Book Title: Favorite Coffee, Favorite Crush
Author: Victoria Pinder
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 2014
Penny moves back to Miami to start her a job with a list of things to accomplish.
1. Find a place to live.
2. Avoid her gold-digging mother.
3. Reconnect with old high school friends: her best friend Sandra, the dramatic Eva, the dark Michael, her half-brother Wyatt, and her former crush Jay.
Jay may have kept her firmly in the “friend zone”, but that didn’t stop her from wanting more. Her five friends have stood by her through some difficult times and she’ll need their help now to accomplish her first two goals.
As soon as Jay sees Penny, he puts his plan into motion. His investors need to see him with a stable woman, one who isn’t all flash and no brains; Penny fits the bill perfectly. There’s just one hitch—he wants more.
Their pretend date sets off a whirlwind of plots. From mothers who want to control their children’s lives to the loss of her exciting new job, Penny’s world turns upside down. She knows she can overcome all obstacles except one—she’s falling for Jay all over again.
Chapter One
Jay Marshall pressed his lips together as he held the phone. His hands curled into a ball then straightened. He stared out his bay windows overlooking the ocean. Another beautiful day on the beaches of South Florida, not that he cared. Sunshine never filled him with joy. The humidity outside suffocated the spirit, but somehow, with this deal, he'd break free.
"Yes, you'll see I mean business, Mr. Danvers. My business plans are long term."
Danvers sucked in his breath, as if he were doubting the sincerity of Jay's words, then told Jay. "And I'll meet your girlfriend. It's always telling with people from Miami. Flashy women and cars do not make good investments on my end."
Jay gritted his teeth and tugged at his free ear, but kept the phone on the other. Miami advertised plastic women on the highway as a special brand. Flashy came with the area code. Instead he nodded his head and told the potential investor, "I understand. See you next week."
He hung up the phone and stared out the window. The brightness showed his reflection and his grim frown. Jay needed to win. His eyes squished together. He¹d pay the price for success. He had no other choice.
Jay's mind raced to his technical girlfriend. Eva was the epitome of flashy, beautiful, and fake. She'd been a friend since high school, and two months ago, they¹d ended up dating. On paper the award winning dramatic actress, his money, and their history should be a match. Yet he couldn't imagine his entire life videotaped.
If he walked away from her, there would be no regrets. His investors hoped he had a nice, sweet woman on the side. His cousin and her friend, Penelope, flashed in his head before he dropped the thought.
He pushed his hand on the glass window before he stepped back into the shadows of his office. Darkness didn¹t suit him either. Nothing stirred inside him anymore, though he craved something. Anything other than boredom from the sticky heat of his life.
He shook his head and poked his head out of his office. His secretary sat there typing. "Call Eva. Set up an appointment for us to talk today."
With the click of the door knob he rolled up his sleeves. He needed the deal to put his goals in line with his investment portfolio.
His eyes narrowed in on the first words, long term growth.
Long term read to his eyes like a rescue rope. He blinked. Life should be lived with long term goals to reach. Freedom meant change.
Today, he'd break up with Eva. In his heart, he'd always hoped for a woman that tugged at his heart strings. But hopes didn't earn freedom. He'd prove to himself, and the others, John Jay Marshall came out of the game of life on top.
Jay Marshall is a flourishing business owner who is doing his best to escape his conniving b*tch of a mother. He had mastered the art of dealing with possible investors for his businesses. If he was succeeding with his investments, he’s quickly losing his patience over his mother. To stop her from further damaging everything he had worked for, he had to buy his parent’s company. The question is how?
Penelope Knightheart had just returned to her hometown to begin her new life. She’s now a mechanical engineer and would soon be starting in her new job. She loved the idea of earning her own money. She doesn’t want to rely on anyone. She doesn’t want to turn into her mother, who had paraded herself with enough rich boyfriends to last a lifetime. She doesn’t need a man to do that for her because she’s perfectly capable. But when the company she’s supposed to work for suddenly drops her, how would she survive? She doesn’t have sufficient funds for what she needs, and unless she accepts what Jay Marshall is proposing to her, she won’t have a place to stay until she finds herself a new job.
Jay and Penelope go way back high school days. Jay was the heart throb while Penelope was the nerdy girl, who can’t capture boy’s attention unless they want help with their homework. She had harbored feelings for Jay even before he got her to tutor him in Math. They quickly built a rapport and were best friends at the end of the school year. Throughout the years, they haven’t cut their communications toward each other and would often call one another when they felt like calling each other. Jay has few friends whom he could trust and she’s one of those.
As Penelope moved in with Jay, the feelings she kept for him resurfaced again. As they started getting to know each other again, they realized they had so much in common especially with their mothers. Their physical attraction kept getting stronger as they got closer until they can’t contain it anymore and gave in to the lust.
What I liked about this book was despite all the insinuations from Jay’s mother that Penelope was just after his money, he still trusted her. That is a very important component in a relationship. I also liked the fact that Penelope never gave her mother a chance to overpower her. She stood up for herself. Even if her mother’s actions clouded her judgment, she got over it and believed that Jay is worth all the trouble.
Favorite Coffee, Favorite Crush is a sign that a person’s upbringing is not an indication of how they will live in the future. It’s a story of how perseverance can help a person make his/her dreams come true.
Victoria Pinder grew up in Irish Catholic Boston before moving to the Miami sun. After realizing she needed change, she became a high school teacher. Teaching is rewarding, but writing is a passion. She always wrote stories to entertain herself or calm down. Her parents are practical minded people demanding a job, but when she sat down to see what skill she had that matched what she enjoyed doing, writing became so obvious. The Zoastra Affair, Chaperoning Paris, Borrowing the Doctor, and Electing Love will be published from Soul mate Publishing. Mything the Throne will be published with Double Dragon Ebooks. Favorite Coffee, Favorite Crush will be published with Jupiter Press. Now she is represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Also she’s the Vice President of Programs for the Florida Romance Writers. She’s gone to multiple conferences and intends to continue. Her website is www.victoriapinder.com. Member of Florida Romance Writers, Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter of RWA, Celtic Hearts and Savvy Authors.
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