Consolation

The Consolation Duet – Book 1

Release Date : March 18, 2015

Synopsis

Liam wasn’t supposed to be my happily ever after.

He wasn’t even on my radar.

He was my husband’s best friend—forbidden.

But my husband is dead and I’m alone. I ache for him and I reach for Liam.

One night with Liam changed everything. Now I have to decide if I truly love him or if he’s just the consolation prize.

Buy: Amazon/ B & N / ITunes

Excerpt

Aarabelle sits in her highchair as I feed her dinner. She’s growing so fast. Already she’s eating cereal and a little baby food. Soon she’ll be crawling and I have no one to celebrate with. Her father will never see these milestones and it breaks me apart.

“You should really lock the door,” Liam huffs as he throws his coat over the chair.

“But then I’d have to get up to let you in,” I state matter-of-factly and go back to feeding the baby, trying to put aside my worries. The fact is…this is reality. I have to deal with it.

“Uh huh. Hey, Pumpkin,” his eyes alight as he crouches down by Aara. It’s adorable hearing grown men use a baby voice. It gets a little softer and higher pitched.

The corners of her mouth lift and she throws her arms in the air when he gets close. My heart sputters seeing how happy she gets seeing him. Liam kisses her head and she giggles.

“At least someone is happy to see me,” he says playfully.

“I’d be happy if you brought me a present,” I joke.

He laughs and goes into the pocket of his coat. “Just so happens I did, but since that’s the only way you’ll be nice, I’ll hold on to this until you’ve earned it.”

Practically leaping out of my chair, I rush over. “What is it?” I try to peer around his back as he holds the mystery item.

Liam’s lips curl as he sees how much I want this. I don’t even know what it is. Jeez, I’m an idiot. “Nope. We eat first, then maybe you’ll get it.”

“Watch, it’s a freaking Pez dispenser or something stupid.”

“Guess you’ll have to be nice to find out.” He shoves the item into his back pocket and I fight the urge to reach and get it. “How was work?”

We spend the next thirty minutes going over my day and Jackson’s return. Liam never mentioned that they spoke, but he’s surprised to hear he’s in Virginia. After we finish the pizza, Liam somehow convinces me we should watch a movie. I get Aarabelle to bed and come down to find him sprawled out on the couch.

“By all means, make yourself comfortable.”

Liam pulls his beanie higher on his forehead and his eyes glimmer with amusement. He sits up and puts the TV on. “I picked the movie.”

“What?” I ask with mock incredulity. “It’s my house. Why do you get to pick the movie?”

“Ummm, I’m the guest.” He shrugs as if this should be an obvious answer.

I groan and lean back. “What crappy, shoot-‘em-up movie do I have to endure?”

“You’ll see. It’s a classic.”

 

Michel’s Review

Consolation is the first book I have read by Corinne Michaels.  I have heard so many outstanding positive remarks about her books.  When this blog tour came across my desk, I knew I wanted to read this book.  Consultation lived up to every expectation I had. It was an emotionally riveting book that touched my heart.

The first few chapters of Consolation will gut you.  Lee Gilcher is expecting her first child.  She is weeks away from giving birth.  Her husband, Aaron Gilcher, has left the military and his position as a Navy Seal.  He has taken a job on the private sector for a specialized security agency.  When she hears the knocks on her door she thinks nothing of it.  She no longer has to worry about the dreaded knocks.  How wrong she is.  One moment she is a wife and soon to be mother, the next moment she is a widow and giving birth to a daughter that will never know her father.

Lee is devastated.  The only thing that keeps her going is her infant daughter, Aarabelle.  She can’t move forward and she can’t go back in time.  She’s stuck in heartbreak.

Being a former military wife is like being a member of an exclusive tight knit family.  Her husband’s former teammates, employers, military friends, and military wives are there to support Lee in her time of need.  They would do anything for her.  But grief takes time.  She has to learn to let go and move forward.

Aaron’s best friend and swim buddy, Liam Dempsey is just as torn as Lee is.  He lost his best friend and man he trusted with his life.  He has transferred to the east coast.  The one thing he intends to do is take care of Lee and help her move on.  He made a promise to his best friend.  He is a man of honor.  He is a Seal.

What starts out as a stilted friendship turns into a deeply bonded friendship.  Both Lee and Liam will grieve their loss together.  They will learn to look forward.  They will remember and honor Aaron’s life.  Their bonds move to deeper feelings.  Feelings of attraction, lust, and love.  Are these feelings wrong or are they right?  Are they betraying the man they both loved or are they honoring his wishes?

Aaron was the only man Lee ever loved.  She grew from a girl to a woman with Aaron.  She experienced all of her firsts with Aaron.  She became the kind of wife Aaron needed.  She never had time to explore who she was as an adult woman.  She has never had to look beyond her dreams with Aaron.  Can she let go of that dream and become the woman Liam needs by his side?  Just when she thinks that she can let go, she will learn secrets about her husband that alter his memory and their life together.  These secrets will cause her to grieve her husband in a completely different way.  It will change the way she looks at life.

As Liam and Lee struggle to make their relationship work, the military will once again dictate their lives.  Liam is still an active Seal and duty calls.  As he leaves for another mission, Lee will experience her fears more deeply.  She has lost one man she loves and doesn’t want to lose another.  She will have to dig deep within herself to be the woman Liam needs at home.  Just as she finds that strength… the military will come knocking on her door once again…..Cliffhanger.

I have to say I could not put this book down.  I cried and ached for the characters.  I mourned along with them.  I rejoiced with them when they learned to let go and live once again.  I was right along with them reaching for happiness.  I was breathless when they celebrated their passion.  I was in complete shock right along with Lee at the end of the book.  I need to find out what happens next.

I highly recommend Consolation by Corinne Michaels.

Conviction

The Consolation Duet – Book 2

Release Date: May 27, 2015

By Corinne Michaels

Synopsis

I fell in love with Liam only to be left shattered into a million pieces. Again. The idea of being without him cripples me but the reality is, he’s gone.

He doesn’t understand and I can’t make him.

If only he’d see the conviction behind my words—then Liam would still be here.

Pre Order : ITunes

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About Corinne Michaels

Corinne Michaels is an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun loving mom of two beautiful children. She’s happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife. After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness.

Both her maternal and paternal grandmothers were librarians, which only intensified her love of reading. After years of writing short stories, she couldn’t ignore the call to finish her debut novel, Beloved. Her alpha Navy SEALs are broken, beautiful, and will steal your heart.

 

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