The Heart Knows What The Heart Wants by Lori L. Clark
Genre: Contemporary / Adult/New Adult Romance
Expected Release: March 6, 2014
Synopsis
Estelle “Star” Falconé, a thirty-year-old tattooed bartender, was once a free-spirited dreamer who dabbled in astrology for fun and secretly dreamed of becoming a rock-star some day.
Twenty-one-year-old Shane Harper was once the star of his high school basketball team. With a full ride scholarship, his dream was to play college basketball and study planetary science. When a tragic car accident permanently sidelines his basketball career, college is out of the question.
Sparks fly when their two worlds collide.
Can a relationship survive between a thirty-year-old starry-eyed woman who’s on the run from an extremely dangerous man, and a twenty-one-year-old science guy who’s hell-bent on protecting her at all cost?
***Caution*** for mature readers. Contains graphic violence including rape. This is a complete, standalone novel.
Excerpt
“What did you dream about becoming when you grew up?” he asked as he studied her face intently. “You know, like a ballerina, or nurse, or something?”
Without hesitation she replied, “A singer.”
“You’re a good singer?”
She snorted, “Oh God no. I can’t carry a tune…which is probably why I never became a famous rock star. What about you, what did you want to be?” she asked. Besides hot.
All traces of happy drained from his face and he sighed. “A rocket scientist.” Star’s eyes widened. His flippant answer wasn’t a joke — his face was void of humor. “Actually, I was supposed to go to college to study planetary science.”
“What happened? Why didn’t you go?” she asked.
He stared silently for a few seconds. “Skip. Besides, it’s my turn. You aren’t allowed to ask two in a row.”
She picked up her pen and added that question to the bottom of the list. “Okay, next,” she told him.
“How many tattoos do you have?” he asked.
“Two,” she said. She pushed up her shirt sleeve and pointed to the blue planet on the back of her hand. “You’ve seen Neptune.”
“Okay, look. This doesn’t count as one of my questions. But I’m dying here. What’s the other tattoo, and where is it?” he asked leaning forward, resting his elbows on the table.
“It’s over my heart and it’s just a saying,” she said, patting her chest with her right hand.
“What saying?”
She bit her lip and replied, “The heart knows what the heart wants.”
“Beautiful.” He spoke the word so softly, she wasn’t sure he’d said it at all. He pushed back his chair and stood. He rubbed the back of his neck. She fascinated him and he couldn’t get enough of her. “I’ve got to go home and clean my apartment. I’ve got company coming over later, and I don’t want her to think I’m a complete slob.”
Star felt as though she’d taken a sucker punch to the stomach. “Oh. Well yeah. You wouldn’t want her to think that,” she said. She hoped the disappointment she felt over him having some other female in his apartment didn’t show on her face.
He reached out, cupped her cheek with his hand, and brushed the pad of his thumb across her skin. “What time should I expect you?” he asked.
Pleased with his response, she raised her eyes to meet his, and smiled. “Six?”
He nodded. “Six it is.” He smiled and dropped his hand to his side before turning to leave.
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My Review
He slowly shook his head and said, “Friends it is. But don’t blame me when you wind up falling hopelessly in love with me.”
Honestly, I wasn’t sure about this story when I picked it up. Older woman, younger man…but really, she’s 30 and he’s 21. It REALLY isn’t that much of a stretch. If it was an older male to younger female I may not have thought twice about picking it up.
So, where was I? Oh, let me tell you about Shane. 1. He’s a sweetheart. 2. He can play guitar. 3. He loves his family. 4. He’s loyal. Oh, and sexy in a former athlete, figuring out where he belongs in this world kind of way. Star (Estelle) is trying to find her place in this world by running from a bad situation, which is how she meets our leading man, Shane.
There is no slow between you and me. It’s been all or nothing from the start
The family that she makes in Red Vale are what make the book come to life. It’s the small town vibe, where everyone knows everyone else and they are an extended family. Lori L. Clark’s writing kept me reading and her characters came to life on the page. I definitely want to read more of her stories.
There are some dark moments in the book, but it really was a solid read for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
★ ★ ★ ★ Stars
About the Author
Lori L. Clark was born in Iowa, where she spent the first forty-six years of her life. In 2007, she loaded up a moving van and relocated to Missouri, where she currently resides. Lori’s only child is a very spoiled Min Pin named Barkley. When not writing, she reads and runs. She completed her first half marathon at the age of fifty.
In 2009, after participating in NANOWRIMO, she began to take seriously the voices in her head. Two New Adult contemporary romance novels, Different Roads, and I Breathe You, were published in 2013, and showed early success. The Heart Knows What the Heart Wants is set to release in March 2014, and has her venturing into the realms of Romantic Suspense.
Lori is a member of Savvy Authors, the St. Louis Writers Guild, and Romance Writers of America.
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