It’s another #StarkOnSaturday!
We’re counting down to Take Me, an epilogue novella that follows the bestselling Stark Trilogy which began with with Release Me, continued with Claim Me, and concluded with Complete Me!
I hope you enjoy this week’s installment! (Fair warning, though! It’s hard to do excerpts from a novella without risking spoilers! So be forewarned before you read ahead!)
And here we go!
My mother reaches over and snatches the fork out of my hand. For a moment, I’m fool enough to think that she’s going to get in the spirit and try the cake. But all she does it point the tines at me. “Honestly, Nichole,” she says, in a tone that leaves no doubt that I have committed some heinous sin. “Are you trying to ruin your wedding? Have you thought about your waist? Your hips? Not to mention your skin!”
She turns to to Sally, who is clearly struggling to wipe the expression of appalled shock off her face. “Bless her little heart,” my mother says, in a tone that practically drips sugar, “but my Nichole isn’t a girl who can eat cake and then get into something as form fitting as a wedding gown.”
“Nikki is a lovely young woman,” Sally says firmly. “And I’m sure she’s going to look stunning at her wedding.”
“Of course she will,” my mother says, her voice sounding farther and farther away from me. It’s as if I’m sliding back, moving down some tunnel away from her, away from Sally, away from everything.
“That’s why I’m here,” Mother adds, her tone entirely reasonable. “My daughter knows she has no self-control about things that are bad for her—cakes, candies, men,” she adds in a stage whisper. “I’ve always been there to help her keep her eye on the prize.”
“I see,” Sally says, and I have a feeling she sees more than my mother wants.
As for me, even from the depth of this well into which I’ve fallen, I am seething. I want to leap out of my chair and tell my mother that she’s never helped me, she’s only manipulated me. That she’s not interested in what I want, but only what I look like and how I act and if I’m presenting an image that stands up to the Fairchild name—a name that’s not worth what it used to be since she took over—and decimated—the oil business that she inherited when my grandfather passed away.
I want to say all of that, but I don’t. I just sit there, my plastic smile on my face, hating myself for not moving. For not telling her to get the hell back to Texas.
You can pre-order Take Me (coming Dec. 3) from Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Random House
BooksAMillion
iTunes
In the UK, you can grab Take Me here (more retailers coming soon):
And if you missed Release Me, you can snag your copy from your favorite retailers here:
Amazon (print)
Amazon (kindle)
Amazon United Kingdom
Barnes and Noble (print or Nook)
Books-A-Million
Kobo
iBooks
Indie Bound
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
Random House
your favorite independent bookseller
in the U.K. from Amazon
in the U.K. from Waterstones
in the U.K. from WH Smith
And here are the links to Book 3, Complete Me!
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
Kobo
Random House
iTunes
your favorite independent bookseller
in the U.K. from Amazon
in the U.K. from Waterstones
in the U.K. from WH Smith
More soon,
XXOO
I just Love the books read them all 3
Thank you so much!
Julie Just love your books have even read “The Cats Fancy which I adored, never realised that there were more books in the series, I will be clicking on those soon. Thank you for writing such lovely stories and I look forward to reading Take Me when it is released on Dec 3rd.
Thank you so much!!! I’m thrilled you’re looking forward to Take Me …. and I hope you enjoy the rest of the books in the superhero series!!!
I was lucky enough to be approved for a review copy from NetGalley thanks to the publisher. I couldn’t wait to see what happened between Nikki and Damien in Complete Me and started reading as soon as the review copy appeared on my kindle.I personally think Ms. Kenner did an amazing job with this trilogy. I’ve loved both Nikki and Damien’s characters from the very beginning and loved watching each of them grow not only as individuals but as a couple throughout the series.I had figured out Damien’s secret much as Nikki had long before he shared it with her. As private as Damien is, even though he is always in the spotlight, I totally understood him going to trial rather than letting his past come to light. I loved that Nikki loved him enough to support his decision. Nikki has become much stronger with each installment in this trilogy. She still tends to whine a bit too much for my liking, but she is strong enough to do whatever it takes to love and protect Damien.I have to admit, the person going after Damien threw me for a loop. I honestly never thought this individual would do anything that might hurt Damien, but it fit perfectly once I thought out all the clues. I will say parts of this book broke my heart, and yet I still loved it so much. The passion shared between Damien and Nikki is off the charts hot, and I love how much they truly need one another.In my opinion, Ms. Kenner did an amazing job with the wrap-up of this trilogy. I won’t say I wouldn’t love to visit with Nikki and Damien in the future, because I would. However, if there are no more books with them as the main characters, as a reader, I got the ending I wanted and the characters deserved.
What a wonderful note! I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to reply. I appreciate you coming by and posting!
Hay, kind of an odd question but cant find the answer any where, absolutely loved the STARK trilogy, do you know if ‘TAKE ME’ will be available in hard print?