It’s time to reveal the cover of The Girlfriend!
After the cover, stick around for the blurb, an excerpt, and to find out how you can win the e-book version of The Girlfriend!
Unemployed, blacklisted, and pregnant, Sophie Scaife’s life is totally upside down. Her relationship with publishing magnate Neil Elwood is on the rocks. Her best friend’s career is igniting. And Sophie is afraid she’ll make one of the toughest decisions of her life alone…
When a devastating diagnosis forces Neil to return to London, Sophie throws caution to the wind to follow her heart across the Atlantic. Keeping a scorching D/s affair as red-hot in sickness as it was in health is a challenge, even for two lovers as inventive as Sophie and Neil. But Sophie is more than willing to try anything her Sir commands, and their fantasies of control become a welcome refuge from the daily stress of illness.
While Neil’s wealth and privilege make adjusting to her new situation easier, Sophie finds herself rebuilding her life around an uncertain future. And while both of them face the changes between them head-on, they’re all too aware that their happiness could be fleeting—and Sophie could lose Neil forever.
The Girlfriend will be available in paperback and e-book August 20th! Check JennyTrout.com for buy links, and to read the prequel, The Boss, as a pay-what-you-want e-book download!
Enter to win an e-book copy of The Girlfriend in this Rafflecopter giveaway
So, here’s the deal: when I signed bloggers up for the cover reveal, I gave them a choice of either a sweet or a spicy excerpt. But since I’m the author, I can give you both, if I wanna. And that’s what I’m doing. Here’s the sweet one. If you want to read the spicy one, you’ll find it behind a jump at the bottom of the post.
Warning: The following excerpt will probably make you go, “Awwww!”
After a delicious course of vegan plum pudding for dessert, we went back to the drawing room to exchange gifts and have cocktails. We were all happy and relaxed, chatting amicably when Emma, a twinkle in her eyes, said, “Dad, please tell me you made Sophie do the shoe thing.”
“Shoe thing?” I raised an eyebrow.
“There was a tradition my father’s family had when he was a child, and he passed it on to us,” Neil explained. “You left your shoe in the window on Christmas eve, instead of hanging up a stocking by the fireplace.”
“Sophie, you are going to be so confused,” Emma said with a laugh. “There are like twenty-seven Santas in Iceland.”
“Oh no, was I supposed to set out twenty-seven shoes, then?” I teased Neil. “I didn’t even leave out one, the staff here pick everything up the minute you leave it unattended.”
“Not to worry, I did it for you.” He smiled his mysterious half smile and pointed to the tall windows behind the tree.
Rising from the sofa, I went off in the direction he’d pointed. In the corner of the low windowsill, a gorgeous nude-colored Christian Louboutin pump waited with an envelope inside.
I picked up the shoe reverently. It was goddamned beautiful, shiny, and oh, such a sexy tall heel. I slipped one of my own shoes off, took the envelope out of the Loubou, and tried the shoe on immediately. It fit perfectly. I thought of Neil carefully examining my shoes while I had packed. He’d gotten this before we’d left New York.
“What’s in the envelope?” Emma asked, snuggling closer to Michael on the velvet upholstered setee.
I unfolded the paper inside and read the note silently.
My darling Sophie,
The other shoe is waiting for you upstairs. Be sure to pack them when we leave for Paris for New Year’s Eve.
Merry Christmas, and all my love,
N
“Well, what does it say?” Emma demanded.
I raised my head, beaming, momentarily speechless. “Neil is taking me to Paris for New Year’s.”
“Go Dad!” Emma said, giving him a thumbs up. “Very romantic.”
I went to Neil and leaned down to kiss him briefly. I’d save the utter mauling for when we were alone. “Thank you. You’re wonderful.”
“Speaking of romantic,” Michael said, nudging Emma. “Remember when you said you thought Christmas-themed proposals were romantic?”
Neil’s attention shifted sharply. I looked up, my focus drifting with everyone else’s toward Emma and Michael. You could have heard a pin drop as Michael rose from the couch, then took a knee in front of her.
“Oh my god,” Valerie said softly, her hand flying up to her mouth.
The expression on Neil’s face echoed Valerie’s sentiment, but for the opposite reason. His facial “Oh my god,” was more like, “Oh my god, that bear is eating my loved one.”
“Emma, I am… so in love with you,” Michael said, his voice breaking with emotion. “And I know how important family is to you. So that’s why I wanted them with us when we started our family together. Emma, will you marry me?”
My knees went weak at the adorableness. A tear rolled down Emma’s cheek, and she wiped it away with her knuckle as she nodded frantically, and giggled, “Yes!
Warning: The following excerpt is hot, hot, hot! NSFW, most definitely.