Meet Zoey & Nate in this sexy, emotional stand - alone!
You don’t get to choose if…
When it’s time to join…you’ll know.
You might think you want to be a member—but trust me this is one club you don’t want to join. It’s not a place where people go to live out their deepest, darkest sexual desires—there are no handcuffs or blindfolds.
The 27 Club only admits those who die young and tragically. My brother was recently bestowed membership and joined many of our ancestors before him. I know I’m next. This is my destiny, and I was ready to yield.
But then I met Nate. He awakened a sensuality in me that had never been explored, never satisfied. I knew then I could no longer accept my destiny. Nate’s presence controls me. I’m overwhelmed by his touch, his words; my every thought is consumed by desire. I believe he was brought into my life for a reason.
Nate doesn’t believe in destiny.
But I do.
And if there’s a way to cheat it—I must.
This
book is seriously fantastic. I’m not always a fan of the romance novels that
make you cry along with the steamy and sweetly romantic. But the tearing up in
this book was so different. It was bittersweet.
The first section of the book is from
the perspective of Zach Flowers, Zoey’s brother. Brilliant! In some ways, it
made moments of the book so much sadder, but at the same time, the story
wouldn’t have been as poignant if we didn’t have some attachment to Zach. It
fuels the emotion throughout the book because in a very small way, we can catch
a glimpse of the sadness that Zoey is feeling. The truly amazing thing is that
the author is able to give you that emotion by making you connect with Zach in
just that one small section of the book.
Zoey is in a seriously crappy
situation. I can’t say that with the history in their family that I wouldn’t
have also freaked out about the legacy of the 27 club. To make matters, with
her brother’s death, she is now all alone in the world. When she finally gets
to Miami to box up her brother’s life, she discovers that there are things he
kept from her and she has a need to know what they are and why. In some ways,
it can give her some closure and the ability to really say goodbye to him.
Zoey
is a really strong heroine. Despite being the “good girl” and seeing herself as
boring and safe, she is so much more. Miami brings out the strength she
possesses and the free spirit that was hidden inside her. I loved the fact that
giving up control to Nate was a thrill ride for her. Because as that steadfast,
responsible one, she was always calling the shots, always making the decisions.
That can truly get exhausting and with someone else taking on some of that
burden, the reader gets to blossom with her and feel her come alive.
There
is so much that can be said of Nate. First, he gives new meaning to the term
sizzle. That man is sex incarnate and he brings the burn to the pages. However,
the author sis an amazing job creating his character, finding that fine balance
between sweet and alpha sexy. She mentions a shyness about him from time to
time and that could have so easily stepped into a place where all of the sudden
you saw two personalities that didn’t really mesh. But, Kim towed that line
just perfectly.
Nate
is definitely complex. He is clearly scarred by his past and so sure that he is
no capable of love and all that goes with it. Zoey is focused on the fragility
of her future and her almost certainty that she doesn’t have one. Between the
two of them, there is a mountain of baggage and they could easily let those
beliefs turn into self-fulfilling prophecies. Luckily, even though they aren’t aware
of it, they are exactly what each other needs.
This book was hard to put down. There
are so many characters beyond Nate and Zoey that make this book great, I fell
in love with most of them. The histories and the connections were a perfect web
for the mysteries of the book, but they are not confusing. Just interesting. I
would pick up another book about Nate and Zoey in a heartbeat. 27 Stars!
My
jaw practically hits the table.
The
chocolate crêpe!
I
can’t believe it.
Harnessing
all of my willpower, I fight the sudden inclination I have to leap around the
table and jump onto his lap. I always tell people I prefer dessert before a
meal, but never has anyone taken me seriously.
Never.
Tension
coils deep in my belly. Lust flows through my veins running faster and faster
with each passing second. I look over at him and as soon as I see his face, I
can feel myself coming unhinged. Urges I can’t deny surface. The need to know
the taste of his lips, to feel his hard body,
to
be able to lick the chocolate he just ordered off his chest, and to slide my
tongue down his stomach so I can taste him.
Looking
thoughtful, his return gaze slowly changes to one of concern. “Have you stopped
planning for your future because you don’t think you have one?” he asks softly.
Remnants
of our conversation must have been lingering in his mind. Slamming my eyes
shut, all of the erotic images I had conjured up immediately disappear as I
fight to breathe.
Suddenly
the air becomes thick in my lungs and I can’t get it out. I take deep calming
breaths. As the haze around me dissipates and I fight off the panic attack, I
hear a fumbling in front of me. I force myself to lift my lids. Nate is
attempting to open my clutch. “What are you doing?”
“Trying
to get you your inhaler.” Panic seems to drown out the deep green of his eyes.
I
push to my feet and give him a disbelieving look. “I’m not having an asthma
attack.”
“You’re
not?” He sounds uncertain.
Shaking
my head, I set my napkin on the table. “Excuse me, I have to use the ladies
room.” I walk inside the restaurant, realizing I have no idea where I’m going.
Looking around, I find the bathrooms immediately.
Just
as I pull the door open, a hand covers mine. “You’re upset.”
I
drop my head. “No, I’m fine.”
Fierceness
grips his voice. “You’re lying.”
Summoning
all of my willpower, I raise my eyes.
Nate
lifts my chin. “You didn’t let me finish. I’m trying to understand you. I want
to know why, if you believe in destiny, you’d change your path. Why wouldn’t
you do what you had always planned on doing? Why change your course?
Personally, I think destiny is bullshit. I also think not pursuing your dream
is bullshit too.”
Caged
by his body, his scent, his presence, I look up into his burning eyes and I can
see compassion there. I believe he wants what’s best for me. If I think I know
him through my brother, he thinks he knows me through my brother as well. And
Zach wanted me to continue my education. His dream was that someday I’d be Dr.
Zoey Flowers. Nate knows this.
“Zoey?”
Nate’s voice is questioning. Low. Maybe even slightly fearful.
“Nate”—I
press my finger to his lips—“I think I need to tell you something about
myself.”
“What?”
he asks.
In
all our e-mails after my brother’s death, I never mentioned the real reason for
my delay in coming to Miami. I keep my eyes open even though I want to close
them. “I had a breakdown shortly after Zach died. I took a leave from my job. I
couldn’t get out of bed. I couldn’t plan one day, let alone the next. And
somewhere during that time, I let any plans I had for the future fall to the
wayside. I don’t know what I want anymore.”
Shock
appears on his face. “Why didn’t you tell me in any of our e-mails?”
The
truth is hard to admit. “I actually looked forward to your weekly e-mails. But
I did lie to you. It wasn’t work that kept me from coming to get my brother’s
things. It was me and my inability to cope.”
Nate
stares down at me.
My
entire focus is on him. “Don’t think I’m crazy. I’m not. Really, I’m not.”
His
gaze continues to pin me in a way that makes me think he understands me.
It
holds me in place. Keeps me calm.
“Zoey,
God, I don’t think that at all,” he breathes. “I can understand how that would
happen.
With
everything coming at you at once, and the shock of Z’s death, coupled with the
revelations about your family, it was just too much. I get it.”
I
just stare at his lips, longing to kiss him. My body is filled with so many
wants and needs, and all these new urges I’ve never felt before.
And
all I want is just for him to set me free.
I live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I've always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.
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