Thursday, April 26, 2018

Book Tour: First Crush Last Love by Elizabeth McKenna

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

First Crush, Last Love
by Elizabeth McKenna
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 314 pages
August 1st 2017

Back in high school, Lee Archer made Jessie Baxter’s cheeks flush and her heart race. But the popular athlete never wanted to be more than just friends. Ten years later, after a failed marriage and with her journalism career on shaky ground, Jessie’s come home for her high school reunion—and Lee still has the power to make her knees weak and her pulse pound.

Lee’s teenage years were filled with more trauma and drama than anyone guessed. Though his damaged past has helped make him a successful police detective, it’s hurt every relationship he’s tried. But seeing the grown-up, stunning Jessie might just change his commitment-phobic mind.

Jessie’s psycho ex-husband had her convinced no one would ever love her, but Lee is ready to step out of the friend zone and into her heart. Can she learn to trust again before she loses her chance to turn her first crush into her last love?

Elizabeth McKenna’s novel will have you remembering the angst of high school, the grief of a failed relationship, and the joy of finding true love at last.

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Excerpt

Part II Marriage Interrupted, June 1990
Jessie kicked the back door closed with her foot and set the grocery bags on the kitchen table. The sound of the shower running told her Billy would be home for dinner. She put away the food and walked into the bedroom. 
A trail of plaid shorts, an inside out polo shirt, bunched up socks, and golf shoes led to Billy’s dresser. Reigning in her annoyance, she gathered the dirty laundry in her arms and closed an open dresser drawer with her hip. A handful of coins and crumpled bills decorated the top of the dresser, along with a bank withdrawal slip. Her jaw clenched, and her annoyance turned to anger.
Billy padded into the room, dripping water on the floor despite the towel wrapped around his waist. His hair spiked in short tufts around his face, and his sunburned arms and neck glowed.
“Hey, babe.” He unhooked the towel and rubbed it over his beer-softened abs. “I’m starving. What’s for dinner?”
Jessie held up the withdrawal slip. “You took fifty dollars out?”
“The guys wanted to go golfing.”
“You said you were going to play basketball at the park.”
“Plans changed. What’s the big deal?”
Jessie closed her eyes and fought the fury that had set her body trembling. “The big deal is we don’t have fifty dollars to spare.”
Billy plucked the withdrawal slip from her hand and read it. “Sure we do. It says our balance is nine hundred dollars.”
Speechless, her mouth opened and closed. “I mailed the rent check and the electric bill and bought groceries today. We don’t get paid for another week. We needed that fifty dollars to live on.”
“You don’t have to get so bitchy. We can live on hot dogs and pasta for a while. We’ve done it before.”
“Maybe I don’t want to live like we did in college. I don’t like sacrificing so that you can have a good time with your buddies. We need to get out of debt and start saving money.”
“Well, I can’t unspend the money, so there’s no use in fighting about it.”
She sank on to the bed. She couldn’t get through to him. No matter what she said, he would never say no to his friends. 
Billy sat down beside her. He put his hand on her thigh and said, “I’m sorry. I promise I’ll ask like a good boy next time.”
She pushed his hand away and fell backward on the bed. She rubbed at her eyes with a tired hand. “I don’t like being your mother, Billy, but we have to stick to a budget.”
He leaned over and ran a finger down the middle of her chest and then across the outline of her bra. “I know something we could do that doesn’t cost anything.” 
She rolled away from him and off the bed. “I’m not in the mood.”
“You’re never in the mood anymore.”
“Well, I’m sorry my depression is interfering with your sex life.”
“Your brother died six months ago. You need to get over it.”
She sucked in a breath, unable to believe what he had said. 
He continued, oblivious to her wounded feelings. “Sure, it’s sad, but it was kind of his fault—being gay and all that.” 
It was a kill shot. Her heart exploded, leaving nothing but bitter pieces behind. 
“When you lose someone you love, maybe you’ll understand.” She turned on her heel and said over her shoulder, “You can make your own dinner.”


About the Author


Though Elizabeth McKenna’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, she had never read a romance novel until her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene). With the urging of her children, she decided to write her own Happily Ever Afters.

Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn’t writing, working, or being a mom, she’s sleeping.


Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway


- 1 winner will receive a $15 Amazon gift card and ebook of Venice in the Moonlight
- Open internationally
- Ends April 25th

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