Must Like Spinach by Con Riley Review Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Hi peeps, we have Con Riley stopping by with her new release Must Like Spinach, we have a great excerpt, a fantastic giveaway and Xiomara’s review, so check out the post and click that giveaway link <3 ~Pixie~

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Must Like Spinach

by

Con Riley

Jon’s future in New York seems bright. He’s on the corporate fast track as an executive problem solver, but somehow he can’t help feeling hollow. Yearning for a life spent outdoors makes no sense if he wants to flourish in this city, nor does losing his cool with clients when they make bad decisions. Only leaving the East Coast behind for three months can save his business reputation.

His exile in Seattle has unexpected upsides. Jon’s rented home has a garden where his true passions blossom. It’s overgrown yet idyllic—perfect if he didn’t have to share it with another tenant. Tyler might be as cute as hell, and their landlady adores him, but Jon can’t let himself fall for someone who seems lazy.

Three months could be enough time to see Tyler clearly, but choosing which to nurture long-term—love or a business career—might take Jon longer than one summer.

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Excerpt

Jon raises a hand to shield his eyes and finds Tyler blinking at him.

He’s a polished actor. His concerned expression sure seems genuine as he gets all up in Jon’s business. “What are you doing out here?” Tyler asks from so close that shades of slate and dove grey are visible in his wide eyes. He scans Jon’s face very carefully, as if he’s the one whose motives need assessing, and his tone deceptively softens when he adds, “You sure you’re doing okay there, bud?”

It’s a surprisingly gentle question, but Jon’s hackles rise on instinct. His abrupt response—“I’m fine.”—should be enough of an answer, but Tyler doesn’t let up his act.

“You’re fine? You sure about that? Can’t exactly say you look it.” He tilts his head and squints, like he has room to talk despite his own bad case of bedhead. It’s ridiculous that someone who no longer lives here thinks he has the right to interrogate him. That doesn’t stop Tyler from persisting. “Looks like you’re dressed for the office. So what are you doing out here?”

“I’m….”

Actually, what is he still doing here exactly?

Jon rubs at his brow where sweat has dried tight at his hairline, and frowns rather than confess he lost track of time. He doesn’t need to explain himself to someone wearing pajama pants dotted with Bambi and Thumper, even if they do look as soft as his gaze.

Deflection seems a good plan. “I’m minding my own business, bud. You might want to try it sometime.”

“Hey.” Tyler holds both hands out, palms visible, as he finally takes a step back. “I was minding my own business, getting ready for bed, when I saw you from my window.”

Getting ready for bed at this time of the morning?

It’s another line Jon has trouble believing, like the one deepening between Tyler’s eyes that suggests honest worry. He’s so good at seeming concerned. No wonder he has Peggy wrapped around his finger.

“Are you… are you sure you’re okay?” Tyler keeps up his pretense. “You know you’ve been standing in the same spot for the last ten minutes, don’t you?”

Ten minutes? It had felt like seconds. He blusters while mentally regrouping. “I have every right to be here.” Then he adds, “Like I have every right to stand around if I want.”

Jon really, truly doesn’t if he doesn’t want to be late.

The urge to look at his watch is almost overwhelming, but there’s no way he’ll acknowledge that to someone about to waste daylight hours by sleeping. He stays on the offensive, like he would in front of his old roommates. “And what do you mean you could see me from your window?” He’s not above pulling the height card, and he draws himself up as tall as he can to maximize that advantage. “The apartment isn’t yours anymore. I’m moving in today, so you better have cleared out all that crap.”

Tyler doesn’t back down or look at all like the arch manipulator he is. Instead his lips draw up into a lopsided smile Jon refuses to find attractive. “I did already,” he says while looking over Jon’s shoulder. “And I saw you from over there.”

No wonder he’s smiling.

He’s pointing at Peggy’s house instead of the garage. The man clearly isn’t done with trying to get his hands on a vulnerable senior’s money. He’s simply moved from the garage apartment to her place so he can coerce her some more.

Tyler doesn’t hang around to check out his reaction. He backs off before saying, “So I have every right to be here too, bud.”

That last word comes out teasing. It’s as infuriating as his final sentence.

“So you better get used to sharing.”

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About Con

con-riley-logo-sCon Riley lives on the wild and rugged Devonshire coast, with her head in the clouds, and her feet in the Atlantic Ocean.

Injury curtailed her enjoyment of outdoor pursuits, so writing fiction now fills her free time. Love, loss, and redemption shape her romance stories, and her characters are flawed in ways that makes them live and breathe.

When not people watching, or wrangling her own boy band of teen sons, she spends time staring at the sea from her kitchen window. If you see her, don’t disturb her—she’s probably thinking up new plots.
Website | Facebook | Amazon | Twitter 

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Giveaway!

Win an ebook of True Brit by Con Riley!

(Just click the link below)

Con Riley Rafflecopter giveaway!

(Ends 2nd November 2016)

Review

con-riley-must-like-spinach-cover-sTitle: Must Like Spinach

Author: Con Riley

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (245 pages)

ISBN: B01MCW7C0D

Publisher: Figment Ink (19th October 2016)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Xiomara

Blurb: Jon’s future in New York should be bright. He’s on the corporate fast track as an executive problem solver, yet he can’t help feeling hollow. Yearning for a life spent outdoors makes no sense if he wants to flourish in this city, nor does losing his cool with clients when they make bad decisions. Only leaving the East Coast behind for three months can save his business reputation.

His exile in Seattle has unexpected upsides. Jon’s rented home has a garden where his true passions blossom. It’s overgrown yet idyllic—perfect if he didn’t have to share it with another tenant. Tyler might be as cute as hell, and their landlady adores him, but Jon can’t let himself fall for someone who seems lazy.

Three months could be enough time to see Tyler clearly, but choosing which to nurture long-term—love or a business career—might take Jon longer than one summer.

Purchase Link: US Amazon | UK Amazon

Review: Jon has a bright future in a corporate fast track as an executive problem solver. However, no matter how bright his future seems he can’t help but feel hollow. After losing his cool with clients he has one last chance to prove himself. He didn’t expect to find a home in Seattle where he meets Tyler and Peggy, his landlady. After misjudging Tyler and getting to know the selfless young man and getting to know Peggy, old questions about what he wants for his life starts to come up. Nevertheless, he has to make decisions about his future if it’s in New York with a corner office or in Seattle with people who are quickly becoming like family to him and a backyard in need of some TLC

I felt that the love story between Jon and Tyler took a backseat. To me, it’s a good thing because it gives the plot a stronger impact when it’s not revolving around a love story. This story was mostly about Jon finding himself. I loved every side character but felt like I wanted to know a little more about them.

The only thing I didn’t like is that although he wanted to go through his mother’s things he never did. That’s why he sent for them but we only heard about them three times the whole book. And not once did he go through them. That part could have been left out of the story and the story would have still had a strong impact. Other than that I feel that this will be a book that I’ll reread again and again.

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Check out the other blogs on the tour!

October 23 – Love Bytes
October 26 – Kylie The Bookaholic
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