The Power of First Love – #SecondChanceRomance #Memory #Idealism

By J. Arlene Culiner (Guest Blogger)

Don’t we all have a memory tucked away of someone we once loved, someone we just might have stayed with had the circumstances been right? And what would happen if we came face-to-face with that person today? Would the magic still be there? Would our hands tremble and our knees knock together as they did back then? Or would we just stare, appalled, wonder how we could have been so silly?

The idea of meeting a romantic ex was just intriguing enough to write about. My hero —Marek Sumner— and my heroine—Felicity Powers—first meet in San Francisco. The year is 1971, a time when idealists thought they could change the world, that the looming problems of pollution, poverty and over-population would be tackled, and unjust wars could be stopped.

Felicity is a strong, determined young woman who always fights for what she believes in, and refuses to conform to the fashionable ideas of the moment. Marek, intelligent, romantic, knows that life will be exciting with Felicity as his partner. But relationships require a certain amount of sacrifice, and compromise. Marek demands security and a family; Felicity craves adventure. And so, their romance ends.

In a way… Because, even forty years later, Felicity has never forgotten Marek. She has spent her life as a foreign aid worker, has been in danger countless times, and done exactly what she set out to do. And despite all that, she knows Marek was the love of her life.

What does Marek think all these years later? He’s never forgotten Felicity. And when they meet up again in San Francisco it’s great to see her. Even in her sixties she looks wonderful. And sexy. But start over? After all these years? He’s too smart for that. Who needs turbulence and drama?

That’s not how Felicity sees things. And when they spend a few days down in a forgotten cove on the California coast, anything can happen.

Blurb

San Francisco, 1971: hippies in the streets, music and revolution in the air. The evening Marek Sumner opened his door to the wild-looking Felicity Powers, he knew nothing would ever be the same. But even love and passion couldn’t keep them together.

Forty-three years later, having lived in the world’s most dangerous places as an aid worker, Felicity is back, still offering love, passion, and adventure. Now a well-known author, Marek loves his calm life in an isolated farmhouse, and he knows their relationship would never work : he and Felicity are just too different. Besides, why risk having his heart broken a second time?

But Felicity is as fascinating and joyful as ever, and the wonderful sexy magic is still there too. Can love be more delightful the second time around?

Available in paperback, e-book, and audiobook

Purchase links: 
https://books2read.com/FelicitysPower

Excerpt

She didn’t even bother hiding her bold curiosity, or that she was observing, noting, judging. Well, let her judge him if she wanted. He didn’t have to justify himself, his life, or his taste.

“A simple student’s apartment, as you see,” said Marek, dryly, breaking the silence.

Her smile was amused as she turned to him, her gaze unwavering. “At least there’s nothing horrible.”

“Horrible?” He arched an eyebrow, attempting to meet her condescension with a sneer of his own. “Such as a corpse under the desk? A blood-stained hatchet? You must be disappointed.”

She laughed. It changed her entire face, transforming the almost severe, hawk-like features into something warmer, something infinitely touching. Her teeth were white, perfect; her smile was broad. Her head tilted back slightly on a long, elegant neck.

He was intensely aware that his fingers ached to reach out and touch her, pull her toward him, press her body against his, but he didn’t dare. Indeed, he hardly trusted himself to move lest she vanish.

“I should have said vulgar,” she corrected, still grinning. “That’s even worse.”

“A blood-stained hatchet sounds good?”

“Wait!” She held up one hand in delighted protest. “This has nothing to do with blood and hatchets and corpses. And the word tacky is even better than vulgar.”

“Tacky. I see. More or less... ”

“You know. Posters of bare feet glued onto the ceiling, drinking glasses with nude women, or ceramic cups that look like breasts.”

“I strike you as the kind of person who’d own stuff like that?” He forced himself to look offended.

“Looks can be deceiving. They usually are.”

What image did she have of him? “How about a deck of pornographic playing cards with bare-assed men wearing short black socks and shiny shoes? Is that tacky enough for you?”

“Right! That really is one hundred percent tacky.” She stopped, looked at him. “Don’t tell me you’ve got those!”

“Okay. I won’t.”

“No. Wait. I didn’t mean what I said. If you do have dirty playing cards, I want to know.”

Why did she want to know? “Tell me first if tacky is positive or negative.”

“Are you joking? I just want to see you implicate yourself before things get going.”

“Before what things get going?” A wild desire to laugh bubbled up inside of him.

For the first time, she seemed to lose a little bit of her bright assurance. Something flickered in her eyes. Her expression changed again.

“Mind if I take a seat?”

About the Author

Writer, artist, and photographer, Jill (J.) Arlene Culiner, grew up in Toronto but now lives in France. She has crossed much of Europe on foot, has lived on the Great Hungarian Plain, in a Bavarian castle, a Turkish cave dwelling, and a haunted house on the English moors. She now resides in a 400-year-old former inn in a French village where she protects spiders, snakes, and weeds. She delights in ridiculous or romantic stories, and loves gossip.

She has won the Tanenbaum Prize in Canadian Jewish History, the Canadian Jewish Literary Award for Memoir, the Bookish Magazine Award, the Bookish Reader’s Pick Award, was shortlisted for the Foreword Magazine Prize, and twice for the Page Turner Awards.

Author Website: https://www.j-arleneculiner.com/felicity-s-power

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