August Cotton shouldn’t be here. When a tragic accident
calls him home to Magnolia Springs, this returned Veteran adds his parents to
the list of things he’s lost in recent years, right along with his IED
detection dog and his left leg. As the sole guardian of his four-year-old
sister, August must rely on his Marine training in raising a tiny hellion who’s
as stubborn as he is. But the Corps could never prepare him for this. Nor could
they prepare him for Olivia Anders, a woman who’ll stop at nothing to get her
way.
As owner of Paws for Cause, Olivia is no stranger to the
broken men and women who return home from war. She’s no stranger to broken dogs
either. In fact, she’s made it her mission to pair the two and enrich both of
their lives, but pairing ornery and aloof August Cotton will take some work.
The last thing August wants is some pushy southern woman occupying his parents’
bed and breakfast and forcing him to open up about the hell he narrowly
escaped, but that’s exactly what Olivia intends.
They complete one another, and yet they can’t stand to be in
the same room.
Can Olivia make this hardened Marine feel again and finally
show his heart the way back home?
*** Intended for a mature 18+ audience only. This book may
contain triggers for some readers.
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Excerpt
“You know, if you want to see me naked and sweaty, all you have to do is
ask, darlin’.”
“I do not . . . I wasn’t . . .” My words are stolen from me as he stalks
forward with a maddening smirk on his face. “What are you doing?”
“Getting tired of waiting for you to be okay with this.”
“August, we talked about boundaries.” I press my hand to his chest
because he's too close, and I can't think straight with the heady scent of his
sweat and sandalwood soap distracting me. It wasn't my intention to run my hand
over that sweat, to feel the hard-won muscle beneath, but here I am, petting
him as if he's my favorite kitty.
“No. You talked about boundaries. I told you I was gonna fight, and I
ain’t above fightin’ dirty.”
“How dirty?” I breathe.
August’s lips curl up into a smile. “So dirty.”
Both hands snake around my waist and he lifts me onto the counter,
wedging his hips between my thighs. He hooks a finger in the sash and unties my
robe as if he were opening a gift made just for him. I wrap my legs around his
hips to pull him closer, and that’s all the admission he needs. He threads a
hand through my hair and pulls my neck back to expose the tender flesh to his
mouth. I close my eyes and whisper his name as my whole body turns to flame,
starved for the oxygen that only his touch can bring. His hot mouth trails down
my neck, his hands cup my breasts, squeezing, kneading, and I slide a hand
between us, into the waistband of his shorts. I take his hard length in my
hand, stroking him from base to tip. August grunts as he pushes my negligee out
of the way with frenzied hands. His fingers find me bare and exposed with no
panties.
“So fucking’ dirty,” he groans, wetting his lips.
The Way Back Home is Carmen Jenner's latest standalone release. It doesn't connect with characters from any of her previous books.
I have to mention that as an Aussie author, Carmen captured southern charm really well here! Our Alabama characters were well written and easy to love.
We're met with Olivia, who is moving to a new town to expand her dog shelter. She trains dogs as service animals for PTSD veterans. She loves her job and is determined to make a difference in her new town and to the loves of the vets there. She's got trouble everywhere she turns,2 as the women of Magnolia Springs don't like the new girl and refuse to help when needed.
August is back in Magnolia Springs caring for his little sister after the sudden death of his parents. He's still recovering from his last tour of duty that led him to losing his leg and suffering from PTSD. He's bitter and hurt and has no idea Olivia has come to live at his family's B&B until she's knocking on his doorstep.
The Way Back Home is so much more than a romance novel. It hits on notes of depression, abuse, suicide, and PTSD with class and heart. It's a slow burn with a lot of angst but the story is just so good. From Olivia and August's tumultuous and inevitable relationship, to August's sweet little sister Bettina, and all the animals, every character plays an integral roll in this sweet and heartfelt story.
Author Bio
Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA Today and international bestselling author.Her dark romance, KICK (Savage Saints MC #1), won Best Dark Romance Read in the Reader’s Choice Awards at RWDU, 2015.
A tattoo enthusiast, hardcore makeup addict and zombie fangirl, Carmen lives on the sunny North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, where she spends her time indoors wrangling her two wildling children, a dog named Pikelet, and her very own man-child.
A romantic at heart, Carmen strives to give her characters the HEA they deserve, but not before ruining their lives completely first … because what’s a happily ever after without a little torture?
PUBLISHED TITLES TO DATE:
Welcome to Sugartown (Sugartown Series #1)
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