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The Affair by J.L Berg is LIVE!! #OneClick today!!
About The Book:
There are some paths in your life you're never meant to take.
Yet, by some twist of fate, you find yourself on the forbidden road all the same.
Those are the words I stumble upon when I unearth a hidden journal that once belonged to my grandmother.
A hidden journal that details a heartbreaking affair with her husband's brother. It's a family secret I'm unprepared to deal with, especially when my own life begins to parallel hers.
Sawyer Gallagher was never on my radar. The moment I met his younger brother, I was taken. Done for. Love-drunk.
But, some things aren't meant to last and at the age of thirty-three, I find myself divorced, penniless and living with my parents. When Sawyer stops by our family's antique store, asking for a job, I figure: Why the heck not? Life can't get much worse.
It doesn't take long to realize just how different the Gallagher brothers are. Sawyer is kind, supportive, and, oh, did I mention sexy as hell?
In a small town like ours, I can't help but ask myself…
Can I fall for my former brother-in-law?
Or is this just history repeating itself?
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Excerpt:
As I rounded the corner though, I heard voices, which, at first, wasn't unheard of. The church was packed with nearly half the town.
But it was the tone of the voices that made me stop in my tracks.
Hushed whispers in a place like this could only mean one thing …
Gossip.
"It's just so sad," the first female voice uttered.
"I know," said the second woman in a tone that suggested she was feigning empathy more than feeling it. "To first lose your husband and then your father, all in the same year. It's a wonder she can even get up in the morning."
Oh, good. It was gossip. About me.
The first female took back the reins. "We all thought she and Reed were like the golden couple too. But I guess it's true what they say—"
I couldn't take any more.
The mascara that had barely been clinging to my eyelashes was now wet as I bit my bottom lip, trying to will away the tears. With my arms wrapped around my chest like a protective blanket, I tried to speed past them, hoping that I'd somehow develop special powers and zap them away with my death stare.
But I was never that lucky.
Instead, all I managed to do was summon my evil foe—or as others liked to call him, my ex, Reed Gallagher.
"Elle?" he called out, seeing the distress written all over my face. He always was good at the knight-in-shining-armor bit.
And I had always been his favorite damsel, growing up.
"You okay?" he asked, his gaze moving over my shoulder to the flock of gossiping women I was desperately trying to flee.
I didn't need to stick around to see who they were. I'd recognized them the minute I blazed past. Just two rivals from high school I couldn't ever seem to get rid of, even now, fifteen years later.
One of the many benefits of never leaving your hometown.
"Um," Macy blurted out, hoping to save face in front of Reed. She'd had a thing for him since he moved here in middle school.
"I'm really sorry," Sarah finally added. "We didn't mean for you to hear that."
"Yeah," Macy agreed. "We're really sorry about your dad."
I thought about attempting some witty comeback, but it wasn't worth it. They weren't worth it.
And I wouldn't ruin the memory of my dad for it.
Reed seemed satisfied with their halfhearted apology as they both made a quick exit. At least one of us was. I just wanted to get away, but unfortunately, the big beast of a man was still standing in my way.
"What do you want, Reed?" I asked, trying not to make eye contact with those dark blue eyes or the subtle curve of his jaw.
"I wanted to see how you were," he said, sounding genuinely concerned. His voice still had the power to make my stomach clench and my knees wobble, and I hated that.
"My dad died, Reed. How do you think I'm doing?"
He ran his hands through his dark brown hair. "Yeah, sorry. That was a stupid question. I just meant—"
"Why are you here?" I asked, my question instantly making his face blanch.
"He meant a lot to me, Elle," he answered, sounding incredulous. "I wish I could have seen him before—"
"He asked about you."
"He did? But I thought—"
I shook my head. "He never knew."
His eyes widened. "How? But—"
"The man had cancer. Do you think I wanted to break his heart, too, by telling him what you did to me? What you did to us?"
Finally, the shame came pouring back. "No, I guess not." Reed could only nod, his head lowered, obviously upset.
I wanted to feel bad for him, I did. Growing up, he'd been a part of our family. Ever since he'd nearly run over me with his BMX bike, I had known Reed Gallagher was the one for me.
Like some moronic fairy tale come to life.
"I need to go find my mom," I said, unwilling to go down any more memory lanes today, especially with him.
"Right. Of course. Will you tell her I said hello?" he asked before realizing what he was saying.
My mom had once loved Reed like a son.
When she'd found out he'd cheated on me with some barely legal waitress at the local bar just a week after my father had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, she'd told me she'd never felt so betrayed in her life.
That made two of us.
I didn't even have to respond before he did.
"Never mind," he said. "Take care, Elle."
I could tell he wanted to say more. Whenever we met like this, whether it was between the aisles of the grocery store or picking up takeout at one of the local restaurants, there was always something more waiting on the tip of his tongue. Maybe it was another apology. Perhaps it was a plea for me to come back home and pretend like nothing had happened, or maybe he just wanted to say he still loved me.
All I knew was, I wanted to hear none of it.
Not a goddamn word.
Because there was nothing he could say that could take back what he had done, and he knew it, which was why he kept quiet and I walked away.
Again.
My Review:
The Affair by J.L. BergMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Affair by J. L. Berg is a standalone contemporary romance all about second chances with new loves and rebuilding your life after great loss. Told from Elle's POV, we join her in the middle of her story. With the loss of her father, her divorce, and the changes in her mother, her life has been turned on it's head over the past year. The antique store her family owns is the one constant, but when her ex brother-in-law shows up looking for work, determined to be involved in the store, she ends up going against the safe choice and saying yes. Sawyer is confident without being pushy, his personality soothes the rough and sharp edges Elle has had since her father's death and her divorce, and despite trying not to, she really likes him. When her life starts to resemble the secret life she finds secreted away in her grandmother's journals she starts to question everything.
This story was emotional, a little sad, a whole load of angsty, but so sweet and uplifting in the end. The healing that takes place between Elle and the various characters is a powerful journey that I was glad to be a part of. Enjoy!
About The Author:
J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready series, the Walls series, the Lost & Found series and more. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls and two pups. When she's not writing, you will find her cuddled up, watching a movie with her family, obsessing over fandoms or devouring anything chocolate! J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.
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Giveaway:
To celebrate the release of The Affair, J.L. Berg is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card! Head to her Facebook page to enter: https://www.facebook.com/authorjlberg/
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