Heâs the last man on earth she should want...
For a guy sheâs fantasized about throttling, Jake Bradshaw sure is easy on the eyes. In fact, he seriously tempts inn manager Jenny Salazar to put her hands to better use. Except this is the guy who left Razor Bayâand his young son, Austin, whom Jenny adores like her ownâto become a globe-trotting photojournalist. He canât just waltz back and claim Austin now.
Jake was little more than a kid himself when he became a dad. Sure, heâd dreamed of escaping the resort town, but heâd also truly believed that Austin was better off with his grandparents. Now he wantsâno, needsâto make up for his mistake. He intends to stay in Razor Bay only until he can convince Austin to return with him to New York. Trouble is, with sexy, protective, utterly irresistible Jenny in his life, and his bed, he may never want to leave....
Reviewers love New York Times bestselling author
SUSAN ANDERSEN
âA smart, arousing, spirited escapade
that is graced with a gentle mystery, a vulnerable, resilient heroine, and a worthy, wounded hero and served up with empathy and a humorous flair.â âLibrary Journal on Burning Up
â[A] fast-paced, charming romance
with plenty of heat and cool dialog.â âRT Book Reviews on Burning Up
âA sexy, feel-good contemporary romance....
Palpable escalating sexual tension between the pair, a dangerous criminal on the loose and a cast of well-developed secondary characters make this a winner.â âPublishers Weekly on Bending the Rules
âThis start of Andersenâs new series has fun and interesting characters, solid action and a hot and sexy romance.â
âRT Book Reviews on Cutting Loose
âSnappy and sexy.... Upbeat and fun, with a touch of danger and passion, this is a great summer read.â
âRT Book Reviews on Coming Undone
âLovers of romance, passion and laughs
should go all in for this one.â âPublishers Weekly on Just for Kicks
âAndersen again injects magic into a story that would be clichéd in anotherâs hands, delivering warm, vulnerable characters in a touching yet suspenseful read.â
âPublishers Weekly on Skintight, starred review
âA classic plot line receives a fresh, fun treatment....
Well-developed secondary characters add depth to this zesty novel, placing it a level beyond most of its competition.â âPublishers Weekly on Hot & Bothered
Dear Reader,
I am so excited about my new series. This first Razor Bay book stars Jake Bradshaw, a man whoâs made a lot of mistakes, and Jenny Salazar, the take-no-crap woman who holds his full attention. And I got to plunk the fictional resort town down on Hood Canal, an area that holds a lifetime of memories for me.
Most people hear the word canal and picture man-made waterways. This canal is actually a natural sixty-five-mile saltwater fjord in western Washington. I was just a baby when my folks discovered it. Every summer for two weeks, I ran wild with my brothers and cousins, swimming in icy, superbuoyant water until my fingers and toes were pruney, playing until the sun sank behind the soaring Olympic Mountains, roasting marshmallows and hot dogs over blazing bonfires. When I was nine, my folks bought land on the beach and built a little cabin on it. This, to me, is the most beautiful, peaceful spot on earth.
Itâs likely a no-brainer to tell you I consider Razor Bay a character in its own right. So trust me when I tell you itâs my dearest wish that you enjoy it, too, alongside Jake and Jenny and the folks of Razor Bay.
~Susan
This is dedicated, with love, to my friends in the industry, both old and new.
To Jen Heaton, who, despite a crazy busy life, always carves out time to brainstorm with me, to haul me back on track and make my work better, and is just an all-around really good friend To The M&MsâMeg Ruley and Margo Lipschultzâ my wonderful, marvelous, worldâs best agent and editor To Robyn Carr, Kristan Higgins and Jill Shalvis, for daily posts, a host of laughs and shared tears And to all you readers, without whom Iâd be writing this stuff just for myself. Thank you for your loyalty, lovely emails and Facebook friendships Plus a special thanks to the brilliant Robin Franzen, R.N., who allowed me to have my chicken pox and excuse it, too.
PROLOGUE
February 23
Razor Bay, Washington
âJEEZ, JENNY, are they ever gonna go home?â
Jennifer Salazar heard the half angry, half plaintive query beneath the rise and fall of conversation coming from the dining room. Outside, gusts of wind, howling down out of Canada, chased rain from the Olympic Mountains rising across the water to ping and rattle against the venerable old Craftsman on the bluff.