REVIEW – WORDS I COULDN’T SAY (Promise in Prose, #1) by Tessa Teevan

November 22, 2016November 22, 2016Leave a comment

SYNOPSIS

To cope with the loss, I put pen to paper and wrote her a love story, knowing when she was ready she’d hear the words I couldn’t say all those years ago.

Turned out, not only would she hear them, but when Hollywood came calling, I made sure she got the lead role. After all, no one else could portray the character whom she’d inspired.
Now she’s within arms’ reach and finally, she’ll know the truth in my heart.

Because that other cliché, “Actions speak louder than words?”
I’m going to prove it.
My words may have brought Ava Banks back into my life; I have to be enough to make her stay.

*****Patty’s Review*****

*****FOUR STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}

He’d crept back into my heart and repossessed the place he’d never actually left, consuming me wholly as we’d been unable to do before. But there was still some small part of me that wondered if it was too good to be true.

For those of you who have read the Explosive series from the beginning, you will have met little Ava Banks when she was a mere toddler. The little niece of Lexi and Jace McAllister was quite a scene stealer. With every additional book, Ava never lost her sweet charm even as she got older. Now at the age of twenty-three, we get her story and it’s one that is beyond steamy and is very much made of the love we know mainly exists in fairy tales. This story has the Friends to Lovers, In Love With The Boy Next Door, and Second Chance Romance tropes. I have to just give a standing ovation to Tessa Teevan because she wrote one of the most sexiest scenes I have ever read in a book to date. I am referring to the office sex scene!! HAWT!!!!

Ava Banks and Tucker Manning have been the best of friends since they were conceived. Their mothers were best friends and neighbors. From childhood till senior year of High School their relationship was strictly platonic. That all changed on Prom Night when Ava finally realized she had feelings for Tucker that went way passed platonic. Ava makes her move and Tucker is immediately reciprocating her advances. Tucker admits that he’s been in love with her for quite some time and had been waiting for her to wake up. They spend the summer together and make plans to go off to college in California. Ava wants to become an actress and has been accepted to UCLA. Tucker has dreams of becoming a journalist and was accepted to USC. But one horrible tragic night changes their plans for the future and ends up separating the two for five years.

Five years later, Ava is living in California and is a professional actress. But time nor distance has caused her love to diminish in the least bit for Tucker. Ava has held on to her heartbreak all these years later. She’s never gotten involved with any man, nor has she had sex with anyone else because in her heart there is only one man for her—Tucker. One day she gets a call from her agent. A huge Hollywood movie director is filming a movie adaptation of a best-selling romance novel and he wants Ava for the leading actress role. The thing is, it’s to be filmed in her hometown in Ohio, a place she has avoided for the past several years because the pain from Tucker avoiding her had been too much for her to handle. What she doesn’t know is the novel was written for her by Tucker. It’s a spin on their story and it’s his grand gesture to get her to come back home and to him.

When Ava returns, she and Tucker run into each other almost immediately and there’s no denying the intense feelings and attraction are still very much alive between them. Soon they are taking their relationship to the physical level and what a coincidence, Tucker has also held on to his V-Card!!! As they spend more time together their feelings only intensify. But it’s not all smooth sailing for the happy couple. Tucker is plagued by the fear that Ava will leave him again and he knows he won’t survive it a second time. Ava seems to think that Tucker doesn’t want to try having a serious relationship because she abandoned him when he needed her the most.

Will they be able to get passed their insecurities and fight for the love that they were always destined to have? Now that Tucker has the freedom to leave his life in Ohio, will he follow Ava back to Hollywood or will she make Ohio her permanent home base?

WORDS I COULDN’T SAY is currently available and it can be read as a standalone.

Amazon – http://amzn.to/2g3vj9E

*****Mel’s Review*****

4 Stars!
(ARC provided by author)

Ava Banks is a 23 yr. woman from Cincinnati, Ohio. We first met Ava in Ignite as a toddler & she is the daughter of Jeremy & Sierra Banks. Ava grew up next door to the Manning family & was best friends with Tucker Manning since they were born. Their moms were best friends, and Tucker & Ava were inseparable. When they are 18 their relationship turns romantic & they realize their love for one another has grown and evolved.

Ava has dreamed of being an actress since she was little. She plans to attend college at UCLA & major in film. Tucker also plans to attend college in California, but something happens to derail his plans & their lives go in different directions. Suddenly Ava has to make a choice. Stay with Tucker, or leave him to follow her dreams. She leaves him behind to go become a star & doesn’t see him for the next five years.

Ava thought time would heal her heart, but no matter how much time passed, her heart still ached for the boy she left behind. She has become an actress, but remained lonely & forever missed her soul mate. Time & distance did nothing to diminish her feelings. She still longed for the boy she walked away from.

She wanted him back, so when she’s offered the dream role to star in a film in her hometown, she’s thrilled. She heads home hoping she can win back the love of her life & have a second chance with him. She decides she won’t give up without a fight.

Ava has no clue Tucker is responsible for her return to Cincinnati. He is behind it all & wrote a novel pouring his heart out to her. It’s his story that is being made into a film in Cincinnati. He’s never stopped loving Ava & still wants a future with her. Is there too much hurt between them, or can Tucker & Ava find their way back to each other?

-“I love you. I’ve always loved you. I will always love you.”

-“My heart was always with you. It always will be.”

-“This time, its forever.”

LIVE – WORDS I COULDN’T SAY – by Tessa Teevan

November 22, 2016November 22, 2016Leave a comment

Title: Words I Couldn’t Say

Series: Promise in Prose #1

Author: Tessa Teevan

Release Date: Nov 22, 2016

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Photo Credit: Sara Eirew Photography

You know the old adage “if you love something, set it free?”
It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.
The dumbest thing I’ve ever done.
I loved her. I lost her. Hell, I let her go. And then spent five miserable years without her.
To cope with the loss, I put pen to paper and wrote her a love story, knowing when she was ready she’d hear the words I couldn’t say all those years ago.
Turned out, not only would she hear them, but when Hollywood came calling, I made sure she got the lead role. After all, no one else could portray the character whom she’d inspired.
Now she’s within arms’ reach and finally, she’ll know the truth in my heart.
Because that other cliché, “Actions speak louder than words?”
I’m going to prove it.
My words may have brought Ava Banks back into my life; I have to be enough to make her stay.

WRAPPED UP IN READING’s REVIEW OF WORDS I COULDN’T SAY

The air around us was silent save for the crickets chirping off in the distance. The cool Cincinnati breeze nipped at my skin while I waited for his reaction. When I’d started writing this novel, it had been an ode to my past love. My past life. But then it’d taken on a life of its own and become so much more. Which had made it that much more poignant. That much harder to fathom the one word that’d been haunting me for years.

Goodbye.

At long last, he turned to the final page and sucked in a breath. My stomach twisted in knots because he was about to read the end. And I didn’t know how he’d interpret it. Half scared he’d tell me that I’d lost my mind and no one would ever want to read this story, especially with that ending.

He didn’t make me wait long. As his head slowly rose, I was taken aback at the tears shining in his usually cheerful eyes. This man, who had always been like a second father to me, had been reduced to tears by my words. My words. Words we both knew for whom they were meant. And, instead of calling me a fool or attempting to kill me, he watched me with tearful appreciation, switching between nodding and shaking his head as if trying to process it all.

I didn’t know how to react, so I simply stared at him, waiting for him to say something. Anything.

He closed the manuscript and set it on the table in front of us before taking a long swig from his whiskey glass. I followed suit and enjoyed the smoky burn that did little to soothe my nerves.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered, his eyes locking in on mine. “Tucker. You did it. You fucking did it,” he whispered, seemingly unashamed of his emotional display.

I nodded, the same emotion welling up inside me when I remembered the ending of my first novel. So many love stories begin with the girl who got away. Mine wasn’t any different. Not only in my novel, but in real life as well. Ava Banks was, and always would be, that girl for me. But, instead of slipping through my fingers, she’d made the conscious decision to leave. And, like most dumbass men, I’d let her. Hell, I’d pushed her away. I’d regretted it ever since.

But, now, I was hoping like hell I could get the second chance Trevor did. Hoping like hell my story would turn out differently than his. But, either way, I was putting myself out there, as terrifying as that was. She finally, finally would hear the words I couldn’t say all those years ago.

Now, I just had to wait to see what she’d do about it.

Tessa Teevan is a twenty-something book junkie who is also obsessed with sports. Bengals, Buckeyes, Reds are who she spends her time rooting for. She’s a research analyst by day, reads/writes by night, and is married to a guy 15 inches taller than her, making them quite the pair! They currently reside just outside of Dayton, OH with two adorably grumpy cats.

If she’s not writing or scouring through tons of photos of hot men, all in the name of research, then you can probably find her curled up with her Kindle, ignoring the rest of the world. She loves her sports almost as much as she loves her books. Her other obsessions include red wine, hot men, rock music, and all things Corey Taylor.

She adores hearing from readers, so please feel free to contact via any social media site listed below.

LIVE – THE COMPLETE EXPLOSIVE SERIES by Tessa Teevan

October 18, 2016October 18, 2016Leave a comment

Title: Explosive Series Box Set

Author: Tessa Teevan

Release Date: Oct 18, 2016

Cover Photo by Eric Battershell Photography

Cover Model: Andrew Cleveland

Cover Designer: Robin Harper at Wicked by Design

Teasers Created By: Michelle Tan at Four Chicks Flipping Pages and Robin Harper at Wicked by Design

For the first time ever, all five stories in the Explosive series have been packaged into one hot box set and will only be available for a limited time. Pre-Order for just 99 cents! The price will increase on release day, so don’t miss out on the sale!

Fall in love with the entire gang in the Explosive series! Each standalone romance contains saucy heroines, sexy heroes, and a whole lot of love between the pages. Enjoy five incredible stories whose pages are loaded with passionate love, burning desire, and a whole lot of steam! Second chance romance, friends with benefits, surprise pregnancy, marriage of convenience, and laugh out loud friends to lovers, what more could you want?

Ignite, #1

Alexa Sullivan-Tate, a young widow, and Jace McAllister, her first love, reconnect in this passionate second-chance romance. But when love has slipped through your fingertips before, how can you trust it will once again remain? They loved and lost before, but can they dispel the ghosts of the past and discover a new future?

Incinerate, #2

Sparks fly and tempers flare when Charlie Davenport, a feisty brunette, crosses paths with wounded warrior, Knox Wellington. Their chemistry is undeniable, but the chip on his shoulder threatens to destroy any hope of him wooing the sweet, southern volunteer send to help with his rehabilitation. Head butts, patience is tested, and flames of passion ignite as they dance around their mutual attraction, both jaded from broken pasts. Will they finally be able to get over the pain of the past or will their relationship be reduced to ashes before it can actually begin?

Inflame, #3

For sexy soldier Kale Montgomery and sweet, sassy schoolteacher Lucy Dawson, love was never in the cards. Their relationship, though unconventional, is mutually beneficial. One fateful night changes their lives forever in ways they could never imagine, giving them the push to admit that maybe, just maybe, they want more than they let on. Will Kale and Lucy realize what they’ve been waiting for is each other, or will the whirlwind of their romance cause the passion to burn out too quickly, causing it all to go up in smoke?

Intoxicate, #4

Kalli Montgomery never expected to propose to Xavier Cruz, even though she’s been in love with the sexy, single father for as long as she can remember. He never expected to accept, but when circumstance threatens to take his daughter from him, he’ll do whatever it takes, even if it means marrying a woman he doesn’t love. This marriage of convenience has one rule: absolutely no falling in love. Easier said than done. Throw together a girl who believes rules are meant to be broken, and a man whose entire career revolves around following orders, you get a recipe for disaster. What could possibly go wrong?

Fusion, #5

Where do babies come from? The question every parent dreads hearing has finally fallen from the lips of six-year-old Ava Banks, the curious, precocious daughter of high school sweethearts, Jeremy and Sierra. Normally blunt as can be, they find themselves struggling to find the right words to answer her. So instead, they rewind sixteen years to that one fateful day where a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven inevitably led to life-long romance filled with laughter, love, and many, many mishaps along the way.

Falling in love with your best friend? It's the most incredible thing in the world. As long as it lasts. When the world comes crashing down around you, can even the strongest relationship withstand great tragedy?

“Sorry, sweetheart, but you’re going to have to hit a lot harder than that to leave a mark on my skin,” he prods, further irritating me, causing me to ball my hand into a fist again, ready to accept his challenge.

“Let’s get a couple of things straight here, asshole. First of all, when I introduced myself to you last night, did I say, ‘Hey, sexy, I’m Charlotte. I want a good fuck and you look just like the guy to give it to me’? Well, did I?” I ask, seething with anger as he hesitates to answer me. Sure, I may have thought about his lips on my skin, but I never would’ve gone home with him on the first night, no matter what Lucy advised me to do.

He blinks at me, looking from my fist to my face. “Uh…no?”

“Exactly, so you can forget that whole part of your argument, but thank God you’re so fucking noble that you won’t sleep with another man’s woman. Seriously. Fucking kudos. I’ll have to get you a cookie for that.” He snorts, and I glare at him, shutting him up.

“So second of all, did you ever ask if I have a boyfriend? Not that it should matter to you since you blew me off when I simply told you my name, but did you ever ask if I had a boyfriend?”

Again, I get a blank stare before he lets out another, “No.”

“So then ask me.”

He clears his throat before he asks the question. “Charlotte, do you have a boyfriend?”

Giving him a sweet smile that’s still laced with venom, I answer him. “No, Knox, for your information, I do not have a boyfriend. I did, however, have a fiancé until a couple of months ago. It looks like we have one thing in common. I, like you, cannot stand cheaters.”

Tessa is a twenty-something book junkie who’s obsessed with sports and cycling. She’s been married to her own book boyfriend for nearly ten years whose traits often show up in her books. If she’s not writing or looking through tons of photos of hot men, all in the name of research, then you can probably find her curled up with my Kindle, ignoring the rest of the world. She loves my sports almost as much as she loves her books. Her other obsessions include red wine, hot men, country music, and all things Grace Potter.

COVER REVEAL – WORDS I COULDN’T SAY by Tessa Teevan

October 12, 2016October 12, 2016Leave a comment

Title: Words I Couldn’t Say

Series: Promise in Prose #1

Author: Tessa Teevan

Photo Credit: Sara Eirew Photography

Cover Designer: Robin Harper at Wicked By Design

Release Date: Nov 22, 2015

Add to Goodreads

I knew life wasn’t that simple. It wasn’t that easy. It was messy and unforgiving, relentless in the hands it dealt. Just when you thought everything was perfect, the universe decided you didn’t deserve such happiness and then ruined it. My parents were an anomaly. Don’t get me wrong. I loved them, and knew how fortunate it was they’re still blissfully in love after all those years together. Grossly in love at times. The amount of PDA I’d witnessed in my own household would put the kids in my high school to shame. I never thought I’d have a love like theirs, though. I never thought I’d want it.

Because finding your soulmate in high school? That’s like waiting for lightning to strike in the same spot twice. In other words, it wasn’t going to happen for this girl, even if my life was paralleling theirs a little too close for comfort.

Tucker, my best friend and the boy next door since childhood, was always a little too close for comfort. Except he wasn’t too close. He was exactly where I wanted him to be. Or well. He had been until I pushed him away.

They say history is bound to repeat itself—I said no way. But, sometimes, you can’t fight nature. And the way he made—and still makes—me feel? It’s the most natural feeling in the world. It’s like home. Comfortable. Cozy. And I wanted to wrap myself up in it and bask in the warmth in my heart.

And then his parting words seeped back in.

“I’m not your dad, Ava. I’m not chasing you until you realize we’re meant to be together. If you choose to leave, you’re doing so knowing exactly what you’re giving up.”

And then I make the biggest mistake of my life.

I left.

Tucker was not my dad.

He let me.

Tucker hadn’t lied. He didn’t chase me. He didn’t call. He didn’t write. And when I returned home from college for winter or summer break that first year, he was nothing but a ghost. Even though I didn’t like to admit it, I spent long, lonely nights staring at his window, wishing, hoping, praying the light would turn on and I could gather up the courage to go over to see him.

It never did.

So I stopped going home.

Unfortunately, that didn’t halt the pain.

They say hindsight’s a bitch, but that’s an understatement. Hindsight is a never-ending agonizing torture, always burning under the surface, receding until you’re on the brink of healing, then flaring up to envelope you in flames all over again.

It was true. Over the course of the next five years, I went through a cycle. Anger (mostly at myself, a little at him). Melancholy riddled with rife loneliness. Determination, telling myself I’d get my shit together and get over the guy once and for all. But then something would happen to have the house of cards falling down all around me. I’d get a hint of his favorite aftershave, and I’d burst into tears, wishing the scent was due to him holding me in his arms, telling me everything was okay. Or I’d get drunk and go to my Ugly Girl Cry playlist, followed up by listening to Clarence Carter’s Strokin’ while simultaneously laughing my ass off and bawling my eyes out. Sometimes I’d begin with laughing, but within sixty seconds, I was crying, reminded of how ridiculous Tucker looked the first time he sang the song at karaoke—courtesy of my father, of course. Not only did I sound like a drowned cat; I had the appearance of one, too.

And then that was when it was the words. The reminder of how much Tucker was like my dad. How much I wanted to be like my mom. But unlike her, I was a coward.

So that was my cycle. Pain. Regret. Anger. Melancholy. Determination. Heartache.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat. For five long years. All the while wondering what he was doing, but never mustering up the courage to find out.

Yeah, I was a coward, indeed.