Hopeless Romantic Read online

  Hopeless Romantic

  Synopsis

  Teddi Baker used to believe in happily ever after. It’s why she became a wedding planner and worked so hard to make her business, Hopeless Romantic, successful. But after the catastrophe of her own marriage, Teddi loses her heart, her hope, and half of her assets. She is officially jaded, but she needs every job she can get to make ends meet. When bride-to-be Kelly Scott walks in, Teddi is ready. Until she comes face-to-face with Kelly’s sister: Leah Scott, her ex-wife’s divorce attorney. The one who helped ruin her life.

  Leah Scott wears her heart on her sleeve, an odd characteristic for a divorce attorney. When her father left her stay-at-home mom with barely enough money to survive, she recognized her calling. But Leah still believes in happiness and no one deserves it more than her sister. If only Kelly didn’t insist on using a wedding planner who hates Leah’s guts...despite the unexpected and wholly unwanted chemistry between them.

  Praise for Georgia Beers

  Flavor of the Month

  “Beers whips up a sweet lesbian romance…brimming with mouthwatering descriptions of foodie indulgences…Both women are well-intentioned and endearing, and it’s easy to root for their inevitable reconciliation. But once the couple rediscover their natural ease with one another, Beers throws a challenging emotional hurdle in their path, forcing them to fight through tragedy to earn their happy ending.”—Publishers Weekly

  “The heartbreak, beauty, and wondrous joy of love are on full display in Flavor of the Month. This second chance romance is exceptional. Georgia Beers has outdone herself with this one.”—The Lesbian Book Blog

  One Walk in Winter

  “A sweet story to pair with the holidays.There are plenty of ‘moment’s in this book that make the heart soar. Just what I like in a romance. Situations where sparks fly, hearts fill, and tears fall. This book shined with cute fairy trails and swoon-worthy Christmas gifts…REALLY nice and cozy if read in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Covered in blankets. By a fire.”—Bookvark

  Fear of Falling

  “Enough tension and drama for us to wonder if this can work out—and enough heat to keep the pages turning. I will definitely recommend this to others—Georgia Beers continues to go from strength to strength.”—Evan Blood, Bookseller (Angus & Robertson, Australia)

  “In Fear of Falling Georgia Beers doesn’t take the obvious, easy way…romantic, feel-good and beautifully told.”—Kitty Kat’s Book Review Blog

  “I was completely invested from the very first chapter, loving the premise and the way the story was written with such vulnerability from both characters’ points of view. It was truly beautiful, engaging, and just a lovely story to read.”—LesBIreviewed

  The Do-Over

  “You can count on Beers to give you a quality well-paced book each and every time.”—The Romantic Reader Blog

  “The Do-Over is a shining example of the brilliance of Georgia Beers as a contemporary romance author.”—Rainbow Reflections

  “[T]he two leads are genuine and likable, their chemistry is palpable…The romance builds up slowly and naturally, and the angst level is just right. The supporting characters are equally well developed. Don’t miss this one!”—Melina Bickard, Librarian, Waterloo Library (UK)

  Calendar Girl

  “Calendar Girl by Georgia Beers is a well-written sweet workplace romance. It has all the elements of a good contemporary romance…It even has an ice queen for a major character.”—Rainbow Reflections

  “A sweet, sweet romcom of a story…Calendar Girl is a nice read, which you may find yourself returning to when you want a hot-chocolate-and-warm-comfort-hug in your life.”—Best Lesbian Erotica

  The Shape of You

  “I know I always say this about Georgia Beers’s books, but there is no one that writes first kisses like her. They are hot, steamy and all too much!”—Les Rêveur

  The Shape of You “catches you right in the feels and does not let go. It is a must for every person out there who has struggled with self-esteem, questioned their judgment, and settled for a less than perfect but safe lover. If you’ve ever been convinced you have to trade passion for emotional safety, this book is for you.”—Writing While Distracted

  Blend

  “You know a book is good, first, when you don’t want to put it down. Second, you know it’s damn good when you’re reading it and thinking, I’m totally going to read this one again. Great read and absolutely a 5-star romance.”—The Romantic Reader Blog

  “This is a lovely romantic story with relatable characters that have depth and chemistry. A charming easy story that kept me reading until the end. Very enjoyable.”—Kat Adams, Bookseller, QBD (Australia)

  “Blend has that classic Georgia Beers feel to it, while giving us another unique setting to enjoy. The pacing is excellent and the chemistry between Piper and Lindsay is palpable.”—The Lesbian Review

  Right Here, Right Now

  “The angst was written well, but not overpoweringly so, just enough for you to have the heart-sinking moment of ‘will they make it,’ and then you realize they have to because they are made for each other.”—Les Reveur

  “[A] successful and entertaining queer romance novel. The main characters are appealing, and the situations they deal with are realistic and well-managed. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good queer romance novel, and particularly one grounded in real world situations.”—Books at the End of the Alphabet

  “[A]n engaging odd-couple romance. Beers creates a romance of gentle humor that allows no-nonsense Lacey to relax and easygoing Alicia to find a trusting heart.”—RT Book Reviews

  Lambda Literary Award Winner Fresh Tracks

  “Georgia Beers pens romances with sparks.”—Just About Write

  “[T]he focus switches each chapter to a different character, allowing for a measured pace and deep, sincere exploration of each protagonist’s thoughts. Beers gives a welcome expansion to the romance genre with her clear, sympathetic writing.”—Curve magazine

  Lambda Literary Award Finalist Finding Home

  “Georgia Beers has proven in her popular novels such as Too Close to Touch and Fresh Tracks that she has a special way of building romance with suspense that puts the reader on the edge of their seat. Finding Home, though more character driven than suspense, will equally keep the reader engaged at each page turn with its sweet romance.”—Lambda Literary Review

  Mine

  “From the eye-catching cover, appropriately named title, to the last word, Georgia Beers’s Mine is captivating, thought-provoking, and satisfying. Like a deep red, smooth-tasting, and expensive merlot, Mine goes down easy even though Beers explores tough topics.”—Story Circle Book Reviews

  “Beers does a fine job of capturing the essence of grief in an authentic way. Mine is touching, life-affirming, and sweet.”—Lesbian News Book Review

  Too Close to Touch

  “This is such a well-written book. The pacing is perfect, the romance is great, the character work strong, and damn, but is the sex writing ever fantastic.”—The Lesbian Review

  “In her third novel, Georgia Beers delivers an immensely satisfying story. Beers knows how to generate sexual tension so taut it could be cut with a knife…Beers weaves a tale of yearning, love, lust, and conflict resolution. She has constructed a believable plot, with strong characters in a charming setting.”—Just About Write

  Hopeless Romantic

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the
author and do not file share.

  Hopeless Romantic

  © 2020 By Georgia Beers. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-651-3

  This Trade Paperback Original Is Published By

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, NY 12185

  First Edition: August 2020

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editors: Ruth Sternglantz and Stacia Seaman

  Production Design: Stacia Seaman

  Cover Design by Ann McMan

  eBook Design by Toni Whitaker

  By the Author

  Turning the Page

  Thy Neighbor’s Wife

  Too Close to Touch

  Fresh Tracks

  Mine

  Finding Home

  Starting from Scratch

  96 Hours

  Slices of Life

  Snow Globe

  Olive Oil & White Bread

  Zero Visibility

  A Little Bit of Spice

  Rescued Heart

  Run to You

  Dare to Stay

  What Matters Most

  Right Here, Right Now

  Blend

  The Shape of You

  Calendar Girl

  The Do-Over

  Fear of Falling

  One Walk in Winter

  Flavor of the Month

  Hopeless Romantic

  Acknowledgments

  More often than not, my path to a new story idea begins with the question “What if?” Not that long ago, my niece Mikki got married, and I was lucky enough to be included in all the planning (holy cow, is there a lot of planning!). About two months in, she decided to hire a wedding planner to help, and it was one of the smartest things she did. The wedding planner took so much off her plate, it was hard to believe. I was fascinated by the organization she had, the scheduling she managed, the contacts she kept handy. As much as I helped Mikki with her choices, I also paid close attention to the wedding planner, simply because I found her job super interesting. And then one day, it hit me. The “what if?” I thought, “I bet she’s seen a lot of these marriages go south. What if she’s become jaded and doesn’t even believe in marriage anymore?” We ask the “what if” question, and then we run with it. So, that’s what I did, and you’re holding the result in your hot little hands.

  Thank you to Radclyffe, Sandy Lowe, and the entire staff at Bold Strokes Books. This publishing a book thing could be really difficult and stressful, but you all make it run so smoothly and easily, and I consider myself very lucky to be on board.

  My editor, Ruth Sternglantz, is now in charge of making me the best writer I can be, and I’m already learning so much from her. Eagle-Eye Stacia Seaman, my copy editor, picks up the rest, and between the two of them, I actually look like I know what I’m doing. I’m forever grateful for that.

  Big thanks to my friends who make up my support team; I don’t know what I’d do without them: Melissa (who often helps me see things from a different angle), Carsen (who holds me accountable to my daily word count), Rachel (who checks in to make sure I’m still alive and eating), Nikki (who makes me laugh), Kris (my chart expert), my family, and more. These are the people who get me, and there is nothing in the world more comforting than having people who understand you. I’ve said many times that I’m an introvert who enjoys being alone. Writing is the perfect career for me. But if I need advice or a joke or somebody to help me out of the corner I’ve written myself into, knowing my gang is a mere keystroke away makes everything okay.

  And then there’s you. My readers. What can I say that I haven’t already said before? You keep me writing, and I could not be more grateful for that. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

  Chapter One

  “Goddamn it.”

  The key wouldn’t turn in the lock.

  “Goddamn it,” Teddi muttered again under her breath—which she could see, thanks to the unseasonably cold October morning. She was so not ready for fall because fall meant winter and she hated winter, but fall was most certainly here and announcing its presence by freezing her fingertips.

  And, apparently, the temperamental lock on the front door of her shop.

  “Goddamn it.” She left the key in the lock and blew on her cold hands.

  You’ve got to finesse it, Preston always told her. Be gentle. Coax it and it’ll open.

  “Finesse it, my ass.” She turned the key again. Still stuck. As if to mock her, the wind kicked up, blowing her hair away from her ears, leaving them vulnerable to stupid October and stupid fall and goddamn it, why couldn’t something go right for her? Just once? “Okay. Okay. Fine. Finesse it is.” Teddi stepped back, set her shoulder bag down on the sidewalk. She shook out her arms, tipped her head from one side to the other, bounced on the balls of her feet like a boxer preparing to fight.

  One big inhale.

  One slow exhale.

  Relax. Be gentle.

  She stepped up to the door calmly, grasped the key, turned it.

  Nothing.

  “Goddamn it!” she yelled and stomped her foot. Actually stomped her foot, balled her hands into fists. Like she was five. She’d felt a little like that for the past two-years-plus, though. Angry. Toddler angry, like she couldn’t have what she wanted and the only way to make her frustration known was to stomp her feet. Maybe fall to the ground and roll around a little, pounding her fists and crying.

  Teddi stood at the door and leaned forward enough to let her forehead drop against the glass in defeat.

  “Are you manhandling the lock again?” The voice of Preston Lacosta, her assistant ever since she’d opened her business, was both a relief and a frustration. Relief because he’d get the damn lock to open. “What did I tell you about being gentle?” He let his coal-eyed gaze rest on her face, reached for the key, and turned the lock with no resistance whatsoever. “See?” Yeah, and frustration because he’d get the damn lock to open.

  “I hate you.” Teddi picked up her bag and pushed through the door.

  “You hate me because I’m beautiful,” Preston called out as he bustled through the shop and past the counter, not affected in the least by her foul mood. Probably because it came standard lately with Teddi, and Preston understood it, had almost become used to it. It wasn’t like she’d given him a choice. He told her over and over that time was the best thing for her, that eventually, she’d be back to her old fun, cheerful self. But it had been over two years and she was still…what was the right word? Angry. Yeah, that was it. Teddi was mad at the world. And Preston was a fixer, a problem solver, but she knew he wasn’t sure how to fix that for her. After all, she’d earned that anger fair and square. She could see it on his face often, though, that it squeezed his heart to see his friend so broken.

  “You’re not wrong,” Teddi called back as she headed through the shop and to the rear where her office was, mentally counting to ten and forcing herself to chill the hell out. Preston didn’t deserve her snark. Nobody did. Well, that’s not exactly true. “Nope. Nope, not going there right now,” she said quietly into the empty office, then clicked the lights on, dropped her stuff onto the desk, and flopped down into her chair with the exhausted sigh of somebody who’d just walked several miles. Uphill. Carrying a bag of rocks.

  It had become a ritual of sorts on those days that started off stressful, like today with the damn lock. She made a mental note to call a locksmith even as she began her breathing exercises, hoping to avoid a panic attack. She hadn’t had one in quite a while, not since her therapist had taught her that the best way to harness her anger and frustration, to keep it from eating her alive on a daily basis
, was to control her breathing. Teddi was skeptical of something so simple—her feelings were certainly not simple. They were beyond complicated. They were a whirlwind, a jumble, a bowl of noodles all tangled up in each other. Surprisingly, though, the breathing exercises helped, so she did them. After a few moments, she felt better. Sorting her things—bag, snacks, phone, tablet—also helped, and by the time she was ready to walk back out into the shop and face the day with Preston, she felt almost like herself.

  “What do we have today, kind sir,” she asked of Preston as she set her things down behind the counter. Preston was in the spot they called the Refreshment Corner, where the coffeemaker, the mini fridge, and all the snacks lived.

  He doctored his coffee as he said, “First things first, I’m calling a locksmith. I’m worried I’m going to show up for work one day and there will be a Teddi-shaped hole in the glass.”

  Teddi scrunched up her face and nodded. “Okay. But get a quote first, please? I don’t want to pay a million dollars.”

  “Well, a million dollars for a new lock would certainly be extravagant.” He pulled a second cup of coffee out from under the drip, added cream and sugar, and carried both cups to the counter.