Meet Dakota & Shane in the new standalone second romance, Two of Hearts! Christina Lee brings us back into the world of Between Breaths with this adult contemporary spin off standalone! Such a fabulous story! Check out more about the book, Tina’s Thoughts, read an excerpt, and make sure to enter the giveaway listed below!
Two Of Hearts
Christina Lee
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 5, 2015
A gripping standalone adult contemporary romance about finding yourself while taking a second chance at your first love…
Dakota Nakos was always the resilient, strong-willed achiever. But when her father dies and she’s entrusted with the family’s casino, she feels vulnerable, scared, and more than a little emotional –not exactly the best time to see an old lover she’s never really gotten over.
Dakota once meant the world to Shane Garrity. Then suddenly he left town to train as a U.S. Marshal, and their love for each other crashed into a memory. Now he’s come home for her father’s funeral, and one look at the girl he left behind stirs up both memories and regrets, and reignites a fire he feared he’d lost forever.
Dakota may be the same driven girl she always was, but she’s also changed in ways neither could have anticipated. She’s not just a young woman searching for own identity in the Native American community in which she was raised, but one questioning her new life outside her father’s shadow. Above all she wonders if Shane can push past her weakened defenses to rekindle what they once had, or whether the intense blaze between them will ultimately reduce her heart to ashes.
You can purchase your copy at the retailers listed below!
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble
Christina Lee has done it again! I am in love with the Between Breaths series and could not wait to get my hands on this standalone contemporary novel! This book has it all: angst, drama, intrigue, suspense, emotion, passion, and romance! The icing on the cake is that this book is about Kai’s (from the Between Breaths) sister! Two of Hearts is a perfect example of contemporary romance and I could not put it down.
This story focuses on the story of Shane and Dakota. It is more than a romance, even though that is a major driving theme. It is about a community and a family that must learn to stand strong in the face of sudden animosity and pain. It is a beautiful second chance romance, one of my absolute favorite themes, and it is done so well. Dakota is such an incredibly written female character. She is everything I expected from Christina Lee’s heroine. She is strong, powerful, confident, passionate, and determined. She is full of heart and fight- especially when she knows what she wants. There is also a soft side to Dakota. She is grieving for the loss of her father and struggling to put the pieces of her life and casino back together. I admired her drive and determination to do what was right despite the tension and hurt from those around her.
Shane is the perfect man for her and a fabulous new book boyfriend. He is strong, intelligent, sexy, and protective. His love for Dakota has never changed and his determination to make things work is heartfelt and possessive in the best way possible. He is the alpha male who can take care of Dakota and bring her spirit alive even more. These two are made for each other and their connection if based on years of friendship and an endless supply of passion, which is beautiful to see unfold.
This story is filled with themes that made me so happy. First off, we get a glimpse into some pretty spectacular worlds. The first is the casino world. I have always found casino fascinating and I loved seeing the other side- how things worked and what happens behind the scenes. Another theme I loved was the Native American culture. I love this culture and enjoy learning about their belief systems, traditions, and values. In this story you see the good and the bad of those value systems and a return to the way it was always meant to be. There is also a thread of suspense and intrigue. Shane’s investigation and the mounting tension in the tribe with the casino is so well balanced and authentic. You can feel the vulnerability and fear of all the people involved, as well as the frustrations and hurt from that speculation. You never truly know who to trust and the end took me by surprise.
This book is packed with so much and Christina takes it all in stride. She balances the themes, characters, passion, and emotion so well. You will fall in love with this book and be head over heels for Dakota and Shane’s story!
She closed her eyes on a sharp breath, looking soft and vulnerable.
Because I couldn’t help myself, my fingers left her chair and glided up her arms to her neck. Her breaths released from her lips in short pants and I considered touching my mouth to hers.
Would she let me? Would she want me to?
“Yes,” she whispered, the heat of her breaths warming the tiny sliver of air still lingering between us. “But that’s in the past. We had our chance and I . . . I got over you. So let’s leave it there.”
My stomach completely flipped over. “You got over me?”
I studied her lips edge to edge, and they trembled in response. She was so not over me.
I didn’t know what the hell was driving me. I just knew I didn’t like hearing those words. Not one damn bit.
“You got over me?” I growled as my fingers gripped the nape of her neck.
My lips brushed the line of her jaw and she shivered.
“Shane, don’t. Please,” she mumbled, her hands at my chest. “You’ll just leave again and I can’t . . . I can’t . . .”
She sounded so helpless and sad. For the first time she was allowing me to see exactly what she might have been feeling, might’ve gone through five years ago. She sounded wrecked—as wrecked as I had been.
My lips trailed to her ear. “Angel.”
To celebrate the new release and blog tour for Two Of Hearts, Christina Lee is hosting a fun giveaway! For your chance to win a $25 Gift Card (Winner’s choice of retailer) & Book Swag, enter this RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY! Just follow the instructions listed and you will be entered for your chance to win. Don’t miss out on this gun giveaway. Good luck!
Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son–her two favorite guys.
She’s addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. She believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.