A Midsummer Night’s Fling by Beth Matthews
(Stage Kiss Series #1)
Publication date: June 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
After dating her childhood sweetheart Max on and off for years, aspiring actress Nicola Charles is finally ready to move on. It’s time for her to focus on her stage career and stay away from Max–before he can break her heart again.
Max regrets hurting Nicola, but he wants another chance. So when his play loses its leading lady, giving Nicola the part seems like the perfect opportunity to win back his old flame.
But the course of true love—and a theater production—never do run smooth. As Max fights to reignite Nicola’s love, the onstage antics can’t rival the bedlam backstage: a neurotic cast, a prickly crew, and an evil diva of a director who’s got designs on Max.
As Nicola and Max battle to keep the drama onstage, Max can’t help wondering if their romance will end with the last performance. Or have the two of them finally captured what they’ve dreamed of all their lives? True Love.
A contemporary romance that should appeal to fans of the wry humor and playful sexiness in the works of Julie James and Victoria Dahl.
He shrugged, his massive shoulders rising and falling like some kind of geological event. "This is the tent pole production of the company's summer season. We need A-level talent, and none of the girls already in the company are up to snuff. Rita knows you, she's had you in a lead role before, and you've played Titania -- "
"In grad school."
As Nicola said it, Cassie shot her a shocked look from the bathroom door which was basically, Why are you sabotaging yourself?
Nicola pretty much felt the same way: furious with herself for being so childish. But as juicy as this opportunity was, Nicola didn't want anything to do with anything that had to do with Max.
Max was a trap, a dungeon, a freaking oubliette. She'd barely managed to survive leaving him five years ago. She didn't know how to process this, how to deal with him. She was swimming in cognitive dissonance. Part of her was glad to see him. Part of her was squealing with joy at the opportunity he was offering her.
And part of her wanted to punch him in the head and throw him out of her apartment.
"Which one is A Midsummer Night's Dream?" Cassie asked, turning toward Max with a polite smile.
Traitor. Nicola glowered.
"It's the play with the fairies," Max explained. "Puck. The two couples run into the forest, and the fairies meddle so people keep falling in and out of love with each other. Nicola would be playing the fairy queen -- "
"I didn't say I'd do it!"
"Whose estranged husband, the fairy king, casts a spell on her so she falls in love with a man who's got the head of a donkey. And much wackiness ensues."
Cassie frowned, thinking. "Wasn't Christian Bale in that movie? He took his shirt off."
Max gaped at Cassie in horror.
Nicola bit back a grin. "Cassie isn't much for Shakespeare. You didn't used to be either, Max."
"I'm a reformed character," he said, his voice going warm and low.
Nicola shifted, feeling her cheeks heat. Liar.
Which three books would you take to a desert island and why?
Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold because that is my very favorite book. The hero Cazaril is so compassionate and witty. I reread that book at least once a year. Faking It by Jennifer Crusie, which is probably my favorite romance novel of all time. I love Tilda and Davy's banter. No one writes banter like Crusie. Lastly, I would probably take some sort of instruction manual on how to build a raft or an island survival guide. ;P
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Murder, She Wrote. I am addicted to that show and have seen every episode multiple times. Jessica Fletcher is my role model and I totally want to be her and have her jet-setting, fabulous authorial life when I grow up. With fewer murders and more sexytimes, of course.
What’s your greatest extravagance?
Hell Bunny dresses on
Modcloth. I am so addicted to that website I hesitate to even link to it lest I encourage others to follow me down the rabbit hole. Modcloth has SO much cute stuff, though. Literally 90% of my wardrobe is from Modcloth.
What’s your most treasured possession?
My late father was a jewelry designer and he made my mom a wedding band to wear when she was pregnant with me because her finger was too big for her normal ring. I just love that I have something so beautiful that he sort of made for both of us before he passed away.
How do you celebrate when you finish a novel?
Sleeping. Sad but true, I usually do a mad typing spree and stay up WAY too late to finish books.
Have you ever used an incident from real life in one of your books?
Yes, actually, in A Midsummer Night's Fling the hero and heroine are kissing backstage and he accidentally bangs her head against the wall. My boyfriend did this to me one night when we were backstage together. And, yes, we were kissing. ;)
What is your next project, and when will it be released?
Right now I'm polishing up a New Adult romance, Love's Last Call, for release later this year. It's about a dorky bouncer and the cocktail waitress he's sure is out of his league. If people want to learn more they can check out the book's info-page on
my website.
Beth Matthews is a California girl, born and raised. She’s a total geek, a movie buff, and a mediocre swing dancer. She lives in sunny SoCal with her boyfriend and two of the neediest housecats on the planet.
Labels: Beth Matthews, Book Blitz, Excerpt, Xpresso Book Tours
