RELEASE BLITZ WITH EXCERPT: Vacation Wars by Meghan Quinn
VACATION WARS, a brand-new standalone romance from USA Today Bestselling Author, Meghan Quinn, is available now!
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Their past feelings may have a future—if only they can turn their island fantasies into something real…
From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a fun, sexy story about the family dynamics that can stand in the way of rekindling a romance.
Prepared for a good time, Tessa is thrilled to spend the weeks before her sister’s wedding at their family’s favorite vacation spot: Santorini. Sandy beaches, stonewashed houses, attractive men—it’s heaven.
But Tessa’s idea of a girls’ trip comes to a screaming halt when her sister thinks it’s high time Tessa finds some love herself. Unfortunately, Tessa forgot about the deal she made back in high school: she has to find her soulmate before her sister’s wedding. Or else.
As she dodges suitors and her sister’s pranks, Tessa finds an ally in the oh-so-dreamy Myles, her childhood crush who just so happens to work at the resort. But Myles is dealing with some family conflict of his own. He’s elated at being reunited with Tessa, but his father’s refusal to acknowledge his interest in the family business and relegating him to only grunt work casts a dark cloud.
As Tessa and Myles help navigate their way through their families’ antics, they begin to realize that their past feelings may have a future—if only they can turn their island fantasies into something real.
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EXCERPT:
Hey.
I have a story to tell you.
A story of untapped love.
I know this might be an unconventional way of beginning an epic love affair, but sometimes we storytellers must break up our formulaic narratives. Don’t worry, though; you’ll get up close and personal with the main characters quickly.
But as the author, I need to lay the groundwork first because this story is different.
Ever heard of the Greek gods Zeus and Hera? Some might say theirs was a legendary love affair, and sure, if they weren’t siblings who married, maybe I would agree. But this love story I’m about to get into is greater than Zeus and Hera.
Greater than Hades and Persephone because it didn’t involve a kidnapping against a woman’s will, then dragging her to the fiery underworld, where she was forced to live with her pitiless husband and the souls of the dead.
And dare I say . . . greater than Poseidon and Amphitrite? Shape-shifting into a dolphin to convince the love of his life to spend eternity with him, not needed—although man-dolphin does have an odd appeal to it.
This couple were like Penelope and Odysseus. They didn’t need the fancy things like a sibling connection or a slippery porpoise to convince them they were meant to be. Yup, I said it.
Eternal love.
Long-distance romance.
Obstacles in their way.
Unwanted suitors knocking at Penelope’s door.
A bitch named Helen who is trying to ruin it all—technically the bitch isn’t named Helen in this book, but you get the idea.
This story clocks all the way back to 1999. Whoa, I know, ancient times, am I right? Word on the street is people suffered through dial-up internet back then. How they survived we’ll never know. But this is when our main characters, Tessa and Myles, saw each other for the very first time.
You see, Tessa lives in America: New York City, to be exact. She’s your run-of-the-mill wallflower with a heart for all things numbers—can you say data nerd? She has a relentless penchant for reading—fantasy lover, this one—and has spent her entire life supporting her twin sister’s endeavors, which includes assisting in the following: a run for class president (won), Little Miss Darling of New York (won), and multiple tries at holding the Guinness world record for bouncing on a pogo stick (never, ever beat the record, not even close).
And then there’s our hero, Myles. A Greek citizen, but quite the traveler, bouncing between America and Greece. A single child who’s been homeschooled his whole life, he’s full of worldly knowledge, has a deep desire for hummus, and has been improperly known as “the Bulge” by our heroine and her sister. His family owns Anissa’s Palace Beach Resort in Santorini, the same resort where Tessa’s family vacations every year.
Can you see where I’m going with this?
They’ve crossed paths more than once. Let me give you a quick-and-dirty breakdown.
In 1999, they were six, and this was the first sighting. Tessa was playing tag with her sister on the beach. Myles was collecting seashells for the mosaic coffee table project he was helping his mom with. Their eyes connected, the wind whipped around them, waves crashed, and . . . nothing happened. They moved on with their lives.
Then the summer of 2004 came along. Hormones started revving up, and even though they’d seen each other every summer, they’d never really thought about one another—until Tessa stepped out on the beach in a hot-pink one-piece bathing suit. Myles noticed her. Tessa noticed Myles. Hearts floated from their eyes and into the air. It was a sight to behold. And that, my friends, is when the crushes developed.
Summer of 2006, they had their first real interaction. Now, this is not to say they hadn’t been watching each other from a distance, but this was the first time they’d spoken to each other. It was a blustery day on the island of Santorini. An avid kite flier, Tessa was attempting to get her frog kite in the air, the very kite she brought with her every summer. As she was winding the kite string back up, a gust of wind knocked her straw hat off her head. Nimble, with catlike reflexes, Myles snatched the hat from the air before it could take off into the Aegean Sea. He held it out to her and said, “Your hat.” She blinked. She snatched. She ran.
Fast-forward to 2008, the year Tessa had food poisoning. Fresh from the plane, the family stopped by a quaint food truck on the side of the road on the way to the resort. Tessa settled for the chicken gyro, but the gyro didn’t settle well with Tessa. Bound to her room for half the trip, she ordered room service while her family was out enjoying the pool. A living zombie in a holey shirt—the only thing that offered her comfort—she answered the door to a bright-eyed Myles and a wheely cart. Our hero had started a new job, but little did he know, the woman of his dreams would be on the other side of the door, looking like she’d just survived a postapocalyptic attack. Naturally, Tessa was horrified, while Myles wheeled in her room service cart. “Nice day,” he said.
“I . . . I . . . I have to stay close to the toilet,” she replied. He smiled. She considered stuffing her head in a pillow.
And, of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the day Tessa discovered . . . the bulge. It was the summer of 2013. A fresh twenty-one-year-old on the prowl for her next mixed cocktail, she was buzzed and gearing up for a dreamy day of reading, drinking, and enjoying the sea breeze. And then, Myles approached. Golden tan skin, muscles for days, in tight red swim trunks, he was a sight to behold. Tessa’s heart pittered. Tessa’s heart pattered. Tessa’s libido shot straight to the crystal-blue sky. And like she’d seen in many a movie, she was the woman on the lounger, lowering her sunglasses while the object of her affection walked in front of her. In that moment, Mother Nature chose to blow her biggest breath right at Myles’s crotch. Now, reader, I don’t want to sound crude, but it needs to be said . . . that gust of wind, the one aimed directly at Myles’s nether regions? It not only made his swim trunks conform to his crotch but defined his crotch. Length, girth, mass . . . some have said the earth shook that day. And when Myles turned to see Tessa, staring right at him, hunger in those twenty-one-year-old eyes, all he could do was say, “Hi.”
She replied with a lick of her lips and a drawn-out “Helllll-o to you.”
It went on like that for a few years—minor interactions, but no significant moments to further the monotonous, humdrum continuation of nothingness. Well, not until the kiss of 2015.
Yup . . . a kiss, but I’m not at liberty to tell you how it went down. I’m going to leave that up to Tessa and Myles.
Like I said, I’m just here to lay down the foundation, to let you know this journey between them has been going on for years. Their mutual crushes have been master classes in patience. And the moment they finally, and I mean finally, let each other know their feelings—well, reader, it’s one for the ages.
Are you ready? Are you comfortable? Are you mentally prepared for a whirlwind of embarrassment? Good.
Let’s start this off with present day . . .
About Meghan Quinn:
USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.
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