by Tina DeSalvo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Once
invited into New Orleans’ historic mansions to evaluate prized antiques, Dr.
Jewell Duet held a coveted professorship at a top university. With her deep
knowledge of Louisiana history and antiquities, she was the go-to person for
anyone requiring professional appraisals. But, one hasty decision cost her both
her reputation and possibly her freedom. Now, as she waits to discover if her
future includes prison, Jewell knows that taking the job at Sugar Mill is
necessary if she is to support her beloved grandmother who has advanced
dementia.
Charming, sexy lawyer Beau
Bienvenu's attraction to the intriguing historian vies with his distrust of her
motives. Beau has one simple goal when it comes to the family that rescued him
and made him part of their clan…protect them at all costs. He doesn't trust
Jewell, nor her reason for taking the lowly job at Sugar Mill Plantation. What
is she really up to? Is it possible Jewell and her quirky grandmother are there
to try to profit from a Bienvenu family mystery? If so, both women are out of
luck.
Jewell and Beau are at odds about
almost everything. The only things they agree on are that family is
everything…and that their mutual attraction is inconvenient.
Hope, Love and Second Chances
Continue in the heart of Cajun Country
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
Jewell
touched his arm briefly as a sign of understanding, then dropped her hand to
her lap.
“Oh,
hell.” He frowned, his head dropped forward. “I can’t like you, Jewell. I can’t
be softened by how nice you appear. By the way you care for your grandmother.”
He turned his head to look at her. “I can’t.”
“We
don’t have to be enemies, Beau.”
“Friends?” He blew out a breath. “Merde.” He
cursed again in Cajun French. “We can only be adversaries, Boots. I have to
protect my family. I can’t make any mistakes where they’re concerned.” He shook
his head. “No. We definitely can’t be friends. Friends need to trust one
another.”
He
looked at her; his rich green eyes looked so honest, so vulnerable and yet, so
determined. It frightened her. He frightened her. How he made her feel when he
looked at her frightened her.
“You
will not blindside me because I want to believe you,” he said, his voice
strong, determined. “Hell, I do want to believe you, but I don’t. God, that
would make life a lot less problematic. You weave a good tale, chère. I’ll give
you that.”
His
words stung. Bruised her pride. Yet, she wouldn’t let her personal feelings
detour her mission. She was fighting for Mimi—the dear woman whom Jewell shared
nearly every part of her history with, the woman who heartbreakingly would soon
not remember her, or that history. That thought was impossible enough to deal
with every day. She didn’t need to add any useless emotions to the mix.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Tina DeSalvo enjoys using
her imagination, humor, empathy and personal experiences to turn characters and
situations into books that she hopes will entertain readers. Her first
book, Elli, brought her in close contact with so many readers with whom
she has loved sharing stories, laughs, tears and hugs. Tina has always been
inspired by the people she meets and by hearing their personal journeys, not to
mention the people she just observes along the way…so, watch out. You could be
a character in her next book!
Tina is married to her
handsome Cajun hero, and they live in Louisiana. They have two sons, a
wonderful daughter (in-law) and four delightful grandchildren.
If you'd like to know more
about Tina DeSalvo, including info on her newest work, latest contests, where
she’s speaking or having a book signing, where she gets her ideas, or to see
her photos from when she meets her cherished readers…please visit her website
at www.tinadesalvo.com
Buy Links:
GIVEAWAY
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The tour dates can be found here
**********************************
My review:
4 out of 5 stars
Jewell by Tina DeSalvo is part of the ‘Second Chance’
series and centers around Dr. Jewell Duet as she tries to cope with a pending
lawsuit, her beloved grandmother’s deteriorating memory and the downward spiral
of her career. A new job provides her a
much-needed lifeline but the mysterious connection that her grandmother has for
the house Jewell is working in raises suspicion in the owner’s cousin, Beau
Bienvenu. Unfortunately for Beau, the
rest of his extended family seems to be warmly welcoming the attractive
antiquities expert but he can’t reconcile what he sees with what he’s heard
about her and it’s tough to trust his heart, given his past. The two must learn to work together to solve
the various mysteries they are faced with, but it may become a moot point since
time is quickly running out for Jewell.
by Tina DeSalvo is part of the ‘Second Chance’
series and centers around Dr. Jewell Duet as she tries to cope with a pending
lawsuit, her beloved grandmother’s deteriorating memory and the downward spiral
of her career. A new job provides her a
much-needed lifeline but the mysterious connection that her grandmother has for
the house Jewell is working in raises suspicion in the owner’s cousin, Beau
Bienvenu. Unfortunately for Beau, the
rest of his extended family seems to be warmly welcoming the attractive
antiquities expert but he can’t reconcile what he sees with what he’s heard
about her and it’s tough to trust his heart, given his past. The two must learn to work together to solve
the various mysteries they are faced with, but it may become a moot point since
time is quickly running out for Jewell.
This contemporary romance provides an entertaining glimpse
of Southern society and some of the regional customs. It was fun to see the interactions between
the various generations and the glimpses of events from a past life are nicely
interspersed with the unfolding of a present-day mystery. The poignant depiction of the impact of
age-related mental deterioration is thought-provoking and one cannot help but
be fascinated by the quirky secondary characters who provide spice and local
color. I would like a little more
insight into the main characters because for some reason, even though pieces of
their pasts are gradually revealed, I don’t seem to have a strong rapport with
either of them. I enjoyed the gradual
deepening of their relationship and I suspect that it would have helped to have
read the first book in the series to get a better feel for some of the
characters who suddenly pop up but there is no problem reading this as a
stand-alone story. This was an
entertaining gentle romance and I will be interested to see what other stories
are added to this series.
A copy of this title was provided to me for review
