TEN REASONS TO STAY
Author: Candace Knoebel
Series: Risky Hearts Duet #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release
Date: August
30, 2018
Synopsis
One day a week—Thursdays—my husband and
I could do whatever or whomever we pleased.
Protection was non-negotiable.
And no matter what, we had to be home by
midnight.
Jack was the
one who wanted an open marriage, but we were supposed to keep things simple. No
strings. No commitments. It seemed so easy…until it wasn’t.
Devilishly
handsome Cole Blackwater was only supposed to be a fling, but everything about
him made me feel alive. Wanted. Seen.
When I realized he was my husband’s boss, I should have broken things off right
then…but I didn’t.
One day a week,
I could pretend that I was his and he was mine…until Cole wanted more.
But how could I
decide between the man I’d promised to love, honor, and cherish, and the man
who tempted me to break every single vow I’d made?
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2ILlFq1
Amazon US: http://a.co/d/fHAw1vf
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2wn7ggj
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2MY1Ku1
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2wpSi9r
Our Review:
Ten Reasons to Stay is the 1st book in The Risky Hearts
Duet, a story that takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions and love.
This story pushes the boundaries for me, I wasn’t sure about how I
would feel about the open marriage plot, being married for 9 years myself it
was hard to comprehend what Jack was asking for and even harder for Corrine to
agreeing to it.
This is the story of Corrine, Jack and Cole; Jack and Corrine have
been married almost 10 years and now he wants an ‘Open Marriage’ something that
Corrine is heartbroken and against but puts all her fears and emotions aside to
hold onto her marriage. There are rules; protection is a must, Thursday’s are
the only day and you must be home by Midnight. Corrine puts herself out there
and actually meets a great guy who is happy to go along with the arrangements,
Cole is happy with their 1 day a week fling he doesn’t have time for a
relationship and doesn’t want one. When Thursday’s are not enough and the green
headed monster appears Jack simply changes his mind. Will Corrine fight for her
marriage or decide it is over?
Over the years Corrine has turned into the submissive in their
relationship, letting Jack walk all over her dictating where they go and her
life. When she finally finds her independence and confidence Jack wants to
squash it down while Cole lifts her up. Cole is a strong alpha male, he knows
what he wants and goes after it, realising that Corrine is his weak point he
doesn’t care, he wants to take what she will give any way possible, putting his
own heart on the line.
Corrine and Cole have this magnetic pull, they are dripping in
sexual chemistry leaving me in a pool of lust waiting too see how much more
swoon worthy he can be. Cole goes from the sexy eligible bachelor to the hot
book boyfriend from one page to another.
I personally loved this book, this was definitely a different
storyline to what I would normally read but Candance did an amazing job of
making it tasteful and respectful to all parties involved. This is the first
novel I have read of Candance’s and I am looking forward to reading 5 Reasons
to Go, the conclusion of the duet.
Ratings;
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Heat: 5/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
About
the Author
Candace Knoebel is a hopeless romantic with an affinity
for whiskey and good music. Her love of words began when she met the boy who
lived in the cupboard under the stairs. She's a self-proclaimed Lost Girl. Words are her mirror.
With two
completed series, her work ranges from
paranormal to contemporary, all centered heavily around romance.
Currently she lives in Florida with her husband and two children, and has just
completed her thirteenth novel, The Taste
of Her Words.
Website - www.candaceknoebel.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/candaceknoebel
Twitter - http://twitter.com/candaceknoebel
Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/candaceknoebel
Reader Group - http://www.facebook.com/groups/233401687123003/
EXCERPT
“YOU
HAVE A BOARD MEETING later today, and also dinner with the mayor tonight,”
Bianca said, trailing me out of the office. The vanilla scent of her perfume
wafted around me as she tried to keep in line with my steps. “I already sent
for your dry cleaning. It will be hung up by the time you return home.” She
stopped, which in turn caused me to pause and lift an eyebrow.
“What
is it?”
She
was frantically scrolling through her iPad.
“B?”
“Nothing.
Just had to make sure your spot was reserved for tonight.”
The
pleased expression on her face made me smile. Bianca was my lifeline. She’d
been with me since the beginning, always by my side, picking up every piece I
dropped. And never in all that time did the lines between boss and employee
ever blur. I had too much respect for her to pursue anything, and she had a
fiancé at home that would probably gut me if I ever tried.
“Thank
you, B. Please, send it to my calendar.” I was already running late.
By
the time I made it, Dennis was sitting at our usual table where we met once a
week to eat and catch up. He’d taken me under his wing when I first came to the
city, working under him fresh out of college. He was a rounded man with white
hair. A soft smile that could easily be mistaken for a pushover. Those who knew
him, though, knew better. He might have been kind, but he was the devil when it
came to making deals.
I
couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment our relationship changed from business to
family. Maybe it was after my parents passed. Those were the darkest moments of
my life. Moments I still woke up drenched in sweat from. He’d been there with
me through it all. Helped me make the hardest decisions a child never wanted to
have to make.
He
and his wife couldn’t have kids. Maybe it was out of pity, but they took me in
and sort of claimed me as their own after that.
“Sorry
I’m late,” I said as I sat, setting my briefcase beside me. A spread of
pretzels and cheese was already on the table, alongside our favorite beers.
“No
worries. I’m just an old man with little time left on his hands, but who’s
counting?”
I
flattened my smile. He loved to goad me.
His
chuckle was warm as he reached for a pretzel. “How’s business?”
I
took a sip from my beer, the foamy chill welcomed down my throat. Summers in
New York were brutal for men like me who ran on the hotter side. Any cold
beverage was a blessing.
“The
usual. You? Any new deals?”
His
eyes twinkled. “I’d have to shoot you if I told you.”
I
flashed a grin. “That’s what I love to hear, Dennis. A sure sign I need to get
my people to dig a little deeper because you and I both know once I figure out
who you’re in bed with, they’ll be taken right out from under you.”
He
gave a bark of laughter, clutching his stomach. He loved the competition as
much as I did, and our companies were at the top of them all, trying to one up
each other.
“You
know it’s true. I learned from the best.”
“Oh,
my boy. This old bastard still has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Just you
wait.”
“I’m
counting on it,” I said seriously. Dennis wasn’t in the best condition health
wise. Just as he went big with his business deals, he did the same with booze
and good food.
We
spent the next hour bullshitting, before I had to head out for my board
meeting. Every day it was the same. Meetings. Phone calls. Paper work. Deals.
More meetings. My life was orderly. Predictable. Dull.
Most
days, I didn’t mind it. There was enough thrill in making deals that it kept
things interesting, but I found myself growing bored lately. Maybe that was why
I’d used Tinder more often than not. Searching for the next fix that chased
away the loneliness.
After
the day was over, I rode the elevator down to the lobby, about to head out to
meet the mayor. My nose was stuck in my phone when the elevator doors opened.
And there she was.
Corinne.
Her big, chocolate-colored eyes were
wide when they landed on me. She was wearing a one-piece bathing suit, a towel
wrapped around her waist. Her dark hair was slicked back, droplets of water
dripping from the ends, curving over the sweet swell of her breasts. She must
have just come from the pool.
Damn, she was beautiful. Achingly so.
“What
are you doing here?” she asked, every muscle in her body tense as she wrapped
her arms around herself.
I chuckled. Tucked my phone into my
pocket. “I live here.”
“Oh.
Right. Sorry.” She fidgeted, refusing to give me another dose of those puppy
eyes.
The doors began to close, so I reached
out, holding them open for her.
“Sorry,”
she said again as she moved to the other side of the tiny cubicle. I knew I
should get out. Leave. But I couldn’t make my feet move. My entire day… hell…
my whole week had been dull. She was bright, bringing color back to the world.
“What
floor?” I asked as we sort of just stood there.
“Sorry…
umm… eighteen.”
I
knew that. I just liked hearing her speak. The curve of her words. The way her
tongue pressed against the roof of her mouth. How her lips took on different
shapes.
“You
say sorry a lot,” I observed.
The side of her cheek brightened with
pink. With the cold distance between us, no one would guess that
I’d gotten her off. That she wanted to do the same for me. It made me smile to
myself.
She
risked a small glance in my direction. “Sorry.”
I
was grinning. “You know… you shouldn’t apologize for being you.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear. Managed
somewhat of a smile. “It’s just a nervous habit.”
I couldn’t stop watching
her. She was cute in a quirky way. Judging her tiny frame, no one would suspect
the fire brewing within her, desperately waiting for someone to breathe life
into.
“Are you enjoying the building?” I asked,
trying to break the ice.
Her
gaze stared straight ahead. “It’s nice.”
“How
about the view? The condo has the best view of Central Park.”
“I
like it.”
There
was a charge building in the air, buzzing between us. I was afraid of what
would happen should we touch.
“So
you… you like to swim?” I asked, staring at the goose bumps building along her
skin. “I do, too. Usually try to do laps on the weekends. It’s refr—”
She spun so fast on me that I tensed up.
“I want to repay you. For the other night, I mean. I’m
available on Thursday… if you are.”
A smirk broke out on my face, spreading
like a vine. She was awkwardly forward. There was something refreshing in it.
An inexperienced assertion that was begging for a chance to learn.
“Next
time, you should try looking me in the eyes.” I paused as her face reddened,
loving every bit of control I had over her. She was like a gazelle, waiting for
me to sink my teeth into her. “And… I’m not in the habit of sleeping with my
employee’s wives.”
“Oh,
I… um… I’m sorry.” She was flustered, turning her body away from me.
I meant what I said,
but there was something about Corinne I couldn’t ignore. Something I’d never
tasted before.
The doors opened to her floor. She
stepped out, not bothering with goodbye.
Just before the doors closed, I said, “How
about dinner at my place? Meet me here. Thursday. Eight PM. We can talk.”
She swiveled, slightly shocked, and
nodded as the doors closed.
