Today, I have the gorgeous cover for Carrie Aarons
Blind Landing.
Check it out and add
it to your to-read list today and enter to win ARC & $10 Amazon gift card!
Blind Landing
Carrie Aarons
Release Date: August 4th
2016
Genre: Sports Romance
Fear stops dreams in their
tracks before they even have a chance. Then again, so do injuries.
Natalia Grekov was born to
win Olympic gold. As the USA’s top gymnast, she’s calm, confident and ready to
make her country proud in just two short months. And her elite athlete
lifestyle includes no time for distractions—especially men. When a disastrous
fall in practice puts her dreams at risk, it seems the only person who can help
her is the one person she wants nothing from.
Spencer Russell is
gymnastics’ bad boy. A cocky, laid-back charmer with abs of steel and a witty
mouth, he waltzes around the U.S. Gymnastics Training Camp like he owns the
place—even though he doesn't anymore. After an injury sidelined his career and
any chance at Olympic glory, he’s now just a coach, helping other gymnasts
reach their goals. Serious is not a word in Spencer’s vocabulary. But when
Natalia tumbles into his life, he's suddenly sincerely interested in helping
the blonde beauty in any way he can.
Can they vault over the
obstacles standing in their way? Or will Spencer be the distraction that causes
Natalia's chance at gold to crash and burn?
Gerek claps again and I
look over in his direction. “Thank you for being able to join us this morning,
Spencer.”
Turning towards the gym’s
front doors, I watch Spence. It’s still strange, rolling his shortened nickname
around in my mouth, but he insisted I call him that after I told him to call me
Nat, so here we are. He strolls in, clad in his typical wardrobe of sandals and
workout shorts.
And nothing else.
Jesus, he’s sexy. With all
of those carved-out-of-stone muscles and short brown buzz cut, it’s like he
should be in a Marines uniform instead of a chalk covered training center. He
looks like he just rolled out of bed three seconds ago, and I squirm in my
split. Which only adds to my building frustration as the carpet and my leotard
create friction below my waistline.
“Oh, no problem, boss.
Anything for you guys.” He gives a lopsided grin and jumps onto a stack of mats,
lounging with one elbow propping him up. It’s as if he’s posing for a
non-existent camera, like he’s the star model for a shoot in Gymnastics
Monthly.
Actually, I think he did
have a five-page spread a couple years back and I have it somewhere in my desk
at home.
“Grace, Julia, Natalia,
Peyton, Quinn and Lila … you are headed to the bars gym for the first part of
practice today. Spencer, Anka and I will be assessing the men on pommel horse
for the first part of the day, so you will be helping with the girl’s bar
workout.”
My stomach flips. Bars is
my best event, I’m not nervous about that. I could do my routine, which is one
of the hardest of anyone at Sikora’s, in my sleep.
But having Spence watching
me with those clover green eyes? Tracking my body as it spins and flies through
the air? It makes the butterflies in my stomach explode.
I know he likes me,
genuinely likes me. I know because he told me. And I genuinely like him too. We
also find each other hot, or else we wouldn’t have gotten naked together in the
Atlantic Ocean last night. That’s obvious.
But I don’t do boyfriends.
Especially not boyfriends who are gymnasts. And don’t even get me started on
the gymnast turned coach thing. Even if he isn’t my coach. Point is, I don’t
even do hookups. Sure, I have in the past, but most of the time I find that the
sex isn’t worth it and things just get awkward. Most would call me more adult
than my years in this thought-process, but being an elite athlete means having
to grow up fast. My biography might read nineteen, but I’ve been told I have
the maturity and life view of a thirty-year-old. Talk about being jaded.
The whole relationship
thing, no matter what form it’s in, is just too messy. And as much as I hate
the Sikora’s and everything they stand for, I need to focus to achieve my
goals. I’m not here to fulfill anyone else’s dreams, just my own.
I don’t have time for
Spencer Russell. And what’s more, I have a feeling Spencer Russell does not
have time, or serious interest, for me either.
Spence salutes Anka and
Gerek, taunting them and crossing the line just a little further than anyone
would dare where they’re concerned.
Then he turns to our
group. “Alright ladies, let’s get moving. Someone remind me again, what’s this
low bar for?”
The rest of our group
giggles and bats their eyes at Spencer, but I just roll mine. His humor about
the difference between the men’s high bar and the women’s uneven bars is the
oldest joke in the book.
“Why don’t you watch and
learn? We’ll show you what real gymnastics looks like.”
I skirt past him, pulling
my gym bag over my shoulder as I exit the building and head to one of the
countless warehouse buildings on the grounds that houses all of the bar
equipment. The rest of the girls push their way in after me, a sea of brightly
colored leotards, bare legs and ponytails.
Author of romance novels
such as Red Card and the Captive Heart Duet, Carrie Aarons writes sexy, swoony
and sarcastic characters who won't get out of her head until she puts them down
on a page.
Carrie has wanted to be an
author since the first time she opened a book. She loves spinning tales that
include dapper men, women with attitude, and the occasional hunky athlete.
When she isn't in what her
husband calls a "writing coma", Carrie is freeing up her jam-packed
DVR, starting her latest DIY project, or planning her next travel adventure.
She lives in New Jersey with her husband, who is more than happy to watch
sports while his wife plots love stories.
Love the cover. Enjoyed the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteToday's post is awesome, I enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDelete