Genre: Contemporary Romance

Who says you can’t find love over a plate of mushroom ravioli?

Rachel Prescott has always dated the wrong men.Each relationship begins with hope, but within months ends with “nope.”The harder she tries, the harder she fails. That is, until the new owner of Pier Ninety-Two, Miguel Rodriguez, spots her wallowing over her latest dating disaster in his restaurant.

Easily smitten with the brown-haired beauty, Miguel offers her his heart. Or at least, what’s left of it. Because Miguel has had his own troubled past finding the right woman. With the echo of lost love still haunting his heart, he convinces himself he’s ready to move on—and who better with than the spunky, sexy, and strong-willed, Rachel Prescott?

Over a bottle of wine (or two), Miguel and Rachel instantly connect. And by the end of the evening, it’s more than their shared plate of mushroom ravioli left steaming.

Best-selling and award-winning author Julie Navickas tugs at your heartstrings in her second book in the Clumsy Little Hearts trilogy about love and letting go of the past. Fans of KG Fletcher’s The Reining Hearts Series and Katie Cotugno’s How to Love will find a new one-click buy with Ms. Navickas’ romances. Fall in love with imperfect, but perfect for the right person.

Excerpt

Beside him, she released a heavy breath and lifted her gaze. The deep hues of blue sparkled, each eye coated in a thin layer of tears.

“Wait, is something wrong?” Ryan frowned and propped his body up on an elbow.

She shook her head and smiled. Dragging a hand down the side of his face, she paused on his cheek. “This happened really fast, didn't it?”

You’re not wrong.

Ryan gripped her hand and pressed a kiss on her palm. “It did,” he muttered.

“One minute we’re picking out a paint color and the next we’re sleeping together beneath the stars.”

Their relationship flashed before his eyes, each smile on her lips gripping his heart as affection and desire built within his soul.

“It may have been fast, but that doesn’t make it any less real for me.”

A single tear slid down her cheek and dripped onto his arm. It rolled, falling to the blankets and dissolving into the material.

“It’s real for me, too.” She sniffled. “Maybe too real.”

A twinge gripped his gut. “What’s that mean?”

“Like, when is the other shoe going to drop?” She snorted. “When does the dream end, or the bubble burst?”

Just as cynical as me. You’ve been hurt just as bad, haven’t you?

Ryan sat up and reached for her sandals in the corner of the tent.

“What’re you doing?”

He pressed the first shoe into his chest. “I promise, I won’t drop it.” Holding the second sandal out to her, he placed it in her hands and guided it to her chest. “If you won’t.”

Her smile melted his heart. Eyeing a blonde curl falling in her face, he tucked it behind her ear as a shiver zipped along his spine—inspiration striking once more. “How about another adventure this morning, Ms. Browning?”

“Clothes on or off?”

With a wink, he pressed a kiss on her forehead. “That’ll be your choice.”

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About the Author

Julie Navickas is a best-selling and award-winning, nationally recognized contemporary romance novelist, known for her keen ability to tell heart-wrenching, second-chance love stories through relatable characters with humility, humor, and heroism. She is also an award-winning university instructor in the School of Communication at Illinois State University. Julie earned master’s degrees in both organizational communication and English studies with an emphasis in book history, as well as a bachelor’s degree in public relations, graduating cum laude from Illinois State University. She is a mom of three and has been happily married to her high school sweetheart for twelve years.

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