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Disability advocate Pen Meadows is on a mission; grab a breakfast sandwich, find her gate, and listen to her smutty audiobook. Only, the sexy, tall man in front of her at Tim Hortons may prove a worthwhile distraction. His soft Irish lilt and mix of gruff sweetness make Rowan Iverson unlike any man she’s ever met. After a brief meet/cute, and even briefer goodbye, the social media influencer ends up seated beside Rowan on a cross-country flight.
Rowan Iverson desperately wants to get back to Los Angeles without calling further attention to himself. A potentially career-ending incident at hockey’s biggest game could transform the NHL’s top defenseman into its most hated player. The last thing he wants is for his mess to trip up Pen. A mid-flight detour forces him to realize that his goal to resist her bright smile may be a game he’s already lost.
Back in the reality of their jobs and lives in Los Angeles, Pen learns that the man she’d spent one incredible night with isn’t who she thought. He’s a player and Pen doesn’t play games, especially when her heart is at stake. Can Rowan prove to Pen that he is who he wants to be…just hers?
Buy At First Smile
Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon Paperback
What to Expect:
Owned Voice (Both the FMC and Author are Legally Blind)
Hockey Romance
Disability Rep
Inter-Abled Romance
Close Proximity/Stranded Together
Strong/Sassy FMC
Golden Retriever MMC
Explores Themes of Grief/Loss
On Page Spice
An adorable rescue boxer
As soon as I saw the tropes for this book, I knew I had to read it! It is rare to find a book that represents disabilities as an actual part of the storyline. So many others touch on it, but never rise to making it a primary part of what guides the characters. This was especially well done!
Both characters are instantly loveable. Penelope is the epitome of strength when it comes to being secure in herself, despite her disability. She never let it define her, instead, choosing to help others like her through an advocate program. Her bold nature is balanced well with a kindness that helps her advocacy shine.
Rowan is a bit of a grump, but he’s a lovable one! I love how he grows throughout the book, allowing us to see the true man he is hidden behind that grumpy protection mannerism. He often self-sabotages and I think Penelope was exactly what he needed to shift that line of thinking.
The feel of the insta-love meet-cute that spins into a quick romance is right up anyone’s alley who wants the good stuff between the hero and heroine from the get-go. There are plenty of laughs sprinkled all throughout to keep you entertained and invested of these two finding their way together. Everything about this book – from the settings to the emotions to the side characters – wrap up a storyline that was a pure delight to read.
About the Author | Melissa Whitney
With a name like Melissa Whitney she had two choices become a Real Housewife or a romance novelist. Lucky for us Andy Cohen hasn’t called yet, so she chose to be a writer. Melissa hails from Western New York but lives in Southern California with her husband and their rescue pugs.
When she’s not reading a good book, brewing a cup of tea or hunting for a delicious pastry, she’s writing contemporary romances. Melissa taps into her experience as a disabled woman/trauma survivor and her master’s in social work to write stories that explore themes of disability, mental health, trauma, autism, grief/loss, and healing in the swooniest and steamiest ways as possible. LIfe is not a romcom nor a melodrama; it’s somehwere in-between and so are Melissa’s books.
