"The second book was a page-turning narrative that packed a lot of pain and sorrow then hope and exoneration into a well-crafted plot. Furthermore, the wonderfully created characters oozed with chemistry throughout. To top it off, the author's use of imagery and additional vivid details helped to create a solemn turned hopeful tone. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel."
Jacquelyn, Goodreads
Published: January 18th, 2022
The Tower Card: Upheaval, Crumbling Foundations, Chaos, Awakening
The Sun Card: Enlightenment, Joy, Success, Vitality
Rachel Ferrer fled the church when she was eighteen, burying her trauma to chase her dreams, only to have them thwarted when her husband died shortly after their son was born. Now she and her tarot-reading roommate do their best to get by.
Nicolas Rivera should be happy. He answered his call to the ministry and has held a position in the church he grew up in for more than a decade. He’s married and he loves his kids, but something in him has shifted and the life he thought he wanted doesn’t feel like it fits anymore. When his childhood best friend’s widow reappears in his life, Nicolas tells himself that his desire to be near Rachel is altruistic.
Until it isn’t.
Rachel and Nicolas have been on the periphery of each other’s lives for years, but when their worlds collide, attraction sparks, lightning crashes and the walls they have been hiding behind begin to crumble.
Lightning Crashes is an exvangelical romance that examines what happens when we build our lives on faulty foundations and what can happen when we leave that behind and step into the sun. Follow Rachel and Nicolas down the path of temptation, through their yearning slow-burn, and into their happily ever after.
EXCERPT
Rachel
lifted the quilt covering Nicolas and slipped beneath it. He made as much room
for her as he could, but his legs were already hanging over the far arm, his
back pressed against the cushions.
Rachel
didn’t need much room as she snuggled into his side, tucking the quilt back
around them. “It’s freezing in here,” she said, her voice husky and low, her
breath feathering against his neck.
“You
need to check your insulation,” he said. “And probably get new windows.”
“I’ll
get right on that,” she said in a voice that implied the opposite.
She
shivered, and Nicolas allowed himself the indulgence of pulling her closer
against him. In the name of keeping her warm. “What are you doing up?”
Rachel’s
hand found his waist under the blanket, her fingers icy against his bare skin,
but he didn’t dare flinch, lest he scared her off. “I wanted to see if you
showed up. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“It’s
good you got some rest.”
“More
like I sobbed myself to sleep in Naomi’s bed, but yeah, sleep was good. How are
you?”
He
sighed, at a loss for words to describe how he was feeling. His face ached, his
body felt drawn, like he’d worked out too hard without enough food afterward.
Nicolas couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten. He wasn’t even sure he had
a digestive tract anymore. Who had room for food when they were filled with
heartbreak and betrayal? Was it possible to be yawning open with emptiness and
full of dread and darkness all at the same time? It felt like the same thing,
and yet entirely different.
Rachel’s
hand was playing over his torso in a way that she probably didn’t even realize
she was doing, but in a way that was distracting, allowing temptation to edge
in on the periphery.
About the author:
Marla Holt believes in second chances, romance, and the radical notion that everyone deserves a happily every after. She's living her own fairy tale, writing contemporary romance novels in her Kansas farmhouse with her husband, three boys, three cats, and flock of imaginary sheep. Follow her at
marlaholt.com or on Instagram.
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Fantastic excerpt!!
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