Running Away #newromance #newreleasetoday

Have you ever had one of those days?? You know the kind... everything goes wrong, you're emotionally overwrought, and everyone seems to look at you funny?? Is it just ME?? Today has been one of those days. But while I didn't run, I did consider hiding out in my pillow fort for the day. 

One of the characters in Author Jennifer Raines' latest release- LELA'S CHOICE, is missing. She's the teenage niece of Lela who has run away from home. While her day wasn't as crazy as mine was (or even the last two weeks), she had valid reasons. Additionally, she didn't want her father to find her but that's not stopping Lela. She will do anything to protect her niece, even if it's traveling to Malta. 

LELA'S CHOICE is a fun read that showcases a strong female heroine and the older male hero who may or may not be searching for the girl for her father. A mystery is afoot!!

Now available in E-book and paperback, LELA'S CHOICE is a delightful read for anyone looking to escape life's challenges or just escape... 

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:
Lela surrendered to the dark comfort of the bucket seat. Briefly she closed her eyes, before gazing out the window, trying to get a sense of the island, a sense of a city steeped in history. Hot, parched, and that was a surprise to someone who came from one of the driest and hottest continents on earth.

“Have you been to Malta before?”

​“Never.” Except for a few brief business trips to Asia, Lela hadn’t been out of Australia in nearly a decade.

“Even with the family connections?”

“My parents moved to Australia shortly after their marriage. We have no close family here.” It was easier to stare out the window; she really was too tired to think. The muddle of exhaustion was her best explanation for her reaction to the man beside her. Years spent controlling her impulses, training herself to think of consequences before action, yet one look at him had shaken her more than she would have believed possible.

Fatigue, an abnormal situation, bone-crushing worry … and fatigue.

Hamish MacGregor was just a man.

She’d trained herself to deal with men.

A pity the confined space in the car enhanced the subtle scent of his aftershave, its spiciness tugging at her senses—its base note absurdly reassuring.

“How was the flight?”

“Long.”

“You must have moved to be here so fast.”

She gave him an A for perseverance. “The first available flight.”

He nodded. “A lot of time to think.”

“Is there a point to this conversation?” Lela made the mistake of meeting his gaze. Deep pools, deep enough to find your soul. Fatigue, she recited her mantra, blaming it for her uncharacteristic flight of fancy.

“People chasing runaways often focus on a single fear, the catalyst for the flight. What’s your theory?”

​

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BUY LINKS:
AMAZON-https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK8WX9BP
KOBO- https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/lela-s-choice
BN- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lelas-choice-jennifer-raines/1144154437
APPLE- https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6468486469

Don't miss any of Jennifer Raines' Compelling Stories!

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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/

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