“Whoa there,” Bree whispered shakily. “This is a church dance.”

Her words seemed to bring him back from whatever land he’d been teleported to. “Right,” he rasped. “We’re supposed to be setting an example.”

“Yes.”

“So I should definitely stop thinking about sucking on your lower lip.”

Bree’s thighs pressed together, her gasping inhale shivering all the way down into her tummy. Lower. “Stop that right now.”

His gaze remained zeroed in on her mouth. “Stop thinking about it or saying it out loud?”

“Both.” Trying desperately to remain indignant in the face of that face—and that drawl, those muscles, his familiar scent—Bree warned him with a look. “You said we were going to be friends. There’s nothing the least bit friendly about lip sucking.”

“I don’t know.” He hummed in his throat and tightened his hold around her waist. “Seems like letting me do it would be mighty friendly of you.”

Bree tamped down a laugh. “Friendly or stupid?”

“Stupid?” Kyler frowned. “Why?”

“Because we both know where it leads.”
Shit almighty. How had it come to this? She was plastered against her ex-boyfriend—whom she’d yet to shake completely. He looked delicious enough to eat, and now they were having a conversation about sex. And—and—she was wearing her feel- good dress. The one she wore when her hair was down and everything was shaved and waxed. Had she primped because Kyler was back in town? It was too infuriating to speculate on.

“You’re getting pretty worked up down there, supergirl.”

Amazing story!

Second-chance romances aren’t my usually cup of tea, but Bree and Kyler have enchanted me.

“Too Close To Call” by Tessa Bailey is a short-novel, part of the 1,001 Dark Nights, but is as good as a full-lenght novel, written in an absolutely perfect way: a romantic story full of passion that makes you dream.

The novel is also part of the “Romancing the Clarkson” series, but can be read as a stand-alone story. I didn’t read the previous books, but I knew the author, I love her stories and even this time she did very good.

The plot of this story is simple and nice, Kyler and Bree grew up in a small town and were the school sweethearts throughout the senior period. He was a young talented American football player, with a certain future in the NFL. Bree was a simple girl who didn’t like to be in the spotlight, very attached to her daddy and her family. Her responsibilities to them after her mother’s leaving had pushed her to break her story with Kyler, giving up their dreams of future together and breaking his heart.

Kyler has never forgotten her, to say the truth, none of them started a new life with someone else.

What makes this story special to me?

Kyler is amazing! His determination to change Bree’s mind, to win her heart and start his future with her by his sode. The way he isn’t afraid to admit his need for her, how he has planned everything to perfection, without giving her the chance to say no.

The connection between them is incredible, their bond strong as ever. I loved how they can “read” from small signs what the other one is thinking, the fire burning between them and the depth of their feelings.

Pure romance. I like to find all these things in the characters of a story. This is the magic I crave when I read a romance, and I love to see when people meant to be together, broke their story, but can’t live without each other. It’s a dream, the dream you want to come true, when you fall in love with someone.

Tessa Bailey’s TOO CLOSE TO CALL – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

June 14th

All Romance Reviews – Review & Excerpt

Booked All Night – Review & Excerpt

For the Love of Bookends – Review

Gi’s Spot Reviews – Review & Excerpt

My Book Filled Life – Review & Excerpt

Naughty Girls and Their Books – Review & Excerpt

That’s What I’m Talking About – Review & Excerpt

Whatever You Can Still Betray – Excerpt

June 15th

Booknerd1107 – Review & Excerpt

Happily Ever After Book Reviews – Review

I Love Romance – Review & Excerpt

JordansBookReviews – Excerpt

Literary Misfit – Excerpt

Mama Likes to Read Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Read-Love-Blog – Excerpt

The Readdicts – Review & Excerpt

June 16th

Books,Dreams,Life – Excerpt

Four Chicks Flipping Pages – Review

Lightning City Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

My Girlfriends Couch – Review & Excerpt

Ramblings From This Chick – Review & Excerpt

Reese’s Reviews – Review & Excerpt

TBQ’s Book Palace – Review

Wickedcoolflight – Review & Excerpt

June 17th

Book Angel Booktopia – Review & Excerpt

Booklovers For Life – Review & Excerpt

Caroline Jane Reads – Excerpt

Dog-Eared Daydreams – Review

Mary @ USA Today’s Happy Ever After – Review

Nicole’s Book Musings – Excerpt

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt

June 18th

A crazy vermonters book reviews – Review

Bad boys and bedtime stories book blog – Review

Bridget’s Book Bungalow – Review

Drunk On a Book – Review & Excerpt

Love Notes Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Readers Retreats – Excerpt

June19th

A Taste of Sin – Excerpt

Bobo’s Book Bank – Review & Excerpt

Bookishly Yours – Review

Coffee Books Life – Review & Excerpt

I’m A Book Shark – Excerpt

JOJO THE BOOKAHOLIC – Review & Excerpt

Novel Addiction – Review

Oh My Growing TBR – Review & Excerpt

Romance Reviews and More – Review & Excerpt

June 20th

Becky on Books – Review & Excerpt

Book Reader Chronicles – Review & Excerpt

Dirty Girl Romance – Review

Nice Ladies, Naughty Books – Review

Pardon My Blurb – Review & Excerpt

Total Book Geek – Review & Excerpt

Vi3tbabe – Review & Excerpt

June 21st

Alpha Book Club – Review

Bookaliciousbabes blog – Review & Excerpt

Crystal’s Chaotic Confessions – Excerpt

Feel the Book – Review & Excerpt

Jax’s Book Magic – Excerpt

Kimmy Loves to Read – Review & Excerpt

Literary Gossip – Review & Excerpt

Nose Stuck in a Book – Review & Excerpt

The Romance Reviews – Review

June 22nd

A small girl, her man and her books – Review & Excerpt

kimberlyfaye reads – Review

Lover of Big Books Cannot Lie – Review & Excerpt

Nightbird Novels – Review

OMGReads – Review & Excerpt

Pretty Sassy Cool – Review & Excerpt

Sweet Red Reads – Review & Excerpt

The BookWhisperer – Review

June 23rd

ageordielass honest blog on reviews – Review

Brittany’s Book Blog – Excerpt

G & T’s Indie Café – Excerpt

Kris & Vik Book Therapy Cafe – Review & Excerpt

Pink Lace & Silver Buckles Book Blog – Review

Those Crazy Book Chicks – Excerpt

What Is That Book About – Excerpt

About Tessa Bailey:

Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.

Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.

She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.

La vita di Kyler Tate, uno dei migliori wide receiver in circolazione, sta per cambiare. Una carriera da favola durante l’università lo ha lanciato verso i draft del NFL. Venerazione e opportunità vengono tirate nella sua direzione ovunque vada, grazie al fatto di essere stato scelto al primo giro dai Los Angeles Rage. Nessuno di questi riconoscimenti significano qualcosa, però, senza avere al suo fianco la ragazza di cui era innamorato durante gli anni delle scuole superiori, Bree Justice. Quattro anni fa, lei lasciò Kyler, scegliendo una vita tranquilla al posto dei flash e della notorietà che la sua carriera avrebbe un giorno portato. Adesso lui è tornato nella loro cittadina in Indiana, rifiutandosi di partire per Los Angeles senza di lei. Chiedendole di dare una possibilità alla loro vita insieme. Il cuore di lei non ha mai smesso di soffrire per la perdita dell’amore della sua vita, ma la decisione di Bree era definitiva. Peccato che la forte attrazione tra di loro sia stata solo amplificata dalla separazione e Kyler non la lascerà in pace fino a quando Bree non indosserà il suo anello.

Splendido. Di solito non sono una lettrice che ama i racconti di genere second chance romance, ma Bree e Kyler mi hanno incantato. “Too Close To Call” di Tessa Bailey è un racconto breve, ma, nonostante questo, è scritto in modo assolutamente perfetto: una storia romantica, piena di passione, che fa sognare. È una novella che fa parte della serie “Romancing the Clarkson”, ma può essere letta come storia autoconclusiva. Personalmente non avevo letto i libri precedenti, ma conoscevo l’autrice, amo le sue storie e anche questa volta non ne sono rimasta delusa. La trama di questo racconto è semplice: Kyler e Bree sono cresciuti in una piccola cittadina e sono stati la coppia di “fidanzatini” più popolari per tutto il tempo in cui hanno frequentato le scuole superiori. Lui era un giovane giocatore di football americano pieno di talento, destinato a un futuro certo tra i professionisti. Bree, invece, era una ragazza semplice, che non amava essere al centro dell’attenzione, molto legata al padre e alla famiglia. Le responsabilità verso quest’ultima, dopo l’abbandono da parte della madre, l’avevano spinta a lasciare Kyler, rinunciando al futuro che avevano sognato di costruire insieme, spezzandogli il cuore. Kyler però non l’ha mai dimenticata, a dire il vero nessuno dei due è andato avanti, cercando di ricostruirsi una vita con qualcun altro. Cosa ha reso ai miei occhi così speciale questo racconto? Inizia per K e finisce con yler  Kyler è straordinario! Per la sua determinazione nel voler riconquistare Bree, per averla finalmente al suo fianco. Per il modo in cui non ha paura di ammettere il suo bisogno di averla nella sua vita e come poi abbia studiato tutto alla perfezione, per non darle la possibilità di dire di no. La connessione tra di loro è incredibile, il legame che li unisce è intatto e forte come non mai. Ho adorato vedere come ancora fossero in grado di “leggere” attraverso i più piccoli segnali quello che stava pensando l’altro, ma soprattutto vedere come la passione tra di loro sia lì in agguato, pronta a prendere il sopravvento, insieme alla profondità dei sentimenti che li unisce. Puro romanticismo. Amo trovare nei personaggi di una storia tutte queste cose. La vera favola per me è questa: vedere due persone che si amano, che per vari motivi si lasciano, ma che poi non possono fare a meno l’uno dell’altro. È un sogno, IL sogno a cui si pensa quando ci si innamora di qualcuno.

Recensione:

Editing:

Draft Day was nothing like Kyler had pictured.

“With the ninth pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rage select…” Kyler Tate’s parents sucked in breaths on either side of him. “Kyler Tate, receiver, University of Cincinnati.”

The tense atmosphere inside the event hall exploded with wild cheers, exclamations, and boos. His shoulders were slapped by thousands of hands, kisses landing on his cheeks. Like falling out of a kayak into a rushing current, bashing into rocks on the way toward a waterfall, Kyler stood, put his head down, and proceeded toward the stage. Cell phones rang at every table he passed, terse conversations taking place as the deadline timer for the next announcement started. Players he’d faced on the gridiron sweated in their suits, mothers fussed, water glasses were refilled.

This was it. Years of training, icing down injuries, two-a-day practices, glory, pain, and mental fatigue. All for this moment.

And it was…utterly fucking incomplete.

Before he could reach the stage, panic set in. Set in real good, like claws digging into fertile ground. A moment earlier, everyone in the room had looked familiar, but they were strangers now, spinning in a kaleidoscope. Sweat popped up on his forehead. His shoulder blades tightened, a harsh sound puffed from between his lips. From behind the podium, the announcer gave him a strange look, the Rage jersey lowering in his grip. Are you okay?

The man’s mouthed words barely penetrated over the sudden rushing stream of images. Of her. Bree Justice.

About Tessa Bailey:

Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.

Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.

She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.