Blurb
Jody Feather’s tired of only writing about romance...
Readers
love her delectable hero, Jake Emerson. He’s the kind of man who knows exactly
how to please a woman. The kind of man who doesn’t exist. Jody’s too busy
writing about delicious heroes to find one of her own. And never expects one to
find her.
Jake Emerson to the rescue...
When
a man shows up on her doorstep claiming to be Jake Emerson, this would-be hero
is everything Jody imagined him to be. Bonus—he brings out her forgotten flirty
side, and makes her feel worthy of love again. She stops doubting his story, but
does believing in Jake mean she’s lost her sanity? Or will it mean losing him
for real?
Reviews (for previous version)
A steamy cast of characters pulls the reader right into Romancing the Hero, and doesn’t let go until the final page. Cate Masters’ romantic novella, an homage to the classic romance movie Romancing the Stone, will make you believe that your fantasies can come true.
The well-written characters--feisty Jody Feather, best-selling romance writer who’s dissatisfied with her love life and perfect hero Jake Emerson--are captivating from their initial meeting
The novella leads you excellently right down the garden path--is Jake really an actor, or is he stud-come-to-life Jake? I really liked how Ms. Masters’ tight plotting keeps you guessing, up to the very end.
Ms. Masters is a very good author and Romancing the Hero is a fun, well-written story.
Long and Short Reviews, 3.5 stars
Who would Cate cast in these roles? See the Casting Call here.
Excerpt
“Jody Feather?”
The deep voice rushed at her like a hot breeze, reverberated through her, and
stopped her where she stood.
“Ye—” Her gaze
climbed the long legs clad in well-fitting jeans, pumped torso outlined through
his tight black tee, to the gorgeous model face. Someone might have stolen a
cardboard cutout of the perfect hero and breathed life into it, and that’s who
stood on her doorstep.
“Yowsa,” she said
on an exhale.
He cocked a
delighted brow. “Pardon?”
“May I help you?” Please
say yes.
“I believe it’s
the other way around.”
“Really?” Thankyouthankyouthankyou!
“I mean… what do you mean?”
The timbre of his
deep voice filled the space between them. “I’m here to help. Use me.”
Wait. This had to
be a prank. “I get it. Mimi sent you.”
His brow furrowed.
“Mimi? No.”
Patience waning,
she heaved a sigh. “Who are you?”
“I think you
know.” He leaned a ripped bicep against the doorjamb in a move that seemed
scripted—by her.
“I have no idea.
Please enlighten me.”
“Jake? Ring a
bell?”
She might have
guessed. “Oh right. Jake Emerson?”
He clucked his
tongue. “The one and only. I knew you’d recognize me anywhere.”
“Even at my own
home. Go figure. So why are you here? As a prop for the signing?” Damn, he fit
the role perfectly. She couldn’t have chosen a better actor. She jotted another
note to ask Mimi if he could pose for the next cover.
“Is that all you
need?” he asked with a hint of disappointment.
A loaded question.
Better to ignore it. “No bags?”
“I travel light.”
“Didn’t she tell
you? There are several events. Dinner, the keynote, plus the signing event. You
might want a change of clothes.” Though if anyone could pull off wearing the
same outfit every day, he could. She could claim it was Jake’s brand, his
image, an intentional move to make him recognizable to conference attendees.
Mimi always droned on about the brand, the brand.
Besides, who’d
notice what he wore? They only wrapped the prize beneath. And what a yummy
prize. She had to hand it to Mimi, the marketing genius.
Musing aloud, she
murmured, “Where did they find you?”
“They didn’t. I’m Jake.”
“Right. And I’m
Lara Croft.” Not even her Halloween costume could turn Jody into the sexy
heroine.
A chuckle warmed
his smirk. “You’re better than that bimbo.”
Oh boy. “Let’s not
get carried away, shall we? This is only temporary.”
“Why? Do you plan
to kill me off?” Equal parts teasing and worry loaded his question.
“Don’t tell me
you’ve read the series.” All that and a reader to boot.
“I don’t need to
read it. I live it.”
His devilish smile
almost blocked out his words, which jolted her like electricity.
Yikes. “Listen,
Mr…” Rolling her hand, she prompted him to finish.
“Emerson.” He said
it as if she already knew.
Method actor,
apparently. She’d play along for now. “Sure. Mr. Emerson.”
A car horn sounded
outside. She peered past him to where the taxi sat in her driveway. So Mimi
must have sent him after all.
“Give me two
seconds.” She hurried to grab her jacket.
“Take all the time
you need, baby.”
The endearment
brought her to a screeching halt. “Hold on. I get that you’re ‘Jake Emerson’
but when we’re together, address me as Ms. Feather. I am not your baby.”
Or anyone else’s,
unfortunately.
His mouth curled
down in a brief frown. “Pity.”
“Give it a rest.”
She’d written this scene in the second novel, when Jake first meets that
leading lady. How many scenes had he studied? Hopefully he wouldn’t reenact too
many. Sure, she loved her work, but not so much she wanted to live it. Except
for certain parts, like the shower scene in book three…
You don’t have time for this. “Do me a huge
favor?”
He leaned into the
door frame and stared into her eyes. “Anything.” His gaze dropped to her lips.
She melted from
the inside out, heat spreading from her lower belly through her limbs. Easing
her toward him. Toward those perfect lips. Anything… oh yes. And everything.
The taxi horn
blared again, restoring her senses.
He raised his
brows in question.
“The boxes
upstairs,” she squeaked. “Can you carry them to the car please?”
He brushed past
her, his warmth erasing her thoughts. “This way?”
“Yes, first door
to the right. My bedroom.”
He flashed a smile
and paused on the step. “Care to show me?”
Oh God, yes she
would. Instead, she pointed. “The two boxes on my bed.”
Her gaze followed
his jog to the top of the stairs, tight tush straining against the jeans. An
audible sigh snapped her out of it.
After grabbing her
bag, she said a quick goodbye to Frank. “It’s only for the weekend. See you
Monday.” She glanced at the man heading out her door, biceps bulging around the
boxes. “Tuesday at the outside.” Never rule out any possibilities. Her parents
taught her that. And she’d made it Jake’s motto, one of the reasons fans loved
him. Time to make it her own motto as well.
The saying had
given her the strength to leap from journalism into fiction. If they only knew
what she considered leaping into now… well, she was old enough to face those
consequences. And enjoy them while they lasted. She glanced at Jake, waiting
again on her doorstep with a ‘hey
beautiful’ smile.
Holding a hand to
the sculpted abs evident beneath his tee shirt, he bowed. “May I carry your
bag, Ms. Feather? Or are you too liberated for such a show of chivalry?”
Wiseass. He had
that aspect of Jake down pat. “Certainly.”
A full sweep of
his gaze across her, and he winked. “We’re all set then?”
We. He said it so casually. So why did she want to
bat her eyelashes at him? Use her best Marilyn Monroe voice, pull him back
inside to slam the door and pin him against it?
Oh, I’m in serious trouble.
“All set,” she
croaked. At least it gave her a chance to follow him down the walkway, and
admire his rippling biceps and tight end, made more luscious by his swagger.
She paid particular attention. She had to, or she wouldn’t be able to describe
it in all its vital deliciousness in a later novel.
Oh yeah, she loved
being a writer.
Thanks to The Wild Rose Press, which first published this ebook in 2011.
