Marrying the perfect stranger – #smalltownromance #marriageofconvenience #hefallsfirst

 Someone I Chose is the third book in Ella Braeme's Married in Windfall series. Like the other two it is a novella about a couple that are being thrust into marriage by circumstances they do not control. This book is for lovers of slightly over-the-top small-town romances with lots of side-characters.
Someone I Chose is a standalone novella for a mature audience.

Blurb

She never wanted an arranged marriage. Now she’s got the husband to prove it.

Marrying a perfect stranger to nix Neha’s parents’ plans to marry her off seemed to be a great idea. It was for show only, after all. That is, it was until Neha’s powerful father threatened to have the marriage annulled so she’d be free for the fiancé he had chosen for her. Neha thought hard and long for a sanctuary, but the only place that came to her mind was her husband’s. And so she was stuck in exactly the scenario she had tried to avoid: make-do with a stranger as a husband.

Someone I Chose takes off where the second book in Ella Braeme’s Married in Windfall  series ended, yet it is part of the multi-author Hallow Fall  series, set in the Colorado mountains. If you like small-town romances about reluctant lovers, you'll love this one.

Buy Links

https://books2read.com/u/bWoOjY

 

Excerpt

And then the bouquet hit the fan.

Like in a movie, suddenly everything became so slow that one could perceive many things at the same time. At first, laughter bubbled up in Neha. The bouquet toss ending in the large ceiling fan was funny, after all. The dismayed cries of the single ladies that had been fighting over the best spot to catch the flowers were funny, too. Neha hadn’t meant to be part of this stupid game. She had no intention at all to be the next bride, thank you very much.

The fan grabbed the bouquet and swirled it around a couple of times. An angry whooshing sounded from the ceiling. Whether it came from the aggressive fan, or the captured bouquet was impossible to make out. After a few tours around, centrifugal forces helped the flowers to come loose—and sent them Neha’s way. They surged towards her in big cartwheels, mocking her attempt to stand at the far side of the venue, trying to not partake in a ceremonial divination of who would marry next.

Oh, her parents would love this! They had been nagging her about getting married and starting a family for years, but, with her thirtieth birthday only months away, they had become veritable pests. The constant badgering was grinding on Neha’s nerves, and she was appalled at fate’s trick to send her the bouquet. Her feet felt like they were glued to the ground, and her spine was unyielding—she could neither move to the side nor duck away. The only thing she could do to avoid being hit in the face by the stems of two dozen roses was to catch them.

She stared at the flowers in her hands and let them drop to the ground. Her hands itched, and she wiped them on her bridesmaid’s gown.

Everybody was staring. Some laughed and cheered. Neha wished to vanish. She turned to the door, but before she even took a step, Shanae came running and wrapped her into a tight embrace. Who would have thought her best friend would toss her wedding bouquet that wretchedly?

Shanae whispered, “I’m sorry.” She rubbed Neha’s back.

Neha hated to see that mortified look on her friend’s face. Just because she abhorred the thought of getting married off didn’t mean she wanted to ruin Shanae’s wedding. “I’m fine.”

Shanae squinted at her. “The hell you are.” They had lived together as roommates long enough to know each other well.

“No, really, I’m fine. It’s just flowers, you know.” Neha smiled and hooked her arm into the bride’s. “Let’s get back to the party.” She took Shanae’s hand and pulled her to the dance floor. Together, they egged the guests on to start dancing again.

Neha even let Nathan, the best man, whirl her around the dance floor, but a little while later she sneaked out. The rain had lessened to a soft drizzle, and it wasn’t too bad to walk through the dunes for a few minutes. Neha walked towards the shore and breathed in the salty, fresh air. Her shoulders relaxed. The errant bouquet had been an unfortunate sling slip. No clairvoyance involved at all.

Just when she had managed to calm herself, her phone rang.

About the Author

Hey there! I am Ella Braeme and I create romances as mini-vacations for women who need a little breather every now and then.

• contemporary romance

• small-town

• open-door, steamy

• set in the Deep South

• interracial

• short novellas

There have been times in my life that were stressful. In these, I relied on romance novels and novellas to keep my head straight. Now that things have calmed down, I enjoy giving back by writing for others.

https://instagram.com/ellawritesromance