Stories and Swag!: Blog Tour: Matter of Choice by RM Alexander

Title: Matter of Choice

Author: RM Alexander

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: January 21, 2014

Tour Host: Dreams Come True Promotions

Some promises can’t be kept.

Shannon Winters’ picture perfect marriage is in shambles after a car accident left her husband an amnesiac. The commitment to vows he doesn’t remember making keeps her fighting while covering up the parade of other women and a spectacle of bad behavior. Her career as owner and manager at a successful boutique hotel alongside the Hudson River keeps is her refuge, but, at thirty-seven years old, what she craves is the bond to be repaired.

Even twenty years after high school, Triston Keyes continues to be haunted by the memories of the girl he’d lost, the only woman he’s ever loved. When he meets Shannon during a vacation, he finally has the chance to apologize. It’s the only hope he has if he ever wants to fall in love with anyone else.

Sparks rekindle between them, and Shannon struggles to find a reason to stay true to a broken marriage which is quickly crumbling as she gravitates towards the forgotten love.

Until her husband pleas for her to come back.

But when the depth of betrayal is revealed, Shannon must choose her vows-and her beloved hotel-or to remain true to her heart; while Triston must fight to keep the past from catching up to his future.

Both know nothing is a matter of luck, but a matter of choice …

Melanie says…

This book was a cute easy read. If you are looking for some hot steamy sex, you may want to skip this one though because there was none of that happening anywhere, not even in the imagination of the reader.

Shannon owns a very upscale hotel in New York that caters to the super elite. She seems to have it all, except for her husband Greg. Because of a brain injury, the man that she vowed to love through sickness and health, doesn't remember her. It has been two years since the accident and she puts up with him causing drunken scenes in the hotel lobby and his constant adultery. Even though he has caused her so much pain and heartache, she still holds onto the hope that he will someday remember their love for one another and everything would go back to normal.

The only thing left was the consuming pain, hot and heavy in her chest, burning like a thousand fires.Greg stood quickly, buckling his pants as he locked eyes with his wife. No apologies, no greetings, just a smirking smile. He marched towards her, without words, shoulder brushing hard against hers as he left the room.

Shannon couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her first love Tristan at the check-in counter and he looked better than she remembered. But he broke her heart twenty years ago and she was hoping that he didn't recognize her. No such luck.

Twenty years ago, she was sure to never see him again, or if she did, Triston’d be fat and bald, ripe for gloating over how happy she was since he let her get away. Her jaw fixed hard. Here he was, looking better than he had the right to look, and she was anything but happy. Pride was an ugly thing, and she was certain hers just took the killing shot with the temptation Triston carried.

Tristan always regretted cheating on Shannon, he blamed it on being young, stupid and wanting to look cool in front of his friends. He has never loved anyone but Shannon because she was the one. So when he saw her picture on the website for the hotel, he had to see her and win her back.

... Shannon stealing his thoughts. The confidence, determination. The vulnerability folded beneath layers of fortitude built high and impenetrable. Everything he’d liked about her then, made better now. A soft smile played on his lips as he closed the door. Forgetting her wasn’t going to be any easier now than it had been the last twenty years.

Sparks fly, but Shannon is determined to stick her marriage out even though there really isn't one.

Some very unexpected twists happened towards the end that kept me reading and I thought that the story was well told and interesting. But some sex or even some making out would have make this book much more interesting.

Bottom line, if you can overlook the lack of steam, this is a really good book about second chances.

4 Stars!

Excerpt Four:

“I think you’re underestimating my commitment here.”

“I think you’re getting ahead of yourself.”

“Am I?” He leaned forward, his knuckle cupping her chin as he edged it upwards and softly pressing his lips against her mouth. Her every fiber wanted to fight him, to push him away, but their skin pressed together felt too good, and she melted into him.

Slowly, they parted, her voice hoarse as she spoke. “We shouldn’t …” She couldn’t bear to open her eyes. She didn’t want to see the expectations and hope she imagined to be shimmering in his gaze, or reveal the shame and uncertainty she knew was in hers.

He pressed a finger against her lips, leaning forward to whisper in her ear, his breath intoxicatingly warm. “Don’t say ‘we shouldn’t’ anything. Open your eyes sweetheart, look at me.” He paused, and she could feel him back away. Setting her jaw firm, her lids eased open, staring into his gaze a mere inches away. “It was one kiss Shy. That’s all. And I won’t go further than that until you’re ready. But to make it clear, I love you. It might seem impossible, it’s been years and we haven’t spent much time together since I came to the Grande. But I realized this afternoon, when I took a jog down that path we walked… I loved you in high school. Honestly, truly loved you. I screwed it up. But the love never really went away.”

RM Alexander is an author of Contemporary and Paranormal Romance. Her current novel, "Matter of Choice" is releasing in January 2014.

She has been writing since she was 10 years old. Many times, she stopped writing for months or even years at a time, but always came back to it until, in 2009, an idea came to her she couldn't put down. Over the next two years, she wrote and revised "Shadows", which will becoming available in spring/summer of 2014.

Another novel, "Matter of Choice", found its way to paper in 2010 during the revision process for "Shadows". And as "Shadows" was making its rounds to literary agencies, "Matter of Choice" was finished and slated for release in January of 2014.

With characters who look for love in wrong places and are victims of the worse kind of betrayals while fighting for what they want and believe in, RM's novels promise a good read with unexpected twists and turns.

When she's not writing, RM is spending time with her husband and two small children in Michigan. She loves to travel, especially to Walt Disney World, and can often be found on Twitter or Facebook chatting with other authors and fans.