Sunday Spotlight is a feature we began in 2016. This year we’re spotlighting our favorite books, old and new. We’ll be  raving about the books we love and being total fangirls. You’ve been warned. 🙂

Sarina Bowen and Sarah Mayberry are authors that both Holly and I love the hell out of so when we found out that they were writing a book together, we were stoked. We couldn’t wait to get our hands on their book and honestly, we couldn’t read the book fast enough.

Temporary by Sarina Bowen & Sarah Mayberry
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 12, 2017

The most beautiful man I’ve ever seen is the one who can ruin everything…

The first time I lay eyes on Callan Walker, I know he’ll be trouble. With his smug grin, hot Aussie accent and thousand dollar shoes, he’s just the kind of rich guy who always gets what he wants.

And he wants two things: a night of sin, and my cooperation as he outmaneuvers his powerful mother to take control of his uncle’s estate.

I can’t afford either one. I’m the only thing standing between my little sister and the foster care system. He may have money and charm on his side, but I have something even more powerful — pure desperation. This temp job at his mother’s company can become a full time job for me. It has to.

But when Callan’s eyes rake over my body, sometimes I forget my obligations. His piercing gaze finds the fun, optimistic girl I used to be and not the tired person I’ve become.

And it works–if only for a moment. Our night together was a mistake. I can’t afford to get sucked into his high-powered family’s treachery. But the closer I get to Callan, the more layers I find beneath those expensive clothes. Though I can’t forget this is temporary. He’s temporary. I have too much to lose.

Too bad my foolish heart didn’t get the memo…

An American heroine and an Australian hero? Count us all the way in!

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Excerpt

After giving myself another minute to pull the Walker family mask of indifference back on, I went downstairs again to my guests. Some were beginning to make their way toward the exit, and I bid them goodnight.

I shook more unfamiliar hands. “Great man, your uncle,” a Mr. Crowley said, pumping my hand. “I did a little legal work on the Robinson Center with him last year.”

Legal work. “You never did any estate work for Jack, did you?”

“No.” The lawyer frowned. “Just a real-estate contract for a nonprofit. A pro bono job. He talked me into it.”

“Of course he did!” I said with a smile, smoothing over my awkward question. “Thank you for coming.”

The rest was a blur of well-wishers and booze. By the time there was nobody but Grace and I alone in the apartment, I was weary to the core. The caterers were coming back tomorrow to clean up. But Grace hadn’t gotten the memo. She was collecting glassware and stacking mini plates onto the bar.
“Grace, let the restaurant handle that. I’m paying them to do it.”

“You can’t leave a mess overnight,” she said. “This is Manhattan. There could be mice. Or worse.”
“Not on Central Park West,” I argued. “Mice aren’t allowed in these buildings. They can’t afford the co-op fees.”

She rolled her eyes at me.

“Go home, O’Malley. It’s late. I appreciate your help tonight, but I’m starting to feel guilty now. Do you want me to call you a car? I’m in no shape to drive.” I wasn’t so much drunk as flattened by tonight’s emotional cocktail.

“Let me just…” She broke off to rescue another plate from the edge of a potted plant. “The plates are everywhere.”

I took two steps toward her and grabbed the plate. But Grace surprised me by hanging on. And when I gave another tug, the small abandoned bite of lemon cake leapt from the plate and went airborne. For a nanosecond, we both watched its ascent. Then it lodged itself right on Grace’s chin.

“Oh, fuck. Hold still,” I said. A snort of laughter escaped me. Because Grace—normally so pristine—looked hilarious with icing stuck to her face, and a bit of cake clinging to it.

“Now you’re laughing at me?” she asked. Her forehead furrowed. But then I saw her lips twitch. She wiped the icing off her face with her finger. But instead of looking about for a napkin, she reached up and smeared it on my face.

“O’Malley!” I gave an unmanly squawk of outrage.

“You deserved that,” she said with a grin. “Here, let me…” She reached for my face, but I ducked. “Hey now. I come in peace this time.”

Then her slim hand landed on the side of my face, and a gentle thumb stroked across my cheek, coming away with icing on it. Acting on instinct, I opened my mouth and took her thumb against my tongue, licking the icing away.

I felt her go absolutely still.

The air thickened around us. I took Grace’s hand in my suddenly shaky one, and I kissed the palm, then looked down, meeting her gaze.

Soft brown eyes looked back up at me, full of wonder.

My self-control was done and dusted. I tugged on her hand to draw her closer, then leaned down. I found the corner of her mouth with my lips and just hovered there, teasing her. Grace made a breathy little sound of surprise, but she didn’t pull away.

I pressed my lips against her warm skin, then caught her mouth under my own. Her moan was all I needed. I deepened the kiss, and her lips felt soft and supple beneath mine, as I always knew they would.

Giveaway: We’re giving one lucky winner their choice of one of our Sunday Spotlight books. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter for one of this month’s features.

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Are you as excited for this release as we are? Let us know how excited you are and what other books you’re looking forward to this year!

About the Author

Sarina Bowen

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Sarina Bowen is the USA Today bestselling author of steamy, angsty Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction. She lives in the wilds of New England.

Don’t miss a book or a sale. Join her mailing list.

She is the author of The Ivy Years, an award-winning series set amid the hockey team at an elite Connecticut college. Also, The Gravity series.

With Elle Kennedy, Sarina is the author of the RITA award winning HIM, and its sequel, US, as well as the WAGs novels.

Sarina also has a new Vermont contemporary romance series, True North. She’s also unrolled new hockey novels from Penguin Berkley including Rookie Move.

Sarina enjoys skiing, espresso drinks, and the occasional margarita. She lives with her family, eight chickens and more ski gear and hockey equipment than seems necessary.

To be kept abreast of new releases, please sign up for the mailing list at http://www.sarinabowen.com/signup.

Or join her Facebook group, or tweet her @sarinabowen.

Sarah Mayberry

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Sarah Mayberry was born in Melbourne, Australia, and is the middle of three children. From the time that she first “stole” paper from kindergarten and stapled it together to make “books,” Sarah has always wanted to be a writer. In line with this ambition, on graduation from high school she completed a bachelor of arts degree majoring in professional writing, then sat down to write a book. When inspiration didn’t strike, she began to wonder if, perhaps, she needed to live some life first before writing about it.

This still left the burning question of how to pay the rent. She found her way into trade journalism, working off the principle that it was better to write anything for a living than nothing at all. Her time there lead to the opportunity to launch a new decorator magazine for one of Australia’s major retailers, an invaluable and grueling experience that she found very rewarding.

But the opportunity to write fiction for a living soon lured Sarah away. She took up a post as storyliner on Australia’s longest running soap, Neighbours. Over two years she helped plot more than 240 hours of television, as well as writing freelance scripts. She remembers her time with the show very fondly — especially the dirty jokes and laughter around the story table — and still writes scripts on a freelance basis.

In 2003 she relocated to New Zealand for her partner’s work. There Sarah served as storyliner and story editor on the country’s top-rating drama, Shortland Street, before quitting to pursue writing full time.

Sarah picked up a love of romance novels from both her grandmothers, and has submitted manuscripts to Harlequin many times over the years. She credits the invaluable story structuring experience she learned on Neighbours as the key to her eventual success — along with the patience of her fantastic editor, Wanda.

Sarah is revoltingly happy with her partner of twelve years, Chris, who is a talented scriptwriter. Not only does he offer fantastic advice and solutions to writing problems, but he’s also handsome, funny and sexy. When she’s not gushing over him, she loves to read romance and fantasy novels, go to the movies, sew and cook for her friends. She has also become a recent convert to Pilates, which she knows she should do more often.