Title: Undercover in Venice Beach
Author: Melody DeBlois
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Book Blurb:
A plain-Jane trades places with her glamorous twin and reluctantly falls in love with a cook who is actually a British spy.
By trading places with her twin, Audrey Powell has the opportunity she’s always wanted, running her late mother’s teahouse. When she fails to create food that delights the palate, she hires Liam James—a sexy as sin Brit with a flair for cooking. He tries to seduce her with titillating dishes and his charm, but she’s vowed to steer clear of romance. Working undercover, Liam’s mission is to keep an eye on the teahouse. He poses as a chef to catch the traitor who is leaking UK security secrets. The last thing he wants to do is fall for a suspect, but when sparks fly, the romance starts to feel all too real.
Excerpt:
Liam pointed to the recipe, and when she reluctantly did as instructed, he said, “Add the wet butter and milk to the mix and beat until you get rid of the lumps.”
“Too bad I can’t rid myself of the lumps in my so-called life.”
“You’ll get them smoothed out.” He slid in back of her and took her hand, demonstrating the motion, tempting her to nestle against his chest. His Iron Man chest. “Just keep trying, luv.”
His being so near was torture. “Do I add the fruit now?”
“Aye, the cranberries. You can spot a bad one from the others because it shows a wrinkle.” He picked out a specimen, displaying it to her on his palm. “See, not unlike the line you get between your brows when you’re deep in thought.”
She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I do?”
He sent her an all-male grin. “Captivating, actually.”
He wiped flour from her face with a dishrag and plopped some cranberries in her mouth. She bit down, the tangy sweetness thrilling her taste buds, the sexy man challenging her vow to stay clear of him. But the very act of his helping her spoon the batter into tins pulled her deeper into his center, a universe composed of his culinary magic and kindness. His large hands and strong arms made her feel fragile and protected from the outside world. She remained there, a participant in sensations, till the bells over the entrance clanged together like dropped silverware.
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Author Biography:
Melody lives in Sacramento (the City of Trees). She writes romance novels. She's partial to poetry, sun, rain, strong coffee, and her writing room surrounded by books. Besides California, she and her late husband lived part-time in a condo in Oregon overlooking the Pacific. That gave her a love for beach towns and whale-watching and sunsets--all the things that inspire the Love is a Beach series. The writing process fascinates her, the alchemy of layering and developing characters, the tinkering with language. There's so much to treasure in the world: family, friends, and those random, everyday moments that make life grand. She hopes to give her readers all of that.
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