Crushed
by R.S. Novelle
Publication date: June 7th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis
Brooklyn has decided to stick around campus to pursue her Master’s Degree while her boyfriend chases a job opportunity in Chicago. After discovering that long distance relations rarely work out, her best friend helps her to decide that she needs to put down the daily pints of therapeutic ice cream and join their local gym.
Though resistant to the idea at first, Brooklyn relents and finds that things quickly heat up with her new personal trainer Collin. Is it just a flirtatious crush, or is there something real there? And will the blind date her best friend has also committed her to have any weight in the decision on whether or not Brooklyn will pursue her chances with Collin?
Though resistant to the idea at first, Brooklyn relents and finds that things quickly heat up with her new personal trainer Collin. Is it just a flirtatious crush, or is there something real there? And will the blind date her best friend has also committed her to have any weight in the decision on whether or not Brooklyn will pursue her chances with Collin?
Crushed Excerpt
By Renee Novelle
As soon as I walked
through the perfectly polished glass doors, I was assaulted by a rush of bright
colors, vibrant music and overly friendly people just dying to put their bodies
through the most grueling workout they could endure. And I had to admit to
myself, their enthusiasm was a little contagious. People of all shapes, sizes
and ages surrounded me, and I began to feel those nerves dissolve – just a
little bit.
Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn’t be so bad after
all.
And that’s when I saw
him. He was leaning casually against the check-in desk, the absurdly chiseled
muscles of his arm flexing under the weight of his
perfect body. They were easy to see, thanks to the black top he’d cut the sides
out of. His dark brown eyes glistened with boyish mischief while his lips
curled into an appealingly delicious smile. The low rumble of laughter that
flowed from his chest moved through me, over me, and almost immediately – I’m
ashamed to say – I could picture myself in those sexy arms with his hands
moving in all sorts of ways. It was one of those knock-down-drag-out images
that stilled me in my tracks. And I’m pretty certain my face turned a million
shades of red.
All at once, I felt
those nerves flooding back. Only they were a thousand times stronger than
they’d been in the parking lot, and for a fairly long second I thought I might
hurl right then and there. But I swallowed down the sensation, clenched my
jittery hands and tried my best to manage a natural smile as Savannah walked
confidently up to scan her little card. As we approached the desk, getting
closer and closer to the hottie at the side, I secretly wished I’d worn a cute
little outfit like Savannah’s...
Everyone behind the
desk greeted her by name – she was daily regular, and she had the body to
account for it. I crept up timidly behind her, hoping that no one noticed me.
But I didn’t stand a chance at that for too long. Before I realized what had
happened, Savannah had turned around and gestured in my direction. “This is my
friend Brooklyn, she’s signing up today.”
Suddenly, all eyes
were on me. Including the hot stranger’s. And I felt my face blush against my
will again. “Hi.” I waved timidly, and I could feel him smiling beside me.
“Cute name.” He said,
but I’m pretty sure I was the only one who heard him. And I was also pretty
sure I was crushing on him pretty hard.
After getting the
necessary pre-requisites out of the way about how trials and memberships work,
and after they gave me their boring sales run-down with the hopes of converting
me right then and there, I was given a little card like Savannah’s that would
only be active for a week. Then the main girl behind the counter with the
too-chipper voice said, “You also get one free session with a personal trainer with
your trial. Did you want to use that today? Most people say it helps them to
get familiar with the equipment.” She shrugged.
I opened my mouth to
object, but before I could push the words out, Savannah had gestured toward the
hot guy who was still leaning against the counter. “Collin, you’re a personal
trainer, right?”
My head jerked in his
direction, and I wondered if my expression looked as panicked as I felt.
Knowing Savannah like I did, I knew exactly where this was going.
“Yeah, sure am.” He
smiled as he straightened.
“Great!” She was
overly enthusiastic, and I felt my morbid embarrassment heighten. “Do you have
time to show her around?”
“I’m on in ten.” After
glancing at a clock on the wall, he turned his full attention directly to me.
“Want to meet me over by the lockers?”
Everything in me
wanted to scream yes! with the same
force that it wanted to bolt right back out the door, get in my car, and never
return. I was torn, undecided on which would be the least embarrassing, and the
internal controversy had paralyzed my ability to respond with any ounce of
smoothness. Finally, I felt myself nodding my head, and he seemed to accept
this as a positive confirmation.
“Great. See you in a
few minutes.” There was a slight chance he might have winked at the end. But it
also could’ve been the sun streaming in through the all the windows at the
front of the building, so I tried my best not to get my hopes up. As he walked
away, assumedly to change into a less distracting ensemble, I wondered if
anyone else noticed my gaping mouth as I stared at his impossibly tight ass and
broad, well-defined shoulders. When Savannah nudged me, I decided that was
confirmation enough.
Though I would never
admit this to her in a hundred years, it was occurring to me that maybe my
friend had been right – maybe this was exactly
what I needed. Hell, I was beginning to feel better already.
Renee' Novelle is preceded by a long line of published family members, including Pulitzer Prize nominated author and Poet Laureate of Kentucky Jesse Stuart.As a child, Novelle was already gaining recognition for several of her works, and in her formative years, she continued this trend by earning local awards for her short stories and poems.
Inspired to cultivate her talent, Novelle pursued freelance journalism and has found placement of more than 80 of her pieces in both online and print publications since 2008. Additionally, she has written multiple screenplays, and contributed her savvy, effective writing style to many non-profit and for profit organizations. She also launched several blogs over the years, which garnered international attention.
In 2013, Novelle returned to her first love - fiction. Writing under the names Renee Novelle and R.S. Novelle, she has a publication schedule that includes psychological thrillers, suspense, paranormal fiction, contemporary women's fiction, chick lit, and new adult.
Though she received her Bachelor's of Science in Communication, Summa Cum Laude, she considers herself a constant student of the written word. She's an avid reader, an enthusiastic quote poster, and rarely takes "no" as a final answer. She has an unhealthy obsession for theater, dance, music and art, and strongly believes that wine is simultaneously the beginning of, and resolution to, all of life's problems. She believes in following dreams, and that in the end, you always end up where you're meant to be.
For more information, to view pictures, read blog posts and see the upcoming release schedule, please visit the website at www.RSNovelle.com
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Latitudes
Skylar had spent her entire summer after college
graduation in Key West for an internship at the Aquarium. And the experience
had changed her in more ways than she’d realized. Gone was the sorority
princess with materialistic ideals, and she was embracing the more authentic
version of herself that was emerging in its place. Now, she wasn’t sure if she
really wanted to return to the life she used to live, and to the fiancé who had
already proven himself unfaithful to her.
Just a few days before she’s supposed to leave, Skylar
meets Cooper – and the shy, rugged, gentle man is everything she never knew she
needed. There’s no denying the connection between them, but is he enough of a
reason for her stay? Can she be strong enough to give up the life she no longer
wants to take a chance on the possibility of something better? Skylar discovers
if she can give herself the latitude she needs to change her life, or if she’ll
fall back into the rut of a predictable existence.
Dance with Me
By the time she’d graduated high school, Addison had
found who she thought was the perfect boyfriend, and was excited about the
prospects of a promising dance career for them both in New York City. The world
was at her fingertips. But when Preston disappeared without explanation the
night before they were supposed to move together, her illusion of the perfect
life was shattered to pieces.
Putting the past behind her, she pursued her path
alone and built the career she’d always dreamt of. But no one had been able to
fill the gap that Preston had left behind. No one, that is, except Preston
himself.
Addison finds herself wrestling with conflicting
emotions when Preston joins the company she dances for now. And when she
discovers that he’s been cast as her partner, she’s afraid that the resentment
she’s held against him might be too much. Will she be able to forgive him in
time to save her career? And can they reconcile enough for a second chance
together?
Crushed
Brooklyn has decided to stick around campus to pursue
her Master’s Degree while her boyfriend chases a job opportunity in Chicago.
After discovering that long distance relations rarely work out, her best friend
helps her to decide that she needs to put down the daily pints of therapeutic
ice cream and join their local gym.
Though resistant to the idea at first, Brooklyn
relents and finds that things quickly heat up with her new personal trainer
Collin. Is it just a flirtatious crush, or is there something real there? And
will the blind date her best friend has also committed her to have any weight
in the decision on whether or not Brooklyn will pursue her chances with
Collin?
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