It's been a while, but this October will be filled with new Wednesday Women blogs! This week, we'll hear from Holly & Leo, the leading ladies of Jae's new novel Perfect Rhythm. Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday Women: Holly & Leo
from Perfect Rhythm by Jae
I believe that my readers know and appreciate me for
my slow-burn romances. My characters don’t usually jump into bed with each
other on page 2. They take the time to get to know each other, find out
unexpected things about each other that make them view the other in a different
light, and really build a relationship that will last “happily ever after.”
Holly Drummond and Leontyne “Leo” Blake, the leading
ladies in my newest book, Perfect Rhythm,
aren’t any different. It’s certainly not love at first sight between them. When
Leo returns home to spend time with her ailing father, she meets his nurse,
Holly, who seems to represent everything Leo left behind when she left her tiny
hometown in Missouri to become
a pop star. And Leo at first seems like a spoiled celebrity to Holly.
As Holly and Leo get to know each other better, and
they realize how wrong that first impression was. Between trips to the local
bakery, late-night conversations up on the roof, and a date at the vet’s
office, they slowly fall in love.
But Holly is a little different from my usual main
characters in that she is asexual—she’s romantically drawn to women, but the
sexual attraction isn’t there for her. She has nothing against sex; she just
doesn’t desire it. That’s why she has stayed away from the minefield of
expectations that usually comes with relationships—until she meets Leo.
Together, they discover that it’s possible to find
the perfect rhythm—and a happy ending—between two very different people.
So, in the end, Perfect
Rhythm isn’t so different after all. If you like my other romance novels, I
think you’ll love Leo and Holly’s story.
Here’s a short excerpt:
Holly lay with her eyes open,
listening to Leo’s breathing. If one of them turned around in her sleep during
the night, they’d practically be on top of each other.
“Holly?” Leo’s voice broke the
silence. The mattress shifted as she rolled over, onto her other side. “C-can
I…?” Her hand tentatively brushed Holly’s shoulder blade.
Instead of answering, Holly rolled
onto her back and opened her arms.
Leo cuddled up immediately, one arm
wrapped around Holly’s middle. She fit her face into the curve of Holly’s neck.
Her hair fanned out across Holly’s shoulder and tickled her skin.
“Your heart is pounding,” Leo
whispered into the darkness. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Besides, this is about
making sure you are okay.” She tried
to make out Leo’s features in the pale moonlight. “Are you?”
When Leo sighed, her breath washed
over Holly’s neck, making her heart beat even faster. “I will be.” She shifted
a little closer still, nestled their bodies together, and carefully settled her
leg across Holly’s thighs.
As different as they were—Leo tall
and slim, Holly curvy and shorter—they fit against each other perfectly. It was
a completely new and yet strangely familiar feeling.
Leo hummed against her neck. “God,
Holly. You have no idea how good this feels.”
“It feels really good to me too.”
“It does?” Leo asked quietly.
Holly nodded. “Oh yeah.”
“Good. I don’t want this to be just
about what I need.”
Wow. How could she have ever thought Leo
was a spoiled, egocentric superstar? She slid her fingers into Leo’s slightly
wavy hair and started to caress her scalp.
Leo let out a sound that resembled a
purr. Her eyes fell closed, her lashes fluttering like the wings of a butterfly
against Holly’s skin.
Holly tightened her hold. She wanted
to hug this moment close forever. How could anyone think that anything could be
more intimate than this?
If you’d like to read more, Perfect Rhythm is available here:
Social Media Links
Bio:
Jae is the author of sixteen award-winning lesbian romances. She
lives in the sunniest city of Germany, near the French and
Swiss borders. The writing bug bit her at the age of eleven.
She used to work as a psychologist but gave up her day job in 2013
to become a full-time writer and a part-time editor. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the
best job in the world.
When she’s not writing, she is an avid reader of lesbian books, indulges
her ice cream and office supply addictions, and watches way too many crime
shows.
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ReplyDeleteOn of the truest books I've ever read. I'm so lucky to have read thus book. It's so on point that I couldn't put it down untill I finished it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jae again for such an amazing book