Vacations Like This by Carina Taylor with excerpt and giveaway

January 10, 2022
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Vacations Like This
Carina Taylor
(A Love Like This, #4)
Publication date: January 4th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a laugh out loud friends to enemies to lovers romantic comedy!

Kimber
Some people view nosiness as a character flaw. I prefer to think of it as a useful skill. Like a sixth sense or intuition. It’s my super power. And since I became a reporter for my small town newspaper, I like to think my super power puts bagels on my table.

A tiny (quite big, actually) mistake has me eagerly accepting a contract job investigating a resort being built in a small Colorado town.

But there’s one small problem. (6’4” according to his license—maybe my nosiness does go too far sometimes.)

What I didn’t count on was being double-booked in a cabin with Mack Boone.

Our families have known each other since high school, so it feels wrong to kick him out of my cabin.

Besides…he’s kind, he’s protective, and a great kisser.

Three qualities I admire in a man.

But when I find out why he is in town, I realize I’ve made yet another mistake.

No more kissing, Kimber. He’s the enemy.

Lines are drawn. (Literally.)

Wars fought.

Hills sledded.

Lips kissed. Oh right, I wasn’t going to do that one anymore. Maybe I’ll call it research…

The more I investigate the resort, the more time I spend with Mack…the more I wonder what I’m really fighting against. The more I wonder if I can take a chance on love.

What if the villain is really the hero in this story?

*Vacations Like This is a standalone sexy, closed door romantic comedy in a series of connected characters.

A Love Like This series
1) Neighbors Like That: Kylie and Hagen’s story
2) Christmas Like This: Trey and Marla’s story
3) Friends Like These: Page and Noah’s story
4) Vacations Like This: Mack and Kimber’s story

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“What are you doing?” a voice boomed behind me.

Elsie jumped. I kept my feet planted firmly on the ground because—well, because I knew I couldn’t stick the landing. My ice skating was still a little bit shaky.

I turned around slowly and stared at Mack. “I’m getting into my new rental car.”

Mack shook his head rapidly. “Not a good idea, Kimber. Not. A. Good. Idea.”

“It’ll be fine. Not that it’s any of your concern.”

“Kimber, have you ever driven in the ice and snow before?”

“What a sexist remark!”

“It has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with geography!” He pointed at the mountain to our left. “We don’t have those in Louisiana. We definitely don’t have ice storms.” Now he pointed at the icicle hanging from the yield sign. “You don’t know how to drive in the snow and ice. Heck, I don’t know how to drive in the snow and ice. Why do you think I haven’t rented a car myself? The town’s so small, just walk to where you need to go!”

I glared at him and clenched my fist. My fingers bumped the panic button on the key fob, and the car alarm went off. I stabbed at the button with my index finger to turn it off.

Refusing to look at Mack, I tucked my hair behind my ear, then marched toward the car. My foot slipped on a thick patch of ice, but I caught myself.

I glanced around at the parking lot. Now that I looked at it, there really was quite a bit of ice. But I’m sure the car would have better traction than my no-tread tennis shoes.

Elsie spoke up, the dirty traitor, “You know, Kimber, maybe you should wait to drive the car tomorrow. It’s supposed to thaw and warm up a little. Then you won’t have to worry about driving on such thick ice.”

“It’ll be fine,” I assured her. I didn’t know that—not really. But I didn’t want to back down with Mack standing right there. It would feel wrong to agree with him. And he looked so stern standing there glaring at me. He’d make a great disapproving dad someday. I opened the door to the car and climbed in.

Closing the door, I buckled my seatbelt before starting the car up. I jumped when a shadow fell over the driver-side window. Mack stood outside the window, knocking on it. Even knowing he was going to continue his rant, I rolled the window down.

“Do you need a ride home in my new rental car?” I asked with a sickly sweet voice. Mack leaned down and rested his elbows on the doorframe and leaned into the car.

“Kimber, please get out of the car.”

“Mack, it’ll be fine. I don’t know why you care.”

He practically rolled his eyes at that as if he had a right to be mad at me. He didn’t. “You’re making me out to be some super villain when I’m only here to do my job.”

“Even villains have jobs,” I reminded him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take this car back to the cabin so that I can deliver flyers with it. I have a super villain to stop.”

I rolled the window up and Mack was forced to step back.

With a smirk and a little wave, I put the car in reverse, but I was distracted by Mack shaking his head looking disappointed at me. I shouldn’t feel guilty. He was the one in the wrong. But while I was busy thinking about his misplaced disappointment, I stepped on the gas and shot backwards out of the parking space. Mack’s eyes widened, and I frantically stepped on the brakes.

Nothing happened. The car drifted to the side, but it didn’t stop. I glanced behind me and realized that I was heading straight for a light pole. I stomped on the brakes again, but the car was already in motion and going with the momentum of the ice rink that was in the parking lot. I was going for gold. If the judges didn’t give me a 10/10 for my flying spin I was going to be upset.

I screamed and cranked the wheel of the car. It didn’t go where I steered it. It was as if my toe pick had stuck in the ice and the hard surface was zooming up toward my face.

Author Bio:

USA Today Bestselling author Carina Taylor writes zany romantic comedies that make you ugly laugh.

When she’s not writing, you can find Carina ignoring her laundry pile (she’s hit expert level), pretending to work out, eating cheese, (pretending to workout WHILE eating cheese) and dreaming up the next story.

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