About Rekindled:
Callie
When I left, I never planned on looking back.
Walking away from the only boy I’d ever loved,
I thought I was making the right decision.
For me.
For us.
I was wrong.
Now I’m back, and the past is too much.
Tate Corbin is no longer the sweet boy next door,
But rather a man who hates me.
Tate
When she left, she took a piece of me.
A piece that had always belonged to her, and I knew—
I knew I’d never get over losing her, never get through the pain alone.
But I moved on—never thought I’d care again,
About her.
About us.
I was wrong.
Now, Callie Winters is back
And I can’t let go, I can’t step away.
Now only one question remains:
Will our love be rekindled? Or will it go down in flames?
Exclusive Excerpt:
He grins at me and takes a step closer, reaching out for my hand and pulling it to his lips, kissing my knuckles. “Callie, I’m sorry,” he says, his breath feathering across my skin. “I didn’t mean what I said that day, back at the stadium.”
“Then why did you say it?”
He sighs and closes his eyes. “Because I’m an idiot. I saw that guy in his fancy suit with his expensive watch and gelled hair, and I was jealous. I looked at him and all I could see was Zach, and I panicked. You deserve the moon and the stars, and I’m never going to be that guy who can give you all those things.”
“Tate, I don’t need someone to buy me pretty things. I had that, and you know what I learned? That it’s a very lonely existence. I had more jewelry than I knew what to do with, more shoes than I could wear in a month, but you know what I didn’t have? I didn’t have someone to share my day with as we lay in bed. I didn’t have someone whose kisses breathed life into my soul, and who made me feel alive.”
“And do you have that now?” he asks as he leans forward and rests his forehead against mine, his lips just millimeters away from my own. “Do you have someone who makes your heart want to keep beating?”
“I think I’m getting there. This guy I’m sort of dating is pretty incredible. You’d like him, he’s a smokejumper and a mechanic, and a pretty damn good kisser.”
“Only pretty good?”
“Eh, I’ve had better.”
“Is that so? We’ll see about that.”
His fingers fly out and grip the edges of my robe, pulling me closer to him as his lips press into mine. He nips at my bottom lip with his teeth and a moan slips out as my lips part, letting his tongue tease mine. Our tongues move against each other as my hands rake through his hair while pressing myself against his body, needing to be close to him. He smells like smoke and aftershave and it’s taking all my resolve not to rip off all this clothes and straddle him here on the kitchen floor. He pulls my bottom lip into his mouth and sucks on it making my head dizzy with need. When he pulls away, I whimper and I see a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. His kisses set my heart on fire, and it’s the most delicious burn I’ve ever known.
Tracey’s Review
Once upon a time, Callie Winters and Tate Corbin were inseparable. Best friends forever, they were two halves of a whole. But life happened, and drove a wedge between them, and words spoken in anger led to broken hearts and years apart. But when Callie’s happily every after ended up being not quite what she was expecting, she returns to the one place that truly feels like home, hoping to clear her mind and heal her heart. When the person that still holds the key to her heart makes a reappearance, Callie will learn that some flames never go out.
I’m always pleasantly surprised when an author’s debut novel ends up being a book that is engaging and well-written. REKINDLED is C.J. McKella’s first book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. As a fan of the second-chance love story, I was hooked on Callie’s and Tate’s story from the first chapter. Not only was there a great back story between the two of them, but both Callie and Tate were well-developed characters, with stories of their own that had evolved over the seven-year period that they had been apart. C.J. also does a nice job with the supporting characters, and with the suspense that builds during the course of the book, making sure that everything is resolved in a realistic and satisfying way.
When you take on an author that you’ve never read, there is always the risk of the unknown, but C.J. has made her mark with REKINDLED, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future (I wouldn’t mind seeing Caleb, Callie’s brother, get a book of his own, maybe with Mari, so, C.J., if you’re reading this, help a girl out.). 4 stars for this suspenseful, romantic, plenty steamy read, one that you should definitely add to your TBR.
***ARC generously provided for an honest review.***
About Author:
C.J. McKella is a romance writer living beneath the hot Arizona sun with her husband and their cat, Kaylie. She devotes her days to working, and her nights writing, allowing the characters in her head to come to life. When not working or writing, she can be found reading, binge-watching Netflix, or playing video games. A romantic at heart, she has a love for stories, and all things ending in happily ever after.
C.J. McKella loves to meet new people. Stop by and say hello!
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/authorcjmckella
Goodreads Link for Rekindled: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29564641
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