. .
All he wanted was a new life, not a new love.
Merrick
Merrick has the perfect life: a husband, a baby, and a great future ahead of him. Until all that is ripped away, and he’s left alone with his daughter. After two years, he knows it’s time to move on. To find a new life for him and Willow. It comes in the shape of a derelict mill house nestled in the hills above a Devon seaside town.
Drew
When Drew loses the chance to buy and restore the house he’s loved all his life, the last thing he wants to do is renovate it for the mysterious new resident. But something about Merrick Green intrigues him, and he feels compelled to lift the heaviness surrounding him. The fact that Merrick’s daughter seems to have taken an instant infatuation with Drew makes it easier.
As the two men become friends, Merrick battles with his attraction to Drew. How can he be interested in the ruggedly handsome when he’s still in love with Josh?
Letting go of the past is hard, but with Drew by his side, he finds a way forward.
Life After Love is a sweet small-town, opposites-attract, hurt/comfort romance with low angst and a sweet little girl that everyone falls in love with.
The book deals with the loss of a loved one.
Title: Life After Love
Authors: JJ Harper
Length: 68k
Series: Calston Cove, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary
Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions
Goodreads
It’s too soon for anything more than this. I know that. Merrick blinks a couple of times and seems to come to the same conclusion. He takes a half step away and drops his hands from my hair. I instantly miss his touch and move forward into his space.
“Christ, you can kiss.” I slide my tongue over my bottom lip, capturing his flavour. God, I want more, but not now. Not yet.
Merrick closes his eyes again. Is he regretting the moment? Then he smiles. I relax, my lips quirking into a smug, self-satisfied grin.
“I think it’s you who’s the great kisser.” His hands rest on my chest. “And look at you. Muscles in all the right places.” He lifts a hand and fans his face. I laugh and kiss him again.
A loud shriek of laughter startles us, and we jump back. A couple of kids are joking about as they head back through the dunes from the beach. Merrick wrinkles his nose at the disturbance. “Shall we go inside?”
I nod and step away from him, giving him some space, but once he’s around the table, I take his hand.
A shyness I didn’t expect washes over Merrick’s face, and I give his hand a little squeeze. “Hey, it’s okay.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” He smiles softly and leads me to the two-seater sofa. He has a look in his eyes I can’t read. Is it determination? Then his tongue peeks out. I’m transfixed as he slips it over his lower lip. I follow its progression, mimicking the action.
Our mouths crash together. I don’t know which of us moved first, and I don’t care. All I want is for this never to end. Our tongues tangle, twist, and taste. My hair is loose around my face until Merrick pushes it back and clenches it in his fists. It borders on painful, but lightning bolts shoot through my body to my dick. I need to feel more of this man. I want him pressed against me again. I tug his hips, inviting him closer. Hopefully, he gets the message.
A deep groan vibrates through me as he swings his leg over my thighs and straddles me. I grasp his arse. The perfect firm, round cheeks fill my hands, and I squeeze. He thrusts his hips forward, and our jean-clad erections brush together. Merrick breaks the kiss and rests his forehead against mine.
“Damn, Drew, you feel good.” He rocks his hips so his dick rubs over mine. A look of utter bliss crosses his face. How long has it been since he’d done anything like this, something just to feel good? “God, it’s been so long,” he says. Is he a mind reader now as well?
“You feel so good, sweetheart.” And it’s true. He does. He also feels like he’s packing. Not that I give a shit about that. A big dick doesn’t automatically make you a great lover. Knowing what you do with what you’ve got makes all the difference. As he rocks, his eyes flutter shut, and his lips part. If he looks this good from just a little through-our-clothes frottage, what will it be like when we take this further?
I need his mouth again. Reluctantly I release his glorious arse and slide my hands up his spine to his shoulders and neck. “Kiss me,” I whisper. He opens his eyes and looks down with the sweetest, dopiest smile and obeys.
When he lifts his mouth from mine, his lips are slick with saliva and swollen. “You make me feel alive.”
This was a sweet slow burn romance with an adorable child, a big change for one character and a dilapidated house that brought them all together after a devasting loss for one.
Even though Merrick outbid Drew on Drew’s dream house, he is more than happy to take on the task of a full renovation. Although Merrick is generally cordial, no one in the cute little town know his story. Just that he bought the long abandoned house and showed up with his cute and precocious daughter.
Couple of things I really liked. Drew never ever pushed Merrick to find out his back story. He didn’t even google him (although he did consider it). And I loved the way Merrick’s dead husband seems to speak to him and encourage him to start living again.
Merrick’s daughter, Willow, is very easily the bridge between the two men as she is instantly smitten with Drew, “my Dew”. She almost forced them to interact because she loves being with Drew. The author also didn’t pander to the child; she wasn’t treated as an adult in child form or treated as a baby in toddler form.
Merrick and Drew really take the time to know each other. They started as business owner and client and quickly moved to being friends. More then friends took longer, but the progression was very natural based on Merrick still coming to terms with his loss.
Drew never tries to get Merrick to leave Willow with a sitter or exclude her in any way. He loves spending time with her as much as she does. It’s really cute actually.
Supporting players include Drew’s best friend who seemingly has an issue with this whole thing, Drew’s sister and bff who are pretty catty and town gossips and Merrick’s sister and best friend who visit. Several locals are mentioned which is nice because when it is a small town, you really do know almost everyone.
The vibe felt a bit like Charlie Novak’s Heather Bay series, but the story line was very different. But if you are a fan of hers, I’m sure you will enjoy this one as well. I’m definitely looking forward to book 2.
4 pieces of eye candy
. .
Just in case you don’t know me. I’m a simple soul that puts all my hopelessly romantic thoughts down on my computer. I’m usually in the living room—typing away—with my wayward Great Dane, Siddiqi, next to me on the sofa.
I’m a hopeless romantic, always falling in love with my men, determined to make sure they get the happy-ever-after they deserve, even if they do have to work hard for it.
I live in a tiny village in Lincolnshire, UK, with my husband and dog, who are forever patient with me when I forget the time, and the dinner!
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