphed into straight-up solemnity, like he’d slipped on a mask. “The four of us have no incoming income until we get this inn running. Damn straight I’m all about the bottom line.”

“I guess I can add practical to your list of traits.” Which Sydney appreciated. It was the people who pretended not to care about money but pinched every penny in secret that were difficult. Hiding things—anything, big or small—never turned out well.

In a tone drier than Death Valley, Alex said, “That is just what every man longs to hear during a proposal. That practicality came in ahead of good looks and sex appeal.”

“I didn’t say that.” Did he truly not know that he smoldered with sex appeal? That he could be the man in a cologne/watch/champagne ad? It was actually endearing that he needed a bit of an ego stroke. “Alex, you’re suavely handsome. Your smiles are rare, and all the more potent because of it.”

Those icy eyes widened in…disbelief? Appreciation? Hard to tell. But then he dipped his chin. “Nice to hear. Was that so hard?”

“I didn’t realize you needed a bit of flirting to consider this favor. It seemed…forward to lead off with cataloging your physical traits.”

“Forward?” A huge belly laugh rolled out of him. It was warm and contagious, even though Sydney knew it was aimed at her. “You just proposed after a grand total of ten minutes of conversation, over two days.”

Men had a tendency to be so darned literal. “I’m not proposing for real. I’m asking for your help. You will, in no way, be obligated to follow through into a fake marriage.”

“Then where does the line get drawn?” Alex braced a hand on the back of the couch and leaned forward. He leaned in so close that his breath warmed her ear. “How interesting does this get?”

For a moment—okay, three—Sydney let herself enjoy the closeness. The heat pumping off him through the waffle-weave shirt onto her chest. The brush of his biceps against the back of her head. How their knees pressed together. It was all intimate and on the edge of…something. She just wasn’t sure what.

USA TODAY bestselling author Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately, she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes award-winning contemporary romance, including the Naked Men and Aisle Bound series.

Christi can always be found either whipping up gourmet meals (for fun, honest!) or with her nose in a book. She lives in Maryland with the best husband in the world.

 

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