She started a new life … to trust him, but after all she’s been through, is trust even possible?
Jesse’s a self-made billionaire yearning to get away from his empty life and the money-hungry parasites who inhabit it.
The plan?
Go to sunny Australia, leaving his old life behind, to find himself. But instead of finding just himself, he finds Evie, who is everything anyone should aspire to be. Now, what he aspires to be, is hers.
But to be hers, he needs to tell her everything. The only thing holding him back is his fear of finding out she’s just another parasite.
The quest to find a cat a forever home leads them to travel across the country together. Will they find the strength to confide in each other? Or will the close quarters drive them apart?
Find out in this emotionally-charged contemporary romance that will give you all the feels.
This is a stand alone romance with medium heat
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This is my first time reading something by Ms. Terelst and I enjoyed it very much. It is a very touching and sweet story. If you’ve never been to Australia and have an urge to go, this book will certainly take you there. Ms. Terelst’s vivid descriptions bring you right into the heart of Melbourne. Evie and Jesse were a wonderful couple. Both had secrets they were keeping and I enjoyed watching them get through the challenges and trust each other so their relationship could grow. Well-developed characters, engaging storyline, make for the perfect “get-away” book from all the craziness going on these days. This was such a nice break from the every day chaos! I now have a new author to add to my favorites list. Thank you, Ms. Terelst, for such a delightful story!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I had a great time turning the pages on this book. The way the characters are developed they engaged me from the start.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Nice, short little read. You can’t go wrong with animals, billionaires, hot characters, and the looming threat of drop bears.
I wouldn’t call it a comedy but I would call it sweet. The story was engaging, easy to read, and well edited (only two mistakes). I did laugh several times and teared up a few too. While the drama could have been amped up by utilizing the issues in Evie and Jesse’s pasts it was none the less a charming tale which would make a perfect beach read.
This was a beautiful and heart warming story. I loved Evie because I could relate to her. Jessie also was a good guy. I found myself rooting for both of them. Plus this story had cats. I love stories that also include our furry friends.
Jesse’s trip to Australia was a chance to finally get away from anyone who knew of him, his money, and his abilities with numbers. Very few people actually like Jesse for himself and those that knew about what he could do, always took advantage. A weekend volunteering at a cat shelter was suppose to be Jesse’s idea of feeling closer to the one family member who never looked at Jesse or loved Jesse any differently. Instead he finds a beautiful woman who seems to put him at ease.
Evie hasn’t had an easy life. She left her past behind and has rebuilt her life in a way that she doesn’t see the need for anybody else in it. However, after she meets Jesse at the cat shelter feelings she thought long ago dead were rushing back at her. But given her past, Evie is scared and rightly so. So instead of giving in right away she builds more walls to protect herself.
When one of the oldest cats finally finds himself a forever home, Jesse and Evie are volunteered to take him to his new home, as well as taking a vacation while driving back. For Evie it was already getting hard to hold back with Jesse, but Jesse is ready to up his game and make Evie his. But to do that he’s got to finally come clean with who he is and hope Evie will see past his secrets to the man she got to know.
Cynthia Terelst brought us some amazing characters in this book and I enjoyed all of them. The interaction between Evie and Jesse is wonderful and the story of their relationship makes a person want more books just like this. This is a quick read for me and it was worth every minute.
I love books set in Australia
This is the first book I’ve read by Cynthia Terelst and I really enjoyed it. Evie and Jesse meet when he volunteers at the cat shelter. Jesse came to Australia from California. He’s keeping secrets, but then so is Evie. They grow closer the more time they spend working and hanging out with her friends. Will their secrets be revealed or will Jesse go home to America? I really liked reading about the different places and the different sayings in Australia. I really hope everyone reads this book and finds out how wonderful these characters are. If you enjoy reading romantic comedies, I recommend giving this book a read. I won’t leave any spoilers, but I will say this can be an emotional book in parts, but you’ll be laughing at other parts.
On my TBR list now. I’m betting this book is like what I think it is: entertaining and romantic!
Cynthia Terelst, ‘The Cat’s out of the Bag’.
As a Hidden Gems ARC reader I received a free copy of this book and promised an honest review. Here it is.
Rating: 4,5 (of 5 stars).
In general: A Cat Lovers Romance.
Main characters:
– Evie.
She lives in Melbourne. After a bad breakup with her dominating and abusive boyfriend she started a successful dog walk business and volunteered at a cat shelter one day a week.
– Jesse.
He’s a visitor from America.
Jesse has a very high IQ and a photographic memory. So at a very young age he made a lot of money as an investment advisor. To escape the stress and demands of greedy parents and acquaintances he takes a sabbatical and travels to Australia to do a lot of surfing and hiking.
Jesse meets Evie for the first time as a new volunteer at the cat shelter. She instructs him in caring for the animals and helps him to get used to the way of life in Australia.
Gradually they like each other more and more.
The author, Cynthia Terelst, describes with a lot of feeling and insight how both overcome their bad experiences from the past. In very credible details (without too many repeats) she tells the reader how – especially Evie – gains more and more confidence in trusting Jesse’s love and building a lasting relationship. And all with the fascinating Australian nature and the interesting differences in the Australian and American cultures as a backdrop. So I enjoyed the book very much.
R. Huiszoon.
They are both harboring secrets! When Jessie takes off to find himself, he never thought he would encounter the caliber of woman that he has when he meets Evie. She is everything he is looking for but will the secrets that they are hiding keep them apart? I enjoyed this story. It is easy identify with these two characters and I found myself cheering them on to make it to a happily ever after. I voluntarily agreed to receive an ARC of this book for an honest review.