Operation: Date Escape by Lindsey Brookes Book Tour

Operation: Date Escape

by Lyndsey Brookes

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BLURB:

Since her divorce two years before, Kelsie Collins has been determined to guard her heart and steer clear of seemingly ‘perfect’ men. An easy task considering the kind of men her matchmaking mother and her best friend, Nanci, keeps setting her up with. She allows them to set her up, knowing their hearts are in the right place and that there is no risk of her letting any man close enough to hurt her again. Her growing experience in ways to slip out of those ‘dates from hell’ prompts her to start writing a bad date survival guide. One aptly titled - OPERATION: DATE ESCAPE. And it’s during one of those escapes that sexier than sin firefighter Cole Maxwell comes to her rescue.

Cole isn’t sure what to think when the sexy redhead he’s just ‘rescued’ from a bad date informs him that he’s too ‘perfect’ to date. That’s a first. He’s had relationships end because the women couldn’t handle the risks that go along with his chosen profession, but never because he’s too perfect.

When his crew gets called out to rescue someone who is stuck in a tree, Cole finds himself once again coming to Kelsie’s rescue. This time he’s not about to let her get away without agreeing to give him a chance, even holding her high heels hostage to make it happen. She finally gives in and things heat up between them like a 3-alarm fire. But there’s more than passion between them and Cole sets out to prove to Kelsie that he’s nowhere near ‘perfect’, but he is the ‘perfect’ man for her. Can he get past the wall she’s built up around her heart? Or will he end up being just another chapter in her book of men she ran from?

*Operation: Date Escape was a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist as well as a finalist in the American Title III Competition put on by Romantic Times and Dorchester Publishing.*

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Excerpt

Snickers and snorts erupted from the rest of his crew.  Thanks to that big mouth from Station 24, they all knew this was the woman he’d been kissing in the emergency room.

Cole turned to them, one lone dark brow raised in warning. “Not one word.  In case you’ve all forgotten, we’ve got a job to do.”  Hell, someone had to maintain a level of professionalism at this call.

The Lieutenant clasped a firm hand on Cole’s shoulder and said with a grin, “She’s all yours, oh, knight in shining armor.”

And to think he’d given up Joe’s chili, hot off the stove, for this.  He stepped closer to the tree and called out to Kelsie again.

“Yeah?”

“Just hold on.”

“You can count on it.”

Sort of like how he could count on her being in some sort of predicament every time they crossed paths.  People began to gather around to see what all the excitement was about. 

To make matters worse, a news truck pulled up behind the parked emergency vehicles.

Damn.

“Clear the area,” he instructed his unit, then turned his attention back to Kelsie.  “Can you climb down?” he asked, experience prompting the question.

Some people had a tendency to panic at the thought of being brought down by someone else and ended up coming down on their own.

The leaves on the branch Kelsie clung to shuddered as she shifted to peer down at him from over the branch.  The look she gave him was nothing short of glaring.  “If I could, would I be hanging here in complete humiliation?”

“Boy, someone’s a little cranky this evening,” Joe muttered.

Cole gave him a firm jab in the ribs with his elbow.

“Oh, don’t mind her,” Nanci said, flashing Joe the same flirtatious smile she’d used on Cole that night at Casey’s.  Joe had better watch out.  “She gets that way once in a while.  It’s the red hair.”

“Can we leave my hair out of this and get me down from here?”  Kelsie demanded impatiently, obviously having grown tired of her perch.

“Hang on,” he calmly instructed.  “We’ll have you down before you know it.”

Joe nodded.  “I’ll get the truck, but you’re going up after her.  I think she bites.”

“I heard that!” Kelsie exclaimed, but Joe was already on his way across the yard to get the ladder truck, laughing as he went.

Review

Kelsie Collins has her meddling mother and oversexed best friend to thank for her current predicament, another date from hell.  At least she will get good research on how to escape the date in a creative way.  When she meets firefighter Cole Maxwell though the game changes, the chemistry is off the charts but Kelsie informs Cole he is too perfect to date. Cole has a plan to change Kelsie's mind, but she is not going down easily.  

Hilarious story, I was laughing out loud the whole time.  Best friend Nanci with an "I" has quickly become one of my favorite supporting characters.  Kelsie is gun-shy but Cole is so sweet and charming, he is impossible to resist.  Loved every moment of this delightful story.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Romance author Lindsey Brookes grew up reading romance novels. She penned her first romance, a historical, at the age of seventeen. From there she went on to join Romance Writers of America where she learned the ins and outs of the publishing business and ways to hone her craft. She switched to writing contemporary romance and has finalled in/or won more than 75 RWA chapter sponsored contests with over a dozen different manuscripts. She is also a four time RWA Golden Heart finalist as well as a past American Title III finalist and winner of Harlequin's Great American Romance Novel contest. She's married to her childhood sweetheart, her hero, with whom she has two beautiful daughters.

Check out her websites:

www.lindseybrookes.com

www.possumhollowseries.com

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/lindsey.brookes.9?ref=tn_tnmn

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Lindsey_Brookes

Operation: Date Escape purchase links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/OPERATION-DATE-ESCAPE-ebook/dp/B00DE50LTS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1373421552&sr=1-1&keywords=Operation+Date+Escape

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/operation-lindsey-brookes/1115662939?ean=2940016420349

Lyndsey will be awarding a $10.00 Amazon gift certificate to three randomly drawn commenters during the tour, and a $10.00 Amazon gift certificate to one randomly drawn host.