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A Man For Mia
Sweet Adult Romance
Black Lyon Publishing, LLC.
ISBN : 978-0-9793252-36-2
Legnth : 54,000 words - 170 pages
Available : April 15, 2011
In Print & Ebook
Photographer Drew Harper's sister is convinced of one thing: the resident of 410 South Elm Street is her husband's mistress. The cheater had sent roses there after all. When Drew helps with a little reconnaissance at that address, he meets Mia - who doesn't seem the mistress type at all. In fact, she seems like a once-in-a-lifetime kind of woman...
Plagued by survivor's guilt from the kind of loss no one could guess, Mia Stallone is afraid to let herself be happy again. When Drew shows up in her yard asking questions, she feels a spark she never thought she'd feel again. But is his interest in her only in gaining information for his sister? And will he still love her when he learns the truth behind her loss - or solves the mystery of that rose delivery and her roommate's connection to it?
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Chapter One
He’d never tried to stop anyone from committing murder before.
It was definitely a nerve-wracking business, Drew Harper realized as he sat tense in the passenger seat of his sister’s six-year old Honda Civic while she blew a four-way stop and careened around a corner, making the tires screech in protest.
He yelped out a curse and clutched the seatbelt strapped over his chest. “What in the world are you doing?”
“I told you not to come,” she muttered, her murderous glare fixed steadily ahead.
“Well, what do you expect me to do,” he retorted. “When I find you storming out the door with a gun in your hand and muttering something about killing a cheating witch?”
Good Lord, he knew he shouldn’t have stopped by her place to raid her refrigerator. But he’d been starving, there’d been no cash in his wallet and his own kitchen was bare of the essentials. And besides, he honestly hadn’t expected to find anyone home. His two nieces should be in school, his nephew in day care, and both their parents gone to work. Instead, he’d snuck in the back door to discover Amanda stuffing a handgun into her purse and marching determinedly toward the exit.
“Care to tell me what’s going on?” he asked, surprised he was able to sound so casual about the whole situation, when in truth, his heart thumped against his ribcage, and he feared he just might have a stroke if his sister blew another—
“Stop light!” he yelled, already bracing himself.
Amanda hit the brake. The seatbelt caught him tight, ripping another stream of curses from his lungs.
“Are you totally out of your mind,” he exploded.
“Last chance to get out,” she said from between clenched teeth, sending a meaningful glance toward the curb.
“No,” he told her. “Mandy, this is insane. You’re a PTA mother for God’s sake. What’s gotten into you?”
The light turned green. She punched the gas, tearing through the intersection. “Jeffrey’s cheating on me.”
Drew sucked in a breath. “What?!” He knew his brother-in-law looked at other women and occasionally flirted...but touching? He snorted. “No way”
“Way,” Mandy growled. Her voice vibrated with emotion and when he glanced over, he realized her entire body quivered from a barely suppressed rage.
He figured arguing with her over the point while she was still in control of the vehicle wasn’t smart. So, he more calmly asked, “And you’re sure of this because...?”
“Because I’m not stupid,” she hissed. “There’s a florist charge on the credit card bill. And that jerk never sent me any flowers. He never sent our daughters flowers. I called his mother today. She hasn’t received any flowers. He sent them to his little woman. I just know it.”
Drew blew out a breath and scrubbed his hand over his face.
Still trying to think up something logical to say in which to talk her out of, well, whatever she was trying to do, he sucked in a breath when she jerked the steering wheel to the right and slammed them to a stop. Clambering blindly for the armrest, he looked up, only to find them in a peacefully quiet neighborhood with trees lining the street and a pair of young children playing in the yard a few doors up.
“This is it,” she murmured, sounding too malicious for his comfort.
Following her gaze to a small light-green bungalow with white trim, he frowned and glanced toward his sister. Her eyes gleamed with an intensity that, frankly, spooked him.
Turning back, he studied the harmless-looking house. “This is what?” he asked. “Who lives here?”
“Her,” Amanda breathed the word. “Jeffrey’s mistress.”
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Reviews
Night Owl Reviews (4.25 Stars)
Linda Kage shares a story of heartache and hope, distress and desire. Mia is a woman who survives something so painful it isn't hard to simply feel sorry for her, but more than that I felt a connection with her. I wanted her to find happiness and Drew seemed to be the one man who could help her find it. I felt bad for Drew as he was stuck between two women he has strong feelings for. He wasn't the bad guy in the situation and yet it seemed that he was the one left to deal with all the fallout. This was a sweet and insightful story dealing with not just one sensitive subject matter but many difficult issues. The tone and setting had an almost soothing effect. The supporting characters were just as well developed as the lead couple and I'd love to see a few of them get their very own stories. I am looking forward to seeing what else this author has to offer. This is an absolute must-read if you enjoy your romances on the soft and gentle side.
Single Titles (4 Stars)
A Man For Mia is an intricate story that involves two people who have something special, only to have outside loyalties driving them apart. I really felt for both Mia and Drew who were both caught in the middle. Mia’s story about her past is truly heartbreaking and Drew is fantastic when the truth comes out. A wonderful read.
Long and Short of It Reviews (4 Stars)
A Man for Mia is certainly a story that tugs at the heartstrings.
Drew and Mia meet under less than ideal circumstances. When Drew walks up to Mia’s house, he has one goal; find out if Mia is his brother-in-law’s mistress. I couldn’t help but smile a little as Drew reluctantly approached Mia’s house in order to keep his sister from going crazy. However, the moment he meets Mia, he feels an attraction so powerful he can’t ignore it. It was certainly a delightful love at first sight moment.
Mia is surprised to feel something herself. For the past three years, she’d been walking around in a daze. For the first time since her tragic loss, she dares to hope she might actually have a chance at healing her soul. Unfortunately, battle lines are being drawn and Drew and Mia are on opposite sides. Drew’s true reason for visiting will soon come to light, and Mia has some secrets of her own. Will their love survive the coming conflict?
My heart literally ached for Mia. Throughout the story, Ms. Kage gave little glimpses of the loss that Mia suffered, but waited until close to the end of the book to tell the complete story. Tears were streaming down my face as Mia confessed the secret of her past to Drew. I have so much admiration for Mia as a character. She’s loving, loyal, and stronger than most people in her situation would be. I liked that her strengths were balanced by some insecurities and fears that she struggled with on a daily basis. This only made her seem more and more like a real person in my mind. Her healing process has been long, but what impressed me most about her was that she never gave up. She was terrified of seeking Drew out again after their first encounter, but she did it. Throughout the story, she kept pushing herself and testing her limits. I truly enjoyed watching her learn to live again.
Drew is a classic hero, and he had my sympathy from page one. He never directly causes any of the trouble he finds himself in, yet he always seems to be the one left to clean everything up. I found myself irritated that he was always the one to deal with the fallout. Throughout the story, Drew is trying to balance his attraction for Mia against his loyalty to his sister. Drew is certain that Mia isn’t the mistress his sister is seeking, but he does suspect that she knows who is. It was a sticky situation to say the least, yet I thought Drew handled it very well. Drew misled Mia when they first met. However, I was very pleased that he came clean about his true purpose soon and from that moment on, he is honest with her. He is also a perfect gentleman. Even before Drew knows the full story of Mia’s past, he senses that she needs to take things slowly. I loved that he was more than willing to wait until Mia was ready before taking their relationship to the next step.
A Man for Mia certainly deals with a lot of serious issues. Infidelity, abandonment, and death are all touched on. However, I must say that Ms. Kage sprinkled in just the right amount of lighter scenes to keep the story from being too ponderous. I particularly like the scene when Mia and Drew go out on their “not date” and have pizza. When Mia and Drew finally relax and flirt a little, sparks fly. I really felt that was when they started to click as a couple, and I eagerly anticipated their happy ending.
I’m glad I had the opportunity to read A Man for Mia. I recommend it to anyone seeking a touching story of love, loss, and hope. Read it with a box of tissues close at hand.
Barnes & Noble Customer Review (4 Stars)
I enjoyed the storyline and what happens when one person jumps to a wrong conclusion while the one believed to be a homewrecker, harbors a painful secret. When just a question or two could have cleared up the whole misunderstanding, the author made an unbelievable situation morph into a believable budding romance. Enjoyable read by ik.
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