Release Tour incl Exclusive Excerpt:
Starts With A Bang by Aimee Nicole Walker
The best way to get over a cheating jerk is to get under someone new.
Length: 55,000 words
Series: standalone (in the Redemption Ridge universe)
Genre: contemporary
Tropes: Best friend’s brother, hurt/comfort, opposites attract, grumpy sunshine, fake dating
Trigger/Content Warnings: n/a
The best way to get over a cheating jerk is to get under someone new.
Dominic isn’t looking for love or salvation at the Thirsty Cowboy. He needs a temporary escape from the drudgery his life has become, and the universe provides him with the sexiest distraction he’s ever seen. Sven is a sucker for sad eyes, thick thighs, and a Royal Cosmopolitan. He scores the trifecta of trouble when a broody hunk buys him a drink. Sparks fly, passions flare, and a simple kiss becomes a four-alarm blaze until an untimely interruption douses the men with an icy reality, pitting loyalty against lust.
They shouldn’t… They couldn’t… Spoiler alert: they do!
It was supposed to be one and done but memories of their shared encounter won’t let go. A single text triggers two years of conversations, healing, and an endearing friendship that could blossom into something precious if Dom and Sven were brave enough to take a chance.
An unexpected invitation could provide the nudge their scarred hearts need. Exploring their reignited passion for two weeks in Vail would be a heavenly hideaway if not for a hellish houseguest’s resolve to cause trouble. Family rifts and uncomfortable confrontations abound, and embracing a future with Sven means Dom must face his past. Is their love strong enough to withstand the fire, or will they go down in flames?
Starts With a Bang is a standalone novel within the Redemption Ridge universe. It contains mature content and is intended for adults.
“Marry me,” Sven said. “Right now. Let’s go to Vegas.” My sharp inhale sucked cookie crumbs down the wrong pipe, and I started to cough. “Oh no!” Sven cried. “Do not choke to death in here. How will we explain it? Thank goodness your jeans aren’t still around your ankles.” I wheezed and swallowed hard so I could speak. “I won’t be explaining anything if I’m dead.” “Oh fuck! That’s right. At least my cousin is the sheriff in this county. That should save me from wearing prison orange.” He shuddered hard enough to shake the van. “I look terrible in that color.” His outrage made me laugh, which made me cough harder. “Surely, you have drinks in your shagging wagon.” “Cooler,” I gasped. “Behind the seat.” Sven brushed against my shoulder as he leaned between the captain’s chairs. He cursed a blue streak as he fumbled around for the cooler, which I found both adorable and amusing. I wasn’t on the verge of blacking out. I just had an irritating tickle in my throat. This happened to me more often than I wanted to admit. Eating too fast and laughing too hard had always brought it on, though the latter trigger hadn’t been an issue for several months. Hell, tonight might’ve been the first time I laughed in a year or more. “Found it!” Sven exclaimed. He threw open the lid and then cursed some more. “Juice boxes?” The incredulous tone in his voice turned my dry cough into laughter. “You’ll die before I can penetrate the hole.” He snickered and continued digging through the cooler. “That sounded kind of dirty.” I cleared my throat. “And I’ll probably juice myself before I can get the straw to my mouth.” Sven stilled. “Are we still talking about drinks?” The gathering heat in my belly said we weren’t. “Yep,” I lied. “I usually squeeze the box too hard and end up wearing half the contents. I rarely buy them, and that’s probably why they’re the only thing left in my cooler. Time to restock my stakeout supplies.” I turned on my phone’s flashlight and held the device over my head to assist Sven, even though the coughing fit had nearly subsided on its own. “Aha! There’s one mini water at the bottom.” I turned the phone off and set it on the console between us once he returned to his seat. He opened the bottle and passed it to me. “You need some LED candles in here or something,” Sven said. “Mood lighting.” “Despite how this looks, I don’t really live out of the van. And I’ve never invited a guy back here for a hookup.”
About Aimee Nicole Walker:
Ever since she was a little girl, Aimee Nicole Walker entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she makes a living by telling stories to others. She wears many titles—wife, mom, and grandma are just a few. Love inspires everything she does, podcasts keep her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day.
https://linktr.ee/AimeeNicoleWalker
