My name is Ally Prince and I've always been unlucky in love. I don’t know why, I just always… have.
When all of my best friends were falling for their soul mates in College, I was left behind. I was Ally, the pretty cousin of superstar quarterback, Romeo Prince. I was Ally, the best friend to the most amazing group of girls I've ever known—a title I loved, but one I became tired of 'just' being. And I was Ally, the one on which they could all rely.
But to me, I was Ally, the girl with the heart no one had claimed... And I was, Ally, the girl, who underneath it all, was heart-breakingly lonely.
I LOVE love; the thought of it, the nervous excitement of falling for Mr. Right, the desire of someone becoming my entire world... of me becoming theirs. I’ve always wanted passion, heart-stopping, epic, life-changing romance... I’ve always wanted the fairytale… I’ve always wanted it all.
It just never seemed like I would get it.
For the past few years I've thrown myself into my career as a museum curator. I’m the best of the best, the person every museum wants to hire, so when an opportunity came up to move to Seattle, I jumped at the chance. My cousin and my best friend lived in Seattle and I needed a change.
I needed a new beginning.
I wasn't expecting to meet anyone in the Emerald City. I wasn't expecting to work closely with the reclusive new sculptor my all-important gallery design was centered around. And I certainly wasn't expecting to fall for him... heart-stopping, epic, life-changing love...
My real life fairytale come true.
But, like in every fairytale, there’s a villain, a dark and tortured soul... I just didn't know that the villain and the hero in my story would end up being one and the same.
New Adult Romance Novel—contains adult content, sexual situations and mature topics. Suited for ages 18 and up.
Sweet Hope is the story of Ally (Rome's cousin who we met in the first two books of the Sweet Home series) and Axel (Austin's older brother whose story was told in Sweet Fall).
Since graduating from college Ally has been pursuing her dream of being an art curator. When Ally is presented with the opportunity to interview for a curator's position for an artist that Ally is obsessed with she jumps on a plane and heads straight to Seattle! Having seen the art display previously Ally can't help but hope that this opportunity would also allow her to meet the reclusive artist himself. When Ally lands the curator job in Seattle to showcase her beloved Elpi's sculptures she is beyond excited. Not only is she hoping to finally meet the elusive artist but she also sees it as an opportunity to catch up with her college besties who both live in Seattle.
After being released from prison with a reduced sentence for testifying against other gang members all Axel wants to do is mend the relationship with his younger brothers. Axel finds the opportunity to be close to his brothers in Seattle when his art mentor pushes him to allow his sculptures to be showcased in Seattle. Axel's artistic talent was realized while he was incarcerated but no one aside from his mentor knows his true identity. In the art world he is only know as Elpi.
When Ally finds out that Elpi is actually the brother of one of her college best friend's husbands she has to put her previous judgements aside and dig deep in to the man Axel/Elpi really is.
This is a beautiful story about the love one has for family and the sacrifices one is willing to make to assure they are cared for. I couldn't help but cheer these two on as more and more of Axel's dark past is revealed. I shed many tears while reading Ally and Axel's story.
I can't wait to see what Tillie Cole has in store for us next! Personally I would love to see a few other Sweet Home boys get their happily ever after!
5 Books Knocked Off!
“Elpidio, I didn’t think you were coming,” she said, all flustered, her hand over her chest.
Fuck me, she was gorgeous. I’d thought so last night, but now, like this...?
I held her stare, watching as her chest began to rise and fall under my attention, it went faster and faster the longer we held gazes. Long dark lashes fluttered in nerves and my fists involuntary clenched together against my chest at the action.
“Elpi,” I reminded her icily.
Aliyana’s eyes flared with embarrassment and her face flushed even more than before. She reached up to play with her hair. At the sudden movement, her partly unbuttoned shirt gaped at the neck, allowing me to glimpse her tan skin and the top of her firm tits under her white lace bra. I almost groaned at the sight, but I was rooted to the spot, just fucking dumbstruck by this chick.
“I’m sorry, Elpi,” she rushed out. “You did remind me about your name last night. I wasn’t thinking.”
I immediately felt like a dick on hearing the apology in her soft voice, but I stayed silent as Aliyana hurried to switch the music off.
I remained frozen to the spot as she took a long deep breath, her back to me, shoulders tensed as a deafening silence hit us both. But she pulled herself together and turned to me with that beautiful smiling face of hers.
“I’m so happy you made it,” she said, moving toward me. Her dark eyes ran down my body, from my messy long hair to my clay-covered black shirt and black ripped jeans. Aliyana’s full pink lips twitched, two deep-set dimples on either cheek popping out. Hesitantly, she reached up her hand toward the ends of my hair. Every part of me froze and my breath clogged my throat as I watched her swallow nervously.
It’d been years since a woman had touched me. And never one that looked like her.
As her slim finger drifted past my cheek, I caught her scent… jasmine. Mamma used to burn jasmine incense in the trailer. I didn’t know if that was the reason, but for the first time in a long time, I felt myself relax around someone. Strangely, it felt like home.
Aliyana took a piece of my hair between her index finger and thumb. Her pink lips parted slightly and her warm breath spread all over my face.
I… liked her this close… touching me.
A second later, Aliyana pulled away her hand and she held it up in front of my eyes for me to see.
“Marble,” she whispered, her dimples deepening as her lips gently pouted, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You must have been real busy today. You’re covered.”
As the curtains closed behind me, I jumped in surprise when I caught movement ahead.
My eyes slowly traveled upward to a pair of legs clad in black jeans, to a sculpted waist and torso covered in a short-sleeved black shirt splashed in what looked like marble dust.
My heart was in my throat as I drank in large arm muscles, sculpted and pronounced under heavily tattooed olive skin. My gaze drifted to a muscular tattooed neck, partially covered by a dark short scruffy beard and shoulder-length dark brown hair.
Elpidio…
I had to blink to believe the man I’d wanted to meet for years was really standing right in front of me. I forgot how to breathe. I forgot how to speak, move, or anything else that should come naturally to a human being.
Elpidio’s head was down, avoiding my gaze, but I knew he knew I was there. Every inch of his body was taut, as if ready to spring.
My voice failed to work as I watched his broad chest rise and fall. Then, with deliberate slowness, he exhaled harshly through his nostrils and lifted his head.
I nearly staggered back.
He was… dark. There was no other adjective I could think of to do him justice. Dark, aggressively tattooed, and absolutely yet unconventionally… beautiful.
Elpidio was as inspiring to look at as his sculptures, and when his almost-black eyes pierced mine, I released a pent up shuddering breath.
I thought my legs would give way as I watched those curious onyx irises rove all over my body. I trembled under his scrutiny, knees weak, heart fluttering.
Italian, I thought. Austin had been right. Elpidio definitely looked Italian.
It felt as though minutes passed in silence as we stood motionless, not knowing what to say.
Trying to salvage a modicum of professionalism, I snapped out of my stupor and stepped forward, timidly holding out my hand.
“Hello…” I said in a cracking voice.
Elpidio’s stern gaze never once drifted from mine, his dark eyes stabbing. “I’m Aliyana. You… you must be Elpidio?”
In a second, I witnessed paleness spread on his cheeks and his eyes dropped to the ground, his shoulder-length brown hair falling to cover his face. He was protecting his anonymity. Vin had told me how uncomfortable he was with any acclaim or recognition. His mentor clearly wasn’t lying.
“It’s okay,” I rushed out. “I’m the curator of your exhibition. Your being here stays with me. I’m ethically bound to protect your anonymity if you so wish.”
Elpidio’s shoulders seemed to relax some at that, and sighing reluctantly, he raked back his long hair from his face and raised his head.
This time I could see him more clearly. He was ruggedly edgy, and on his left cheek, he wore a tattoo of a black crucifix just below his eye. He simply screamed danger. His eyes were unnervingly assessing as though he had no trust in me, or toward anyone else for that matter.
Suddenly, Elpidio reached forward and encased his hand in mine. When our hands touched, I lightly gasped, the heat of his palm searing. I’d forgotten I’d been holding my hand out to greet him, too entranced by his unrefined looks and silent temperament.
“Aliyana,” he said gruffly. My heart skipped a beat on hearing his husky drawl.
Amazon & USA Today Best Selling Author, Tillie Cole is a Northern girl through and through. She originates from a place called Teesside on that little but awesomely sunny (okay I exaggerate) Isle called Great Britain. She was brought up surrounded by her English rose mother — a farmer’s daughter, her crazy Scottish father, a savagely sarcastic sister and a multitude of rescue animals and horses.
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