by Serena Bell
Publication date: September 19th 2023
Genres: Adult, Comedy,
Beauty salon… and the Beast
Quinn: Working at the family wedding resort wasn’t exactly on my Bingo card. But it’s the only way for my siblings and me to get our grandfather’s inheritance, so here I am, staffing the Hott Spot Spa and Salon front desk. It’s an absurd gig for a man who makes Oscar the Grouch look like a people-person.
Still, I’m a hard worker. I’ve made a fortune off my scientific discoveries, and if I can engineer groundbreaking drugs, I can do anything, right? Not according to Sonya Rossi, the spa’s smoking hot and relentlessly perky manager. My grumpy approach is testing even sunshine-y Sonya’s patience. Meanwhile, I’m not sure whether I want to rain on her parade—or kiss the smile off her face.
Then the universe throws another curveball, putting us under the same roof. The closer Sonya gets, the more I like it—and her. I want to get to know her better and let her see the side of me I never show people. Until now, I’ve only believed in what I can touch, sense, and prove. I definitely don’t believe in love… but Sonya’s making me wish I could.
A spicy, grumpy-sunshine, opposites attract, under-one-roof, forced proximity standalone romantic comedy set in the beloved small town of Rush Creek.
Sneak Peek Excerpt:
The person behind the desk is a stranger.
It’s a man with long, wild reddish-brown hair, a beard
that hasn’t seen a trim in probably months, and thick, assertively male
eyebrows with a whole zip code of their own. He’s sprawled out, wide legged, in
the receptionist’s chair, dwarfing it.
He’s also vaguely familiar, which means he’s probably
the groom Hanna said she’d send my way, a guy whose bride put her foot down at
the eleventh hour and demanded he spend a day getting “the works.” Lily must
have left the door open when she came in, and he helped himself to a warmer
place to wait, even though it’s not yet ten.
“There are plenty of chairs in the waiting area if you
need a place to sit!” I call out cheerily, gesturing at the comfy armchairs on
one side of the room. “That one’s mine.” I approach the desk. “Let me block
some time out for you. You’re in luck because we’ve got plenty of room for
walk-ins this morning. I’ve got someone who can do the hair and beard, and I
can do your eyebrows if you want that, too.”
His eyes widen. “What’s wrong with the hair, beard, and
eyebrows?”
Yikes. I definitely got the wrong end of that one. “I’m
so sorry! I was expecting a client with a beard this morning, and I totally
assumed you were him. But you’re…obviously not. You must be here for something
else. Massage? Or a dip in the springs?” Ugh—it’s never good to start the day
off insulting a potential client, even if he’s sitting in my chair. “There’s a
ten-percent-off coupon here with your name on it, an apology for my making
assumptions about who you were—”
“No.” He scowls. “I’m not here for any of that. I’m
here because due to circumstances beyond my control and yours and probably even
God’s, I’m your new receptionist.”
I laugh, reflexively. And then I realize I’m the only
one laughing and my laughter sort of…falls off a cliff.
“Yeah,” the bearded stranger says. “It’s not even
remotely funny. Although I think my grandfather would have disagreed. I’m
pretty sure he’s laughing all the way to hell.”
“Your grandfather,” I repeat. I’m so lost, I couldn’t
find my best self with a compass and map.
He stands and holds out a hand. And I realize he
actually wasn’t manspreading. He was taking up all that space in the chair
because he’s legitimately huge—at least six-two and built like a warrior god.
He wears worn jeans and a T-shirt that reads, I’m
a chemist. To save time, let’s assume I’m never wrong.
“Quinn Hott,” he says. “Hanna’s brother, Fox Hott’s
second-youngest grandkid. And your new receptionist.”
- $25 Amazon gift card
Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.
When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.
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