Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: May 19th 2015.
Penelope Landlow has grown up with the knowledge that almost anything can be bought or sold—including body parts. She’s the daughter of one of the three crime families that control the black market for organ transplants. Penelope’s surrounded by all the suffocating privilege and protection her family can provide, but they can't protect her from the autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise so easily. And in her family's line of work no one can be safe forever. All Penelope has ever wanted is freedom and independence. But when she’s caught in the crossfire as rival families scramble for prominence, she learns that her wishes come with casualties, that betrayal hurts worse than bruises, that love is a risk worth taking . . . and maybe she’s not as fragile as everyone thinks.
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Excerpt
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Excerpt
“You know, if I were a regular girl, a guy walking me to
my door at the end of the night would be a date”.
Garrett raised one reddish eyebrow in a look that made my
pulse jump. “Oh yeah?”
I let him enter first, his gray-green eyes scanning all
corners of the rooms that lit up automatically as we passed through. I liked
the estate best late at night. There were still security at the gate and
patrolling, but there weren’t family members and staff around every rounded
corner. This was the only time of day it felt more like a house and less like
the headquarters of business.
In the foyer I paused beneath the chandelier whose
crystals seemed to drip down and form the abstract sculpture displayed on the
round marble table placed halfway between the two curved staircases that led up
to the second floor.
I put one hand on my hip and pointed a finger at him, at
the muscles visible through the navy cotton of his shirt.
“Though he’d take me on a more romantic evening, than the
clandestine parking lot shadiness and a rat-infested apartment”.
“Don’t let Carter hear you call his place rat-infested
and don’t forget the dinner- that was good pizza”.
Garrett followed me up to the left branch of the stairs.
His hand on the railing right beside mine, his breath was in my ear. I stopped
at the top and turned to face him-our eyes, our noses, mouths were almost level
from my vantage point two steps above him.
“On my date, we’d eat dinner off real plates, not ones
made of paper”
Garrett’s smile changed from amusement to something
warmer, something that touched his eyes and made him look younger, less
intense-more like the boy I’d grown up crushing on than the duty-focused man
who’d come home from college with a gun.
“And would you let this guy kiss you at your door?” He
stepped around me and into the hallway that led to my bedroom.
“That’s for me to know.”
I dropped my voice so it wouldn’t carry down the opposite
hallway toward the light that crept out from under my parent’s bedroom door. My
heart was pounding so loud, I had a hard time believing they couldn’t hear its
drumbeat.
Though maybe they could, because the door cracked open
and mother stepped out, all regal elegance with her hair down and curling
around the shoulders of her satin robe. I froze where I was, half in her
hallway, half in my own.
“How was your night, sweet pea? How are you?” “Fun.
Great.”
With my bruised hand behind my back, I made a stay put
gesture to Garrett. He was close. So close I could feel his body heat and all I
wanted to do was lean into it.
“Thanks for letting me go, but can we talk in the
morning?” I yawned.
“Of course. Get some rest.” “You too.”
Before her door was even completely shut, I was turning
to Garrett hoping the interruption hadn’t killed the flirtation and energy of
the moments before. He was waiting eyes on me with an intensity that made me
need to fill the silence.
“Where were we? Oh, right. I was knowing things.”
I could feel my cheeks warming with blushes, but I still
added, “Kissing things.”
“And I was going to ask if I could find them out.”
Garrett whispered, his voice deep. “May I?”
“That depends.” I continued down the hallway to my
bedroom. He followed.
“Not if you’re going to treat me like I’m not old or smart
enough to make my own decisions.”
“You can’t ask me not to care about you. I’m always going
to want to keep you safe.” He reached
for my doorknob, and for a moment he was all stiffness and attention as he
pushed it open and scanned my room. It was a moment I needed. To catch my
breath. To convince myself that this was reality and not a fairytale fantasy.
He turned away from my room and looked at me in a way that he never had before.
This was not the look he’d given me when he’d lost a bet at eleven and Carter
had told him to kiss me as punishment. It was a gaze of fire and flames and
like he wanted to devour me whole- and something else too... fear? Like maybe
he was as nervous as I was. It was a combination so intimidating and thrilling
that even I edged closer and tilted my chin up, I couldn’t help but use my
least favourite word.
“You’ll be careful? My counts are good, so you can touch
me, just be gentle.”
“I’d never hurt you princess”. His voice was low,
vibrating with emotion, and his hands were in my hair, the tips of his fingers
barely skimming my skin. He leaned down-
“Pen? You still up?” Carter’s footsteps padded up the
patterned carpet of the stairs, smashing the moment before it’d truly begun.
Garrett let go of my hair and stepped backward, but not fast enough . Or maybe
too fast. Maybe the sight of Garrett and I framed in the doorway to my bedroom
wouldn’t have tipped off Carter if we hadn’t been so frantic to put space
between our bodies.
“No” he growled.
GIVEAWAY Prize: Win (1) finished copy of HOLD ME LIKE A BREATH by Tiffany Schmidt (US Only)
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Tiffany Schmidt is the author of Send Me a Sign, Bright Before Sunrise, and Hold Me Like a Breath. She’s found her happily ever after in Pennsylvania with her saintly husband, impish twin boys, and a pair of mischievous puggles.
13 comments:
thanks for sharing, Jas!
You know how I felt about this book. I wish it were a little stronger and that the insta-love wasn't there. I was loving it until the second half. Oh well.
Thanks for sharing, Jasprit!
Ooooo that was a good excerpt, I can't wait to read this one Jasprit!!! I need to know what happens next with between Carter and Garrett. And who Carter and Garrett are of course:)
I DNFed this story, sadly. Her autoimmune disorder overwhelmed the story (as it would in reality -- the poor girl was really sick!) and I didn't love the secondary characters. :(
I love the sound of this book. I have seen this around but I haven't seen many reviews for this book which is good in my eyes as I haven't got any expectations for it. Great excerpt! :)
I'm curious about this book, although I haven't heard the best things about it. Thanks for the excerpt :)
Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books
I haven't heard entirely fabulous things about this one, but might still give it a try. The synopsis is pretty intriguing, and I adore the cover!
Sometimes, it really blows to live abroad and miss out on all those great giveaways :( Divided opinions on this one, which of course makes one quite curious :)
I am most curious about this book, the cover alone is stunning.
Aaaah, I thought the concept of this book was wonderful but as a whole I couldn't enjoy it that much. The cover is so gorgeous though, thank you for sharing the except :) <3 Benish | Feminist Reflections
Thanks for sharing the excerpt - now I really want to find out what's going to happen between Pen and Garrett...
Gorgeous tour post Jasprit :D I'm staring to get curious about this book. The cover is oh so gorgeous. I love it. Thank you for sharing about it sweetie. <3
I read this one not too long ago and just wasn't pleased with it. Haha. It just didn't work out for me for many reasons. I hope that when you do read this, though, Jasprit, you'll find a lot of things to love about it!
Faye at The Social Potato
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