Gina Rae Mitchell

Backup Offer by Liz Crowe | Review – Excerpt – $20 Giveaway

A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me the information for this tour.

Book Details

Backup Offer by Liz Crowe
Series: Stewart Realty #9
Published by Buoni Amici Press LLC on July 13, 2021
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Contempoary Romance, Family Life, Humorous, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Saga
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 212

An ex-boyfriend, his massive dog, her house, and no hotel room in sight. What could go wrong?

After Blair ended things with Brandis, she was determined to get away--and stay away from him for good. She put family, friends, and the life she knew in Michigan in her rearview mirror and started over. As owner and head chef of her own place in Louisville, she stays plenty busy, especially since “Blair’s Kitchen” is the darling of the restaurant scene. She’s managed to avoid Michigan for almost a decade, but when her best friend needs her help, she drops everything and heads home.

Brandis has spent the last ten years coming to terms with addiction, personal tragedy, and the loss of the woman he loved. He’s now the third generation to run his family’s construction business, and he’s managed to reconstruct tattered relationships with his family. He’s even adopted a dog, thanks to some donated renovation time spent at an animal shelter. He’s got everything he needs—except for one thing.

When the contractor she paid to build her restaurant’s expansion vanishes, leaving her with a giant mess, Blair only hesitates a moment before calling Brandis for help. But when he rushes to her side to evaluate the crisis, there isn’t an available room in a twenty-mile radius. So they settle into a routine—her, her one-time boyfriend, and his giant, slobbering dog in her small house. It doesn’t take long for the temptation of close proximity to give way, and while Blair tries to keep it all physical, Brandis has other ideas.

Source: Goddess Fish Promotions, Received from the author or publisher for review.

 

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Purchase Links for Backup Offer

Amazon     Amazon UK     Bookshop/IndieBound

Kobo    iTunes     The Book Depository

Waterstones

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Excerpt from Backup Offer

“He’s doing really well, Blair.”

She froze, her jaw locked, her heart pounding in her ears. “Don’t,” she squeaked out.

“Seriously, I think that…well, I think you guys should…”

“Don’t you dare, Gabriel Freitag.” She kept her voice as level as she could manage. “You are one of the reasons I left, one of the main reasons. I couldn’t bear to keep watching him fail, and to keep watching you watch me, you know?” Her voice cracked. She could hardly believe she was even having this conversation, after all these years all these words went unsaid. “Don’t you fucking dare.”

“I know, I know, but listen, hear me out. He’s really…great right now. His company is gangbusters. He’s added this whole, I don’t know, a handyman thing he calls it the Honey Do Crew. And he’s mentoring at-risk kids out of juvi, hiring them for scut work, and making sure they get good supervision so they can get job experience. He…he got a dog, Blair.”

The look in her brother’s eyes broke her already fragile heart. Brandis Gordon. He was the Great Unspoken Mistake of her young life. The thing that had come between her, her parents, her brother, her friends. He’d been a golden boy, rising star football player, stellar student, handsome son of attractive, successful parents who happened to be her own parents’ best friends. They’d celebrated nearly every single holiday together, travelled and vacationed as a giant, rowdy group, partied together for birthdays, parental anniversaries, graduations, the works.

Until she and Brandis had gone and fallen for each other in the way only teenagers could—fully, and with the sort of gusto and conviction that had, at first, been the one thing she’d lived for. Then he had fallen apart on so many different levels and in so many different ways. She shuddered with the force of memory and held up both hands.

“Gabe, please don’t ever do that to me again. I left him, and my home, my family, behind on purpose. Because I had to do it. Brandis and I will never be anything but a memory. Period. I have to get some sleep.” She whirled on her heel and marched into the bathroom in the hallway, slammed the door, leaned her back against it, and slid to the floor, tears rolling down her cheeks.

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My thoughts on Backup Offer

This is the first book I have read from Liz Crowe. I didn’t realize this was the final book in a series when I agreed to review it. It didn’t make a bit of difference. Backup Offer works wonderfully as a stand-alone novel.

Blair and Brandis are perfect as star-crossed lovers desperately seeking a second chance. Their lives have been on hold for 10 long years and they finally grow and heal enough to try to set things right.

There are so many intriguing characters in this book. I can’t wait to go back and see hall many of them have their own stories in previous books. I was hooked on this saga from the opening pages.

I have to mention one of my favorite characters. Tiny, the not so tiny dog, stole my heart. I love a great dog in a romantic tale. It adds so much depth and caring to the story.

The pacing was good throughout the book. While the storyline could be complex at times, it was never confusing.

If romance and angst mixed with laugh out loud humor is your favorite type of book, you will love Backup Offer.

I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

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Giveaway!

Liz Crowe will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner
via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit more stops on the tour for extra chances to win!

August 31: Bibliomanaic Aza
September 7: Sandra’s Book Club
September 7: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
September 14: Gina Rae Mitchell
September 21: Harlie’s Books
September 21: Notes From a Romantic’s Heart

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Purchase Backup Offer online from a local book store.

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