Charlene Blogs: Jessica Stone's TROPICAL NIGHTS Blog Tour

TROPICAL NIGHTS

Author: Jessica Stone

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: January 17, 2014

Format: eBook

Lucas Kent didn’t expect trouble to follow him to Honolulu. But danger, like love, is often where you least expect it.

Alicia Baker is a directionless diamond heiress nursing an obsession with detective novels when a real life investigation falls in her lap.

When Alicia finds out Lucas is a murder suspect, she tries to fight her growing attraction to him to solve this mystery. With the enemy hot on their trail, Lucas struggles to find his friend’s killer before the killer finds them.

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EXCERPT:

“I am not going on another blind date,” Alicia said, scooping Eli off the bed and depositing him on the tile floor. Eli meowed in protest.

“Come on,” Kimberly pleaded, entering the room behind her. “It’s hardly a blind date since you’re supposed to be at this benefit dinner anyway. Besides, it’ll be fun. How bad can it be? He’s Toby’s brother.”

“Uh-huh. As much fun as the last one? What was that guy’s name again?” Alicia pulled the sheets off the bed and tossed them into the laundry basket.

“Mark. How was I supposed to know he was an alcoholic?” Kimberly said, tugging at a pillowcase.

“And that he had a criminal record,” Alicia reminded her.

“All of it petty. Mark’s parents are influential members at the club,” Kimberly said.

“I know, I know. They’re very nice.” Alicia yanked the other pillowcase off.

“Exactly. Who’d have guessed that their son was such a head case?”

Alicia grabbed the basket and headed to the laundry room. “And how about the investment banker you set me up with who just happened to be married?”

“Details.” Kimberly sighed, following her. “Is it so wrong for me to want you to be as happy as I am? Besides, what else are you planning to do tonight?”

Alicia rolled her eyes and started the washing machine. “Laundry.”

“Alicia—”

Alicia brushed past her and opened the sliding glass doors to the backyard. She slipped on her flip-flops before gazing out over the palm trees and red hibiscus flowers to the ocean. She never got tired of this view.

“I thought I might do some reading as well.” Reading, movies, or anything else that might take her mind off that tennis match with Lucas earlier. Even several hours later, she couldn’t stop thinking about the look in his eyes before he left. She knew he was probably just angry because she’d bruised his ego, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it than that. Oh well, I couldn’t do anything about it now even if I wanted to. She dusted off one of the seats, sat down in the shade by the pool, and tried to put it out of her mind.

Kimberly collapsed into the seat beside her. “Alicia.”

She picked up the novel she’d left on the glass table. “Kim, you’re the only one who seems to be upset by the fact that I’m not seeing anyone right now. I’m perfectly content.”

“And perfectly boring. You’ve hardly been hanging out with us at all lately. Since when have you been interested in being a shut-in?”

“I’m not a shut-in. I just hate bad dates even more than I hate feeling like a third wheel.”

“Which you wouldn’t be if you just let me set you up with this guy.”

Alicia glared at her over the top of her book.

“Not that you’re a third wheel anyway,” Kim added quickly.

“Uh-huh.” Alicia rolled onto her side away from Kim.

“Seriously. You’re being ridiculous.” Kim glanced over Alicia’s shoulder. “The Hound of the Baskervilles? Haven’t you read all of those Sherlock Holmes stories like five thousand times already? You’re really going to sit out here and read all night when you could be enjoying my company instead?”

“Good point. Since it hasn’t cooled down any, I’ll probably go inside and read all night.”

“You really won’t come?”

“No.”

“Fine, if you won’t do it for yourself, do it for me.” Kim paused. “Do it for Toby.” She sighed, clutching her hands to her chest.

Alicia started laughing. “You’re such a drama queen. Besides, I barely know Toby.”

“But you know me.” Kim reached over, snatched the book out of Alicia’s hands and set it aside. “And I know Toby, and he’s worried about his brother.”

“Just what I need, another criminal.” Alicia turned away from Kim.

Kim hopped up and walked around the chair to face Alicia. “Oh, come on. He’s hardly a criminal. As a matter of fact, he's a doctor. Plastic surgery, I think. And he just arrived on the island a couple of days ago from Miami. Best to snatch him up before somebody else does.”

“Great. The sharks are already circling and he doesn’t even live here.”

“Not yet, but Toby wants him to stay. I get the feeling that something happened in Florida. I don’t know the details, but it wasn’t good. Toby thinks he’d be better off here.” Kimberly sat down on the edge of the pool and dipped her feet into the water. “Come on. Don’t think of it as a blind date, think of it as a night out with good friends. Besides, I saw a picture of him earlier. Total hunk.”

Alicia groaned. In spite of herself, she thought of Lucas. “Didn’t you just tell me not to think of it as a date?”

Kimberly smiled and kicked water at Alicia. “Does that mean you’ll go?”

Alicia sighed. “I hope I don’t regret this.”

Jessica Stone is an American writer currently living in Shanghai, China with her family. A lover of travel, she writes contemporary romance set in exotic locations around the globe. Her interests include classical history and literature, live music, and craft brewing.

Connect with Jessica:

Website: http://jessicastoneromance.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Stone/459787777454279

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessStoneAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7771719.Jessica_Stone

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1/17 - Book Monster Reviews (guest post)

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1/18 - Elle James' Blog (Guest Post)

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1/20 - Night Owl Reviews (Spotlight & Excerpt)

http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Tropical-Nights-by-Jessica-Stone