Praise for the novels of
STEPHANIE
BOND
âThe perfect summer read.â
âRomance Reviews Today on Sand, Sunâ¦Seduction!
â[My Favorite Mistake] illustrates the authorâs gift for
weaving original, brilliant romance that readers find impossible to put down.â
âWordweaving.com
âThis book is so hot it sizzles.â
âOnce Upon a Romance on
She Did a Bad, Bad Thing
âAn author who has
remained on my âmust-buyâ list for years.â
âRomance Reviews Today
âTrue-to-life, romantic and witty,
as weâve come to expect from Ms. Bond.â
âThe Best Reviews
âStephanie Bond never fails to entertain me
and deserves to be an auto-buy.â
âRomance Reviews Today
âWeâre way behind schedule,â Marcus Armstrong announced.
âThatâs ridiculous,â Porter Armstrong said, smacking his hand on the desk between them. âWeâre way ahead of schedule!â
Kendall Armstrong looked back and forth between his older brother and his younger brother and gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to jump in, like always, to mediate between his stubborn siblings. Serious-minded Marcus had a tendency to be overly cautious, and the more reckless Porter had a predisposition for leaping before he lookedâliterally. His younger brother had only recently rid himself of the casts on his broken leg and broken arm that had kept him hobbled for the whole summer and most of the fall. With the holidays behind them and a new year begun, everyone was feeling the pressure of the one year plus change that remained on the federal deadline to prove their green experiment of rebuilding the mountain town of Sweetness, Georgia, would work. The brothers had started from nothingâworse than nothing, really. Ten years ago an F5 tornado had flattened their small hometown, sparing human life, but obliterating businesses and homes. The devastation had been the death knell for the tiny town already dwindling in population and economic prosperity. The town council had elected not to reorganize; residents had relocated. When the Armstrongs had arrived a year ago, the roads into Sweetness were choked and overgrown, the land consumed with kudzu vines and littered remains of buildings, vehicles and trees shorn by the twister. Wild animals roamed freely among the rubble. It was as if the outside world had forgotten about Sweetness.
Now, including the two hundred and fifty or so workers the men employed, the hundred or so women whoâd come en masse from Broadway, Michigan, in response to an ad the brothers had placed in a local newspaper, looking for women who wanted a fresh start, their children and miscellaneous relatives who had since followed, and various professionals and trade experts whoâd come to help them shape the town, the population of Sweetness had grown toâ Kendall turned his head to look at the latest number written on the chalkboard by the doorâ536. âAhead of schedule?â Marcus said to Porter. âWhat calendar are you looking at?â
âThe same one youâre looking at,â Porter said, jerking his thumb toward the giant calendar that papered the walls of the office.
âOh, yeah?â
âYeah!â
They suddenly stopped and looked over at Kendall, who sat in a chair across the room.
âArenât you going to weigh in?â Marcus asked.
âYouâre just going to sit there?â Porter said.
Kendall pursed his mouth and nodded. âThatâs right.â He scooted his seat back against the wall, then made a rolling motion with his hands. âGo ahead, have at each other. Settle this like real men. Porter hasnât been in a cast for a while.â
Marcus frowned. âYou donât have to be sarcastic.â
Porter scowled. âYeah, it doesnât suit you, brother.â
Anger sparked in Kendallâs stomach, sending him to his feet. âReally? Because it feels pretty damn good! Iâm tired of constantly trying to wrestle you both back to middle ground. Youâre wearing me out. I have half a mind to leave this place and never come back!â