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Smooth Sailing
SERIES: Smooth Sailing
GENRE: Second Chance/Divorced/Widows
ENDING: HEA (They’re a couple and live Happily Ever After)
WORD COUNT: 45,000 to 59,999 (small book)
HERO’S AGE: Over 50
HEROINE’S AGE: Over 50
HEAT LEVEL: Steamy (Talk Dirty To Me)
GRAPHIC LANGUAGE: Just a little (No “F” Bombs, but a little other stuff, no explicit sex)
*****
When recently-divorced Edie Montgomery discovers the cruise she’s been booked on is called the Meet Your Mature Match cruise, she wants to grab her luggage and run. Widower Adam Armstrong is kicking himself for taking on the assignment of reviewing a cruise catering to the over-fifty crowd. Sure, he’s over fifty, but he’s not seeking a match–mature or otherwise. But romance and love aren’t only reserved for the young.
READ AN EXCERPT
Edie folded the papers and deposited her ID and passport in her purse, clutching her cruise card. “Thanks.” Her heart pounded as she exited the building and stood before the massive ship. She tilted her face up into the sun and slowly took in the full height of the vessel.
Someone bumped her shoulder, and the overnight bag slid down her arm to the ground.
“Oops, sorry.” The voice, a smooth baritone, hummed in her ear.
As she bent to retrieve the bag, the man did the same. Their faces nearly collided. Edie stared into the warmest whiskey brown eyes she had ever seen. Her breath caught.
The man picked up the bag and glanced at the name tag attached. “I’m sorry… Eden. I should watch where I’m going.” He continued to grasp her bag. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“Pardon?”
“These ships are amazing. Every time I board one, I have to stop to take in the grandeur.”
She squinted at him and placed an open palm across her brow to block the sun. “Yes. Amazing.” Graying dark hair framed a tanned face. Dark brown eyes flecked with gold smiled down at her. “Do I know you?” she asked.
“I doubt it. I would have remembered our meeting. You are Eden…?”
“Edi… Eden Montgomery. You look very familiar.”
“Eden—like the proverbial paradise garden?”
A flush spread across her chest. “I… uh…” Was he flirting?
“Adam Armstrong.”
Adam, as in the first man on earth? The thought went unspoken. Recognition of the name hit her. “Oh, the travel guy from the magazine.” She shifted the squint from her right eye to her left.
Adam laughed. “That’s me. The travel guy.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Other passengers edged past them to ascend the gangway. “Well, perhaps we should board.” She reached for her bag.
“I’ve got it.” He placed a hand at her elbow to steer her toward the ramp. And the old Edie allowed him to do so.
“Is this your first cruise?” Adam asked.
“Yes. Does it show?”
“Not really. Well, maybe a little. Most passengers don’t stare at the ship like they’re entering the Emerald City.”
“That’s me—Dorothy. Or maybe I’m the lion.”
“Cowardly?”
“I used to be.”
Meet Linda Rettstatt
Linda Rettstatt is a best selling and award-winning author of Women’s Fiction and Contemporary and Seasoned Romance.
Linda is a self-described storyteller who writes stories of strength, love, humor, and hope. Her work has finaled for the EPIC eBook Awards five times. Her novel, Love, Sam won the award for Mainstream Fiction in 2012. Ladies in Waiting won the 2016 award for Contemporary Fiction. Linda was named one of the Self-publishing Stars of 2015 by Booklife in Publishers Weekly for her book The Real Thing.
A Yankee from Pennsylvania, Linda now resides in Northwest Mississippi with her slightly neurotic cat, Binky.