“He was a man dying of thirst in the desert. And I was the oasis.”
Calvin’s quiet, orderly life is thrown into upheaval when he inherits a bookstore in Big Sur. Once a place famous for poetry readings and bohemian rebellion, the shop now teeters on the edge of bankruptcy. Desperate to keep the doors open on his grandfather’s legacy, the broody new owner agrees to play host to a fashion shoot on … owner agrees to play host to a fashion shoot on the property.
But he never expected her.
With her long, blonde waves and perfect model body, Lucia is outgoing, wildly popular, and has her entire career mapped out. Women like her don’t go for guys like him. But there’s something magical and mesmerizing about an old book shop filled with famous love stories.
When a storm traps the entourage in town, these polar opposites can’t fight their attraction anymore – and their flirting for the cameras becomes a night of unforgettable passion. She’s unleashed something inside Calvin, and he’s unlocking her desires one by one. Without the eyes of adoring fans and the endless notifications of Lucia’s popularity, they explore a secret romance punctuated by starry skies and provocative poetry.
But a dirty-talking, bookish boyfriend has no place in Lucia’s glamorous life. And the career she’s worked so hard to build will never survive a permanent disappearance to a town without internet access.
Someone is going to get hurt.
Author’s Note: Opposites attract when trapped together in this scorching hot standalone. One-click for a broody, bookish hero with a dirty mouth and a funny, gorgeous heroine starting to remember who she is outside the limelight. Romantic add-ons include a quirky small town, secret love poems, outdoor sexytimes on the California coast, and a happily ever after that will leave you smiling for days.
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I am so in love with Calvin AND Lucia. Him, I relate so much at every new page I was shouting YES, while Lucia is an exercise in duality. She is a shallow, materialistic narcissist…until you realize she is deep and thoughtful. And oooohh the chemistry between the two! I was reminded of so many old favorites I haven’t visited in years – EE Cummings, Jack Kerouac, Mary Oliver, Shel Silverstein. Such beautiful conversation I will be re reading many times over.
This story was recommended a few times in a fb group I’m in. I love this cover and the blurb sounded interesting so I wanted to give it a whirl. I really enjoyed the story and the writing is great.. I’m not a huge poetry fan, but I enjoyed reading what was in the book. Lucia and Cal are smokin’ hot together, I thought they had great chemistry. I’ve never read this author before and I’m so glad I picked it up. I’ll for sure check out her other books.
I am sitting here smiling as I try to write a review for this story. I loved absolutely everything about it and am kinda sad it’s over. One of my favourite reads this year.
Calvin is not your usual book hero but this is what made him so perfect for me. Can anyone say Nerdy Alpha. Yum!! My hubby wants to thank the author for the surprise attack this story caused when he got home from work
Lucia is a character I quickly warmed to and I really enjoyed the journey she undertook in this story. Smart, beautiful and funny as hell – she’s someone I could see myself going on a girls night with.
The imagery of the book store and the surrounding Big Sur countryside is so well portrayed I felt like I was there. And don’t even get me started on the poetry discussions throughout the book. My poetry loving heart was bursting with happiness. I loved the way Kathryn shared the romance of poetry and book references and I hope some readers seek out these poems in their entirety because they are truly special.
Wow…..let me start by saying, I’m not sure what I expected from this story. Didn’t read the blurb, just read it after hearing such amazing things about it. And the story did not disappoint. It was wonderful. Such a beautiful story of discovering love in an unusual circumstance. On first glance, Calvin and Lucia could not be more different. Lucia, a gorgeous supermodel. Calvin, a self-described computer nerd. Underneath all of that, was a shared love of writing, poetry, and a need for something just a little different. I was hooked from the beginning and I could not put the book down once I started.
This was my first book from this author and it will definitely not be my last. I absolutely enjoyed this story – can’t wait to read more about Josie & Gabe 🙂
The story of Lucia and Cal is amazing! Very well written with just the right amount of heat! There’s an excellent chemistry between all of the characters. I’ve never wanted to visit Big Sur as much as I do right now.
I highly recommend this book!
LOVE THIS BOOK! The way KN writes really transported me to Big Sur and made me feel like I was experiencing the landscapes and The Mad Ones firsthand. The story is full of beautiful words, and is eloquently written to convey complex feelings of love and loss and I really feel like the reader gets to be a part of Cal repairing his semi-broken relationship with his grandfather after his death. The whole book was authentic and the excerpts of journal entries and poetry really add to the story. Last, the sexy stuff, the way KN portrays these scenes is amazing in that you can feel Cal and Lucia being dominant forces towards each other but it wasn’t ever too over the top or too rough and it just felt right and totally romantic.