We're thrilled to share a sneak peek of Hearts of Blue by L.H. Cosway, a standalone contemporary romance that tells the story of star-crossed lovers Karla Sheehan and Lee Cross, a police constable and the thief who steals her heart.
We read an advance copy and absolutely loved it. Devoured it in one sitting. Sexy, witty, and fresh, Their love was not meant to be, their love should never work, but Lee and Karla can't deny what burns so deep and strong in their hearts. Confidently a TRSoR recommendation and fave!
Read the excerpt and experience the sexy chemistry between Lee and Karla, pre-order today, and enter to win a $20 Gift Card!
We read an advance copy and absolutely loved it. Devoured it in one sitting. Sexy, witty, and fresh, Their love was not meant to be, their love should never work, but Lee and Karla can't deny what burns so deep and strong in their hearts. Confidently a TRSoR recommendation and fave!
Read the excerpt and experience the sexy chemistry between Lee and Karla, pre-order today, and enter to win a $20 Gift Card!
"One word, and I'll fuck that frustration right out of you, babe."
- Hearts of Blue by L.H. Cosway
Exclusive Excerpt:
A second later Lee was walking down the hallway toward us, wiping his hands on a dish cloth. He wore jeans and a t-shirt, and I allowed myself a brief moment to take in the intricate tattoos that adorned his arms, and the way his jeans hugged his trim waist before straightening my posture.
Lee’s eyebrows lifted when he saw me standing there. His expression didn’t give much away, and his attention wandered briefly to Tony before returning to me. He seemed at ease. This was his territory and I didn’t like it. He had the upper hand, no question.
A slow, easy smile spread its way across his mouth as he eyed me. “I knew you’d come a knocking sooner or later, Snap.”
“There was a little boy,” I blurted, no idea why I said it.
“That’s Jonathan. He’s my cousin Sophie’s kid. They live here with us.”
“Oh,” I said, staring at him dumbly for a second before remembering why I was there. I cleared my throat. “Well, we’re here on official business. I’ve just come from chasing your brother, Trevor, down an alley after I caught him trying to steal a Honda. If he’s here, I’d like to speak with him.”
Lee folded his arms. “He’s not in. But how do you know it was Trev? Lots of blokes out there who look like him, good lookin’ son of a gun that he is. I think you’ve got your wires crossed, babe.”
“You’re talking to a police constable, son. Show some respect,” said Tony, bristling at Lee calling me babe.
Lee looked at Tony, then at me, and smirked as he dipped his head forward and spoke low. “My apologies, Karla.”
The way he said my name gave me that fizzy feeling in my stomach again, but I didn’t let it show. Up until now, he’d never called me by my actual name, always by the nickname he’d decided to give me: Snap, or the longer version, Gingersnap.
“That’s Constable Sheehan to you,” I said firmly.
Some recognition flared in his eyes as he ran a hand over his jaw. “Did you just say Sheehan?”
I narrowed my gaze at him. “That’s right.”
“Fuck.”
“Did I not just tell you to show some respect?” Tony cut in, disgruntled now.
Lee didn’t even look at him this time. His attention was all on me. “Any relation to Superintendent Sheehan?”
I swallowed, my throat growing dry all of a sudden. He knew my dad. Fantastic. “That’s none of your concern. Now, if you could assist us in locating your brother…”
“Oh Christ, you are, aren’t you? What is he, your uncle? Your old man? Please don’t tell me you’re married to the prick, because that’ll just put me off my dinner.”
His statement made me forget myself for just a second as I screwed up my face in disgust. “Eww, no. He’s my father, you…” I caught myself right before I added the word ‘idiot’ onto the end of my sentence.
“Shiiiit! Your dad? Bloody hell, Snap, now I just feel sorry for you.”
He wasn’t joking either; there was genuine sympathy in his expression. I plastered a stoic look on my face. Most everyone who knew my father knew he was a hard arse, belligerent fucking bully of a man, but he excelled at his job. His personal life, not so much.
“I’m not discussing this with you. Call your brother and tell him to get down here. If he’s innocent like you say he is, then he shouldn’t mind us asking a few questions.”
Lee didn’t breathe a word, instead he stared at me in a way that made my uniform feel too constricting, my stab vest too heavy. Slowly, he reached inside his jeans pocket and pulled out an iPhone. Tapping on the screen a few times, he lifted it to his ear, eyes on me as the call rang out. I was close enough to hear it go to voicemail.
“He’s not answering.”
“Amazing that,” Tony deadpanned before gesturing to me. “Come on, we’re not going to get anywhere with this one.”
“Aw, not staying for dinner?” Lee teased, his mouth shaping back into a grin as he held his hands out. “And I went to all this trouble.”
Tony was about to throw some barb back at him when his radio went off with a call from dispatch. He stepped away so that he could talk to the person on the other end, thus leaving me alone with Lee, who leaned against the doorjamb and gave me a heated little look. “I have to say, I like you in uniform.”
“Oh, shut it.” I rolled my eyes. There was nothing attractive about what I was wearing. It was basically men’s clothing on a woman.
“I’m not lying. How’s about you come up to my room for a bit and I’ll show you how much I like it?” He paused, eyes flicking to the top of my head as he winked. “You can even leave your hat on.”
Completely against my own will, I snickered a laugh, folding my arms across my chest. “No thanks, Tom Jones.”
“I think you’ll find it was Randy Newman who penned the tune. Tom Jones did the cover,” Lee quipped.
I made a concerted effort to regain my professionalism and throw a bucket of cold water over his flirty banter. “When you see your brother, tell him to get himself down the nick to see me.”
“Fucking hell, you really are Ross Sheehan’s daughter. Growing up must have been shit for you.”
The empathy in his voice caught me off guard. I swallowed but didn’t say anything. Our gazes locked and held, something thick and unspoken passing between us. He took a step outside, past the threshold of his doorway and onto the street. I glanced down at the toes of my boots and back up again, a strand of hair falling from behind my ear. Lee’s hand reached out, as though he were about to tuck it back in, but then he froze before he could touch me. Touching a constable could technically be considered assault. And technically, I could arrest him for that. Maybe that’s why he stopped. Or maybe it was something else.
His eyes softened when he whispered, “If that cranky string of piss weren’t with you right now, it’d be a whole other ball game.”
I looked to Tony, who had just finished with his call. Lee turned and casually went back inside his house, closing the door softly behind him.
Lee’s eyebrows lifted when he saw me standing there. His expression didn’t give much away, and his attention wandered briefly to Tony before returning to me. He seemed at ease. This was his territory and I didn’t like it. He had the upper hand, no question.
A slow, easy smile spread its way across his mouth as he eyed me. “I knew you’d come a knocking sooner or later, Snap.”
“There was a little boy,” I blurted, no idea why I said it.
“That’s Jonathan. He’s my cousin Sophie’s kid. They live here with us.”
“Oh,” I said, staring at him dumbly for a second before remembering why I was there. I cleared my throat. “Well, we’re here on official business. I’ve just come from chasing your brother, Trevor, down an alley after I caught him trying to steal a Honda. If he’s here, I’d like to speak with him.”
Lee folded his arms. “He’s not in. But how do you know it was Trev? Lots of blokes out there who look like him, good lookin’ son of a gun that he is. I think you’ve got your wires crossed, babe.”
“You’re talking to a police constable, son. Show some respect,” said Tony, bristling at Lee calling me babe.
Lee looked at Tony, then at me, and smirked as he dipped his head forward and spoke low. “My apologies, Karla.”
The way he said my name gave me that fizzy feeling in my stomach again, but I didn’t let it show. Up until now, he’d never called me by my actual name, always by the nickname he’d decided to give me: Snap, or the longer version, Gingersnap.
“That’s Constable Sheehan to you,” I said firmly.
Some recognition flared in his eyes as he ran a hand over his jaw. “Did you just say Sheehan?”
I narrowed my gaze at him. “That’s right.”
“Fuck.”
“Did I not just tell you to show some respect?” Tony cut in, disgruntled now.
Lee didn’t even look at him this time. His attention was all on me. “Any relation to Superintendent Sheehan?”
I swallowed, my throat growing dry all of a sudden. He knew my dad. Fantastic. “That’s none of your concern. Now, if you could assist us in locating your brother…”
“Oh Christ, you are, aren’t you? What is he, your uncle? Your old man? Please don’t tell me you’re married to the prick, because that’ll just put me off my dinner.”
His statement made me forget myself for just a second as I screwed up my face in disgust. “Eww, no. He’s my father, you…” I caught myself right before I added the word ‘idiot’ onto the end of my sentence.
“Shiiiit! Your dad? Bloody hell, Snap, now I just feel sorry for you.”
He wasn’t joking either; there was genuine sympathy in his expression. I plastered a stoic look on my face. Most everyone who knew my father knew he was a hard arse, belligerent fucking bully of a man, but he excelled at his job. His personal life, not so much.
“I’m not discussing this with you. Call your brother and tell him to get down here. If he’s innocent like you say he is, then he shouldn’t mind us asking a few questions.”
Lee didn’t breathe a word, instead he stared at me in a way that made my uniform feel too constricting, my stab vest too heavy. Slowly, he reached inside his jeans pocket and pulled out an iPhone. Tapping on the screen a few times, he lifted it to his ear, eyes on me as the call rang out. I was close enough to hear it go to voicemail.
“He’s not answering.”
“Amazing that,” Tony deadpanned before gesturing to me. “Come on, we’re not going to get anywhere with this one.”
“Aw, not staying for dinner?” Lee teased, his mouth shaping back into a grin as he held his hands out. “And I went to all this trouble.”
Tony was about to throw some barb back at him when his radio went off with a call from dispatch. He stepped away so that he could talk to the person on the other end, thus leaving me alone with Lee, who leaned against the doorjamb and gave me a heated little look. “I have to say, I like you in uniform.”
“Oh, shut it.” I rolled my eyes. There was nothing attractive about what I was wearing. It was basically men’s clothing on a woman.
“I’m not lying. How’s about you come up to my room for a bit and I’ll show you how much I like it?” He paused, eyes flicking to the top of my head as he winked. “You can even leave your hat on.”
Completely against my own will, I snickered a laugh, folding my arms across my chest. “No thanks, Tom Jones.”
“I think you’ll find it was Randy Newman who penned the tune. Tom Jones did the cover,” Lee quipped.
I made a concerted effort to regain my professionalism and throw a bucket of cold water over his flirty banter. “When you see your brother, tell him to get himself down the nick to see me.”
“Fucking hell, you really are Ross Sheehan’s daughter. Growing up must have been shit for you.”
The empathy in his voice caught me off guard. I swallowed but didn’t say anything. Our gazes locked and held, something thick and unspoken passing between us. He took a step outside, past the threshold of his doorway and onto the street. I glanced down at the toes of my boots and back up again, a strand of hair falling from behind my ear. Lee’s hand reached out, as though he were about to tuck it back in, but then he froze before he could touch me. Touching a constable could technically be considered assault. And technically, I could arrest him for that. Maybe that’s why he stopped. Or maybe it was something else.
His eyes softened when he whispered, “If that cranky string of piss weren’t with you right now, it’d be a whole other ball game.”
I looked to Tony, who had just finished with his call. Lee turned and casually went back inside his house, closing the door softly behind him.
Teasers!
Click on pictures for full view
Synopsis and Purchase Link
Release Date: November 19th
She upholds the law. He breaks it.
Two blue hearts, both alike in bravery
In not-so-fair London, where we lay our scene
From gun crime to petty theft
Where family is blood and survival makes hands unclean
In this place, we find two hearts who should be foes
And yet, amidst the turmoil their love still grows
Misadventure abounds and the divide will bring them strife
But with luck, death doesn’t always mean an end to life.
Two blue hearts, both alike in bravery
In not-so-fair London, where we lay our scene
From gun crime to petty theft
Where family is blood and survival makes hands unclean
In this place, we find two hearts who should be foes
And yet, amidst the turmoil their love still grows
Misadventure abounds and the divide will bring them strife
But with luck, death doesn’t always mean an end to life.
"Sometimes the innocent ones are guilty only because the world didn't give them a chance to stay innocent."
- Hearts of Blue by L.H. Cosway
Heart Series Books and Reading Order
All stand-alones. Click on book covers for purchase information.
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