Darker Water

by Lauren Stewart

Overview

Some fairytales begin with a kiss...

Carson

My secret to happiness is to be completely upfront with what I want and, trust me, it has nothing to do with Laney's heart. Her lips? Hell yeah. A few other parts of her body? You better f*cking believe it. But her heart? Nope. Not even a little.

Until it does...a lot.

Forget I said that. I don't have feelings for anyone. They were all ripped out of me when I was a kid.

This thing between Laney and me could be great. But we have to follow certain rules. We have a good time—no dates, no sleepovers, no expectations. When one of us is ready for something new or if she starts getting too attached, we move on with no hard feelings. Win-win, and everybody's happy.

I came into this thinking it would be the same thing as it had always been and she was like any other woman.

It isn't. She isn't.

But how do I tell her she deserves someone better - someone who can love her, someone who's not broken - if I can't seem to let her go?

Laney

I finally get it. And to think, it only took my heart being pried out of my chest and stomped on five separate times by men who claimed they loved me. That's got to be a record, right?

Let me put it as simply as I can.

Fairy tales aren't real. Love is a lie. And, at least in my experience, sex never comes with a happy ending.

Fortunately, I still have a battery-operated boyfriend who'll never fall out of love with me. I won't walk in on him in bed with another woman either. Nope. As long as I keep supplying him with fresh batteries, B.O.B's only purpose in life is to make me happy.

And, damn it, I deserve to be happy. I'm a nice person. I work hard. And, most importantly, I've learned an important lesson: To never, ever let a man near my heart again.

Unfortunately, some people never learn.


***Be ready for a lot of laughs, a bunch of swoons, and a few tears from this standalone romantic comedy.***


"I finished DARKER WATER last night. I loved it. I can't wait to read the next one!" - Katy Regnery, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

"Perfect spontaneous combustion material. I was all smiles and giggles, until suddenly - bam - tears started flowing and the sob-fest commenced." - The Book Enthusiast Book Blog

"This officially sits on my Favorites list for Romantic Comedy" - The Book Bee

***DARKER WATER is a standalone contemporary fairytale retelling inspired by The Frog Prince***

Now available...
VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE (Once and Forever #2)
DEEPER WATER (Once and Forever #3)
IMMATERIAL DEFENSE (Once and Forever #4)


Once and Forever, the series...
began as a dare from a friend who believed I would never be able to write a standalone novel with a happy ending. To prove her wrong, this seven-plus-book contemporary romance series came to be, each with its very own happy ending. Along with a lot of snark, some angst, and a very hot, very alpha hero. All the books will take the theme or symbol from a different fairytale and then quickly go in another direction. And it ain't towards Disneyland, folks.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940151352727
Publisher:	Off The Hook Publishing
Publication date:	10/03/2014
Series:	Once and Forever , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	337
Sales rank:	2,584
File size:	471 KB

About the Author

Lauren Stewart lives in Northern California with two of the most amazing children that the world has ever seen. She grew up reading Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Piers Anthony, and Agatha Christie, and spent far too much time studying Shakespeare in college.

But her writing took a turn to the more tortuously romantic side because of the influence of a few hardcore women like JR Ward, Karen Marie Moning, Nalini Singh, Charlaine Harris, and Janet Evanovich. Since she reads almost every genre, naturally, her writing reflects that. With every book and every story, you'll find elements of other genres--fantasy, mystery, romance, paranormal, suspense, YA, women's literature, all with a touch of humor.

Because what doesn't kill us should make us laugh.

Editorial Reviews

I finished DARKER WATER last night. I loved it. I can't wait to read the next one!

NYT and USA Today bestselling author - Katy Regnery

This officially sits on my Favorites list for Romantic Comedy!

The Book Bee