 I wasn't a spring chicken when I started dating my current husband. We knew each other but decided to take a chance on dating. At first, I wasn't so sure about him. He certainly liked to tease me about things, but I loved how he cared for his children and enjoyed spending time with them. I would say that after 17 years together, it's turned out very well. Author Jennifer Raines is known for her compelling tales which feature gripping tales of authentic female heroines and heroes set against real-life stories. Her latest release, LELA'S CHOICE is more of the same! This time her heroine is forced to find her sister after the girl goes missing and she must rely on a man who may be a part of the problem not the solution. One of the things that I love about a Jennifer Raines' story is that the characters are relatable. Take our heroine, Lela. She is not the fresh out of college girl. She's mature and even skeptical of the motivations of the hero, Hamish. Lela knows he could be helping her only to report back to Lela's father. Best of all, Ms. Raines love story is perfect as the two characters find out more about themselves and learn to trust in the other. Now while I didn't have that going on in my 2nd marriage, I did have plenty of trust issues to work out. LELA'S CHOICE is now available in e-book and print! So grab a copy for yourself! After all, you deserve something special this holiday too! Blurb: Missing in Malta--A Risk Worth Taking? Lela Vella has been a dutiful daughter and aunt for the past decade. But her plan to wean her father and orphaned niece off their dependence on her is scuttled when her niece and boyfriend flee Sydney for Malta. Lela suspects her autocratic father of provoking the flight. Lela’s desperate to reach the teenager before her father’s ultimatums blow another generation apart. Widowed, Australian international child-protection lawyer, Hamish McGregor accepts Giovanni Vella’s request to remain in Malta after a conference to search for Vella’s missing granddaughter. Hamish’s formidable reputation is built on putting the needs of the child first. He doubled down on his work after the revenge murder of his pregnant wife by a client’s husband, vowing never to get close enough to another woman for her to be a target. Lela doesn’t expect her father’s henchman to beat her to Malta. Hamish doesn’t expect the girl’s doting aunt to see him as an enemy. Reluctant partners, they navigate false leads and unexpected attraction. Can Lela balance her family’s demands with her love for Hamish? Can Hamish accept living life is all about taking risks? Award winning author Jennifer Raines’ stories combine a love of romance with contemporary conflicts. Her writing is both relevant and heart-warming. Each story is a journey across the world. Jennifer likes to think her readers get occasional hints of the deep passion of a Nora Roberts or the unshakeable loyalty of a Grace Burrowes where love conquers loneliness, distrust and fear. Excerpt “Carmen Vella?” He closed the last few metres between them. Her head turned, her body stilled, her expression unreadable. “You work for my father?” Question or accusation? He held his palms up in a gesture of goodwill. “I work for myself. I was in Malta on other business, but I’ve agreed to stay a few days longer to assist you and your family search for your niece.” “I haven’t asked for your assistance.” Her voice was deep and low, the soft cadence at odds with the wariness he read in her stare. He hadn’t expected suspicion. “Your father …” he started. “I’m here independently of my father.” She placed careful emphasis on each word. “Carm—I mean, Ms. Vella.” “Only my father calls me Carmen.” “Miranda, we’re blocking the exit.” There was a time when saying Carmen instantly sparked the response Miranda—at least in his house, where his grandfather had been hooked on old movies. “Let’s get out of everyone’s way.” He raised his voice enough to explain to a casual onlooker why he’d reached for her suitcase. “Miranda!” She held tightly to her bag. Her scent, a little peppery, was proving a more reliable clue to the woman than the short bio he’d uncovered in his limited research. “Seriously? Carmen Miranda? A 1940s Hollywood star. What century are you from?” “Give me an alternative.” “Who are you?” she demanded. He was close enough to be singed by the sparks flying off her. “Hamish MacGregor. I’m an Australian lawyer, specialising in the illegal movement of minors across international borders.” He extracted his passport from his jacket pocket and passed it to her. “As I said, I’m in Malta on other business and agreed to provide some assistance.” “To Papa?” She scanned his passport, a slight tremble in her hand. “Aren’t you both pursuing the same objective?” “I’m not sure of his objective.” BUY LINKS: |
 |  |  |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Australian Jennifer Raines writes contemporary romances set mainly, but not exclusively, in Australia – think Malta, Finland, New Zealand or ? A dreamer and an optimist, her stories are a delicious cocktail of mutual respect, passion and loyalty because she still believes in happy-ever-afters.
Jennifer fell in love with romance as a teenager. Starting with historical romance. Everything in the school library and then a personal treasured collection of Georgette Heyer, hard copies, paperbacks and ebooks. Comfort food, she calls them, like vegemite toast, for those times when she feels low. Her library of comfort food has grown over the years but Georgette Heyer was an early star, under the blankets after lights out using a torch.
Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of Australia. Three times a finalist in the Emerald competition, including in 2017 (Common Cause, renamed Lela’s Choice), 2018 (Taylor’s Law) and 2022 (Quinn, by design). She’s a member of Romance Writers of New Zealand (RWNZ), winning the Pacific Hearts competition twice, including in 2019 with Grace Under Fire, the sequel to Taylor’s Law. She’s also a member of Romance Writers of America and has been a finalist in chapter competitions in 2019, 2020 and 2021 (Taylor’s Law). Jennifer won the contemporary romance section in the 2020 Orange Rose Contest for Planting Hope and was second overall. Jennifer values competitions for the constructive, honest, not always comfortable feedback they provide. In 2023 Taylor’s Law placed second in the RWNZ Koru Awards for Best First Book.
Jennifer loves those days when words flow and the joy of writing makes the hard slog worthwhile. She’s always made up stories about strangers in the street, in a café or strolling through an airport terminal; finding inspiration in snippets of conversations, news items and the sheer puzzle of human interactions.
Jennifer lives in inner-city Sydney, Australia, with the requisite number of partners (1) and animals (2). Her desk overlooks a park which nourishes her soul when she raises her head from her keyboard. She gets some of her best ideas during long yin yoga poses or walking – anywhere. While Jennifer adores historical romance, she chose to write contemporary because she thought (wrongly) it needed less research while she was holding down a full-time job.
You can find out more about Jennifer and her writing at https://jenniferrainesauthor.com or via https://www.facebook.com/jenniferrainesauthor
Or https://www.instagram.com/romanceauthorjen/
Australian Jennifer Raines writes contemporary romances set mainly, but not exclusively, in Australia – think Malta, Finland, New Zealand or ? A dreamer and an optimist, her stories are a delicious cocktail of mutual respect, passion and loyalty because she still believes in happy-ever-afters.
Jennifer fell in love with romance as a teenager. Starting with historical romance. Everything in the school library and then a personal treasured collection of Georgette Heyer, hard copies, paperbacks and ebooks. Comfort food, she calls them, like vegemite toast, for those times when she feels low. Her library of comfort food has grown over the years but Georgette Heyer was an early star, under the blankets after lights out using a torch.
Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of Australia. Three times a finalist in the Emerald competition, including in 2017 (Common Cause, renamed Lela’s Choice), 2018 (Taylor’s Law) and 2022 (Quinn, by design). She’s a member of Romance Writers of New Zealand (RWNZ), winning the Pacific Hearts competition twice, including in 2019 with Grace Under Fire, the sequel to Taylor’s Law. She’s also a member of Romance Writers of America and has been a finalist in chapter competitions in 2019, 2020 and 2021 (Taylor’s Law). Jennifer won the contemporary romance section in the 2020 Orange Rose Contest for Planting Hope and was second overall. Jennifer values competitions for the constructive, honest, not always comfortable feedback they provide. In 2023 Taylor’s Law placed second in the RWNZ Koru Awards for Best First Book.
Jennifer loves those days when words flow and the joy of writing makes the hard slog worthwhile. She’s always made up stories about strangers in the street, in a café or strolling through an airport terminal; finding inspiration in snippets of conversations, news items and the sheer puzzle of human interactions.
Jennifer lives in inner-city Sydney, Australia, with the requisite number of partners (1) and animals (2). Her desk overlooks a park which nourishes her soul when she raises her head from her keyboard. She gets some of her best ideas during long yin yoga poses or walking – anywhere. While Jennifer adores historical romance, she chose to write contemporary because she thought (wrongly) it needed less research while she was holding down a full-time job.
You can find out more about Jennifer and her writing at https://jenniferrainesauthor.com or via https://www.facebook.com/jenniferrainesauthor
Or https://www.instagram.com/romanceauthorjen/
Comments are closed.
