Chasing Trust
Harper Family Series, Book 3
Author: Nancy Stopper
Release Date: February 27, 2019
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MC12PBL/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43609185-chasing-trust
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/chasing-trust-a-small-town-steamy-romance-harper-family-series-book-3-by-nancy-stopper
The world is his home, she’s afraid to trust those who she can’t hold close. Can the two of them find a way to make their ten year long fantasies a reality?
Serena Harper leads a good life, rescuing animals that need saving. After her high school boyfriend cheated on her and discovering her father’s betrayal, she’s content to live her life alone. She’s known the men in Cedar Hill her entire life, and she can’t trust someone who doesn’t stay put.
She reconsiders everything she held true when Chase walks back into her life.
World-renowned photojournalist, Edward “Chase” Foster’s home is the world, only staying in one place long enough to share the struggles of the world through his photographs. His work has taken an emotional toll, so he jumps at the chance to work an easy assignment—a charity calendar for a local animal shelter. He certainly didn’t expect to run into the girl who intrigued him from the day he met her ten years ago on the Atlantic City boardwalk.
The girl whose image has accompanied him around the world.
Now that Chase and Serena have reunited, they are determined to find a way to be together. To explore the attraction that has been lingering below the surface for all these years. But is Serena ready to let go of her deep-seeded trust issues in order to open her heart to Chase? Is Chase willing to put down roots after all these years? Will both of them compromise for a chance at forever?
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Formats: ebook on Amazon in Kindle Unlimited
Length: 270 pages
About the Author:
Living in beautiful northern Virginia, Nancy dreams of small-town living where the everyone knows everyone else (including their business) and neighbors wave when you pass. Since she doesn’t live in one, she creates them for everyone else to enjoy through her books.
She’s a mom to (almost) 2 college students and 1 middle schooler who has spent more hours at the baseball field and the dance studio than she cares to admit. With her husband, her primary goal is to finish raising her 3 kids into productive adults!
Nancy writes small-town contemporary romance with sexy heroes and strong heroines. Her books tug at your emotional heartstrings and leave you with a warm feeling that lingers long after the last page. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Washington Romance Writers, and Virginia Romance Writers.
Twitter:
Excerpt 1:
Serena didn’t know how much longer she could hold on to the shelter with their current level of funding. The town had a small line-item in their budget for basics… and the donation fees she charged helped out a lot. But there were more animals than ever in need of saving, and she was just one person. She couldn’t save every animal in the world, as much as she’d like to. To give each of them the loving home they deserved.
Thankfully, the building had a small cabin out back that she’d made her own, meaning she didn’t have a rent payment every month. And she ate more meals at her mom’s or siblings’ houses than she should. Anything to have a few more dollars free to help the animals.
But it wasn’t a sustainable living. And it certainly didn’t give her the option of imagining her future family like her siblings had found. If she wanted a family. She loved her brother and sisters but growing up with her father was not a childhood she would wish on anyone.
She checked her watch. Where was this photographer anyway? Maybe he’d caught one glimpse of her little shelter out in the middle-of-nowhere-Pennsylvania and high-tailed it back to wherever he came from. She wouldn’t be surprised. Why would an internationally-acclaimed photographer want to do something as simple as take photos of dogs for a calendar anyway?
Not that she was complaining—just skeptical.
Serena collected Sadie out of her kennel. Most of her dogs were mutts, and Sadie was no exception. From what she could figure, there had to be some terrier mix in her, but it was hard to tell. It didn’t matter. Serena loved them all and besides, mutts made for better pets. She didn’t know why so many people insisted on paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a purebred dog when a cutie like Sadie would love them just as much, if not more. And it only cost a small token amount to help keep the shelter running.
She dug her nose into Sadie’s fur. “Yeah, sweetie, wouldn’t you love someone to take you home and love you?”
“I know I would.”
She screamed and hopped to her feet at the sound of the deep male voice behind her…
Excerpt 2:
They strolled down the boardwalk, their hands swinging between them as they shared a huge stick of pink cotton candy. Strands of the spun sugar caught on the corner of her mouth and when she licked her lips, it was all he could do not to kiss her right there in the middle of everyone. But he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. He had to get her alone… and soon.
Chase wracked his brain for a place to be alone and then decided the Adirondack chairs would be the perfect location. They had worked last time, it was worth exploring it now.
He guided her down the wide, concrete stairs to the hard-pressed sand and before long, found the row of chairs. Yep, they were exactly where they had been then, too. Serena looked to him and in that minute, he knew that everything he’d done in the past ten years had led to this moment with Serena. He hadn’t been the man he needed to be back then, restless, arrogant with restless feet, ready to explore the world. And besides, she had been too young for him. But she had grown too and was now exactly who he needed in his life.
He guided her into one of the huge Adirondack chairs and then slid in beside her, his arm snaking around her shoulders and pulling her close.
She turned, her gaze landing on his, her eyes dancing with excitement. “This feels like that day we met all over again.”
“I wanted to recreate that day because it meant so much to me. I thought maybe we could start over as the people we are now.”
“That was one of the best days of my life, too. For a long time, I searched for your face in every crowd, thinking that maybe you’d found your way back to me. It just took a little longer than I expected.” She bit her lip, hesitant with what she was getting ready to say. That was okay. He could be patient. “You were my first kiss. And you ruined me for anyone else. I tried, but none of them were you.” With those words, she settled into his side, his other arm circling her and pulling her into his embrace. Underneath the boardwalk, the sounds of the pier faded away and it was as if the world outside of their bubble no longer existed. For a long time, he stared out at the ocean, its waves crashing against the beach in a soothing rhythm, and then pulling back out to sea. In and out, back and forth, give and take. Much like life.
Eventually, the sun dipped down behind the skyscrapers that lined the street across from the beach, and long shadows stretched along the sand. If he could find a way, he would slow time and live in this perfect moment for a bit longer.
He shifted Serena so she was looking at him. His gaze traveled to her lips and her tongue swiped across them. That was all the invitation he needed. As her hands slipped around his neck, his slid to her waist, his fingers digging into her hips as he lowered his head. The minute his lips brushed hers, he was a goner.
Her mouth was soft against his, the sweet flavor of strawberry cotton candy on her lips. He tilted his head, this time sliding his tongue along the seam of her mouth. She hesitated a moment and then opened to him. He didn’t waste any time sweeping his tongue into her mouth, tasting her, drinking her in. Her arms tightened around his neck, like she needed the support. Thank God they were sitting down. Otherwise his knees would surely buckle from the depth of sensation. After all these years, after what he’d seen in the world, he’d come full circle, back to the girl that inspired him.
He squeezed her waist, his fingers itching to slide up her torso, to palm her perfect breast. But he hesitated. She’d placed her trust in him today, and he knew her inner struggle after he’d waited so long to tell her who he was. He wasn’t about to betray that trust. Besides, now that he was staying in Cedar Hill for a little while, he’d have plenty of time to explore every inch of her body.
And he had every intention of doing exactly that. When she was ready.
Chasing Trust
A Harper Family Romance Book 3
By Nancy Stopper
Review by Heidi Lynn's BookReviews
First, I want to
thank Nancy Stopper for providing me with this book so I may bring you this
review.
Chasing Trust is
Nancy Stoppers third book in the Harper Family Romance Series. It can be read
as a standalone or as part of the series. Out of all three of the books in this
series so far this one by far was my favorite and left a smile on my face.
If you have a soft
spot for dogs then Nancy wrote the book for you! Serena is very passionate
about the dog shelter that she runs. She has a huge heart of gold for all of
the dogs that she takes care of there and at home.
Nancy wrote an
incredible story involving two wonderful characters Chase and Serena that were
from two different backgrounds. They met by chance when they were young and
reconnected years later. Plus, the ups and downs of life that always gets in
never forgot eachother growing up. This is their story on how they met and
the way. It is a story that will make you believe in fate, destiny and love.
I absolutely loved
that Serena twin sister was an author who wrote psychological thrillers. Those are
my absolute favorite genres of books to read.
Amanda Kelsey of Razzle
Dazzle Designs needs to be commended for the breathtaking cover of Chasing
Trust. The colors that were chosen for
the cover were beautiful. Not to mention the couple on the front represent
Chase and Serena perfectly. Well done Amanda!
