The Rebound Effect by Linda Griffin is a Beach Read Event pick #99cents #99c #beachread #giveaway
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  • N. N. Light
    • Jul 20, 2023
    • 5 min read

The Rebound Effect by Linda Griffin is a Beach Read Event pick #99cents #99c #beachread #giveaway



Title:The Rebound Effect


Author: Linda Griffin


Genre: Psychological Thriller


Book Blurb:


In the small town of Cougar, struggling single mother and veterinary assistant Teresa Lansing is still bruised from a failed relationship when Frank McAllister sweeps her off her feet. Frank is a big-city SWAT officer who moved to Cougar only four months ago. He's handsome, charming, forceful, very sexy, and a bit mysterious. He had his eye on Teresa even before they met and is pushing for a serious relationship right away. Teresa finds his intense courtship flattering, and the sex is fabulous, but she doesn't want her deaf six-year-old son to be hurt again. Her former fiancé cheated on her when he got drunk after being unjustly fired, but he loves her and her son, and the whirlwind romance is complicated by his efforts to win Teresa back. And then there's the matter of the bodies buried at Big Devil Creek…


Excerpt:


They were able to check in right away. The hotel stretched along the shoreline, three floors high and only one room wide, so every room had an ocean view. Their room was on the second floor, and it was large and comfortable, with two queen beds, a fireplace with a TV mounted above it, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a plush couch and chairs. The western wall was largely glass, with sliding doors leading to a balcony overlooking the beach. Frank slid back the small window above them to let in the soothing sound of the surf.


“Which bed do you want?” he asked. Teresa indicated the one nearest the door.


“Are you sure? This one is closer to the view.”


“This one is closer to the bathroom,” she said. She put her bag on the bed and checked out the bathroom. It was very nice, with a deep tub and deluxe shower head. The whole arrangement was cozier than she had expected, with a slightly rustic charm, and it made her feel a little more relaxed. She went back for her bag and said, “I’ll change in the bathroom.”


She put on her denim shorts and halter top, slathered on sunscreen, and studied herself critically in the mirror. Her shoulders and legs were too pale, and she had put on a few pounds since high school. She had never minded before; she wouldn’t want to be some anorexic stick. Brett had liked her the way she was—at least until he succumbed to Lacey Norman’s more voluptuous charms.


When she came out of the bathroom, Frank was wearing swimming trunks and putting on sunscreen. He looked at her and smiled. “Oh, I like that,” he said. “I think it’s more becoming than a bikini.” He held out the tube. “Do my back, and I’ll do yours?”


She spread the fragrant cream on his back and shoulders, feeling the firm, well-defined muscles beneath. He was altogether too attractive with this much bare skin showing. When she was done, she turned around and let him return the favor. He accomplished the task quickly and almost impersonally, but it made her feel little shivers of pleasure.


As they went out, she couldn’t resist taking a last look at herself in the full-length mirror near the door, and he said, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”


The beach access was only steps away from the hotel, down an easy flight of stairs. The sand was thick and warm and then, farther out, packed hard and pleasantly damp under their bare feet. They walked down to the water’s edge to test the temperature—it was cold enough to be invigorating. At first they only waded along the edge, the small waves breaking around their ankles, but soon enough they were splashing each other and laughing. Teresa meant to just get her feet wet, but in no time at all she was soaked and conscious of her shorts and top clinging to her skin. They gradually ventured farther out. Teresa was a strong swimmer, and she wasn’t afraid, but it occurred to her this was a metaphor—she was getting in deeper and deeper.


When they were tired of the water, they sat on the rocks and let the sun dry their clothes. The beach was not crowded, but there were plenty of people around. Families, couples, lone joggers, and groups of young people passed where they sat. He pointed out an unusual group of rock formations about half a mile away and suggested they walk up the beach to look at them.


They ambled slowly, hand in hand, talking about inconsequentials. A young Asian couple stopped them and asked if they would take their picture with the ocean in the background. Frank took the camera, snapped the picture, and engaged them in conversation about the camera’s features. “Would you recommend it?” he asked. “My lady might be in the market for a new one.”


My lady. She was still having a little trouble processing the offhand reference when he took her hand and they moved on. They stopped again when a group of boys throwing a football around let it get away from them. Frank scooped it up and kicked it back to them with impressive control. “Is there anything you aren’t good at?” she asked.


He looked at her, surprised, and then smiled. “Yes, but I’m trying not to let you find out about them.”


“Why?” she asked. “I wouldn’t want you to be perfect.”


The rock formations were indeed interesting, bigger at the top than at the base, where the waves had eroded them. They encountered a lot of driftwood and seaweed and no other people, so the spot had a very appealing wild beauty.


By the time they made their way back, the marine layer was beginning to drift in, and the beach was nearly deserted. They walked more slowly than before, and Frank draped his arm around Teresa’s shoulders and pulled her close. “Everything okay?” he asked.


“Lovely,” she said. “Thank you.”


“What would you like to do for dinner? The hotel restaurant is good—not too fancy—or we could try somewhere else, or call room service.”


“Whatever you want,” she said again.


“Let’s do room service,” he decided. “And go out for breakfast. Or would you prefer breakfast in bed?”


“No,” she said, “room service sounds fine. Breakfast is my favorite meal to eat out.”


He was more pleased than surprised. “Me too.”


“We may be passing the great compatibility test,” she joked.


Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):


The Rebound Effect will be on sale for $0.99 (an 80% discount) until July 26th.







The sale price does not pertain to GooglePlay.



What makes your featured book a must-read?


It’s not just the currently discounted price or the fact that crucial plot developments take place at the beach that make The Rebound Effect a perfect beach read. Long and Short Reviews advised, “Just go pick up a copy and find out for yourself why this book is one of a kind,” and N.N. Light’s Book Heaven said, “If you’re looking for a suspenseful romantic thriller with a clear message for women everywhere, pick up The Rebound Effect today.”


Giveaway –


Enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card:



Open Internationally.


Runs July 17 – July 25, 2023.


Winner will be drawn on July 26, 2023.



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