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SNEAK PEEK ~ Neighbor Dearest by Penelope Ward
NEIGHBOR DEAREST
A Standalone Contemporary Romance Novel
New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal
Bestselling Author Penelope Ward
Release date: 8/15/2016
***
NEIGHBOR DEAREST CHAPTER ONE
SUPERSONIC HEARING
Copyright © 2016 by
Penelope Ward
My little sister is such a drama queen. Literally. Jade is an actress on Broadway.
She clapped her hands together, applauding the students who’d just bravely put themselves out there to try out for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. “You all did such a great job today! Tomorrow we cast the roles and start our first rehearsal. This is gonna be epic!”
Jade had come out to the Bay Area to visit our family for the week and offered to volunteer at the youth center where I worked. Since there wasn’t enough time to produce an entire play, Jade decided to direct the kids in one key scene from the musical that would be performed later in the week.
I loved my job as director of the arts at the Mission Youth Center. It was just about the only thing going right in my life. The only downside was the fact that these walls were haunted by memories of my ex, Elec, who used to be a youth counselor here. That was how we met. He’d loved his job, too, until he quit so that he could move to New York after we broke up. He moved to be with her. I shook my head to shoo away thoughts of him and Greta.
Jade grabbed her purse. “I need to go back to your place to use the bathroom and have a quick bite.”
I’d just moved into a new apartment that was only a few blocks away from my job. The lease had finally run out on the place I’d been renting with Elec across town. Even though my ex sent me his half of the rent for the remainder of our lease after he’d moved out, I couldn’t wait to vacate that place; every corner of it reminded me of him and of the miserable months that followed our break up.
My place was right in the south central section of the Mission District. I loved the culture in my new neighborhood. Produce bins and a variety of cafes lined the streets. It was also a mecca for Latin culture, which was great, except for the fact that it reminded me of Elec, who was half Ecuadorian. Little reminders of the guy who broke my heart were everywhere.
Jade and I strolled down the sidewalk, stopping at a fruit stand so that she could buy some papayas for an afternoon smoothie she planned to make back at my apartment. We also ended up getting two coffees to go.
I bent back the opening on my coffee lid as we walked. “So, little sis, I never thought we would be in the same predicament at the same time.”
Jade had recently been dumped by her musician boyfriend.
“Yes. But the difference is, I feel like I have way more distractions in my life than you do. It’s not that I don’t think about Justin. It’s not that I don’t get sad, but my performances keep me so busy that it’s almost like I don’t have time to wallow in it, you know?”
“I told you I’ve been doing these phone therapy sessions, right?”
Jade took a sip then shook her head. “No.”
“Yeah. I found this psychologist who specializes in trauma from failed relationships, but she’s in Canada. Anyway, we do phone sessions one night a week.”
“Is it helping?”
“It always helps to talk things out.”
“Yeah. But no offense, you don’t seem any better for it. Anyway, you can talk things out with Claire or me. You don’t need to pay big bucks to talk to a stranger.”
“Nighttime is really my only time to talk to anyone. You’re performing at night, and Claire is too wrapped up in being a blissful newlywed. Besides, she’s never had her heart broken. She listens, but she doesn’t get it.”
Our older sister, Claire, married her high school sweetheart. Even though the three of us were close growing up in nearby Sausalito, I’d always felt more comfortable opening up to Jade.
When we arrived at my building, my sister stopped to sit on one of the benches in the corner of the fenced-in courtyard. “Let’s sit for a bit, finish our coffees.” Her gaze wandered across the grass to my shirtless neighbor. “Okay…who’s the hottie in the beanie defacing the property?”
“What is it with you and beanies?”
“Justin used to wear one. That’s why I love them. Isn’t that sad?”
“That is sad.”
“This from the girl who still sleeps in her ex’s shirt.”
“It’s comfortable. It has nothing to do with Elec,” I lied. It was the one thing I allowed myself from him. It made me sad, but I wore it anyway.
“So…who is that guy?”
I didn’t know my neighbor’s name, but I’d see him once in a while doing spray paint art along the wrap-around concrete wall that surrounded the property. It served as a vast canvas. His spray painting was true art, definitely not what would be considered simple graffiti. It was an elaborate mix of celestial and geographical images. This guy just kept adding different artwork to the wall gradually. It was a work in progress. I could only assume he planned to paint the entire circumference of the property, as much as the wall space would allow.
“He lives in the building, next door to me, actually.”
“What is he doing? They allow him to do that here?”
“I don’t know. The first time I saw him out here, I thought he was vandalizing the property. But no one seems to care or stop him. Every day, he adds to the mural. It’s actually quite beautiful. But it doesn’t match his personality.”
Jade blew on her coffee. “What do you mean?”
“He’s not very nice.”
“You’ve talked to him?”
“No. He’s just not friendly. I’ve tried to make eye contact, but he walks right by me. He has these two big dogs, and they’re pretty mean. They bark all of the time. He walks them every morning.”
“Maybe he’s like a savant. You know, really good with art. Or maybe he’s a genius but with limited social skills. What do they call that…Asperger’s?”
“No. He communicates just fine. I’ve seen him yelling at a few people. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have that. This guy is just not friendly. He doesn’t have Asperger’s. He’s just an ass.”
Jade chuckled. “I think you should totally stop by his place with some warm muffins wrapped up in a basket. It’s the neighborly thing to do. Maybe he’ll loosen up…or loosen you up.”
“Muffins, huh? What’s that code for?”
“Muff…muffins. Same thing. If I lived here, I’d be all over that. But I don’t live here. You do. And you totally need a distraction. I say…he’s it.”
I admired the guy’s broad shoulders and tanned muscular back as his arm moved the spray can up and down. “God, doesn’t he remind you of Elec, though? Arm tattoo…dark hair. Artistic. Basically, that’s the last type of guy I’m going for at this point.”
“So, if someone looks like or seems similar to Elec, then they’re automatically disqualified? They’re destined to do the same thing Elec did? Is that how you think? That’s just stupid rationale.”
“Maybe that’s fucked-up. But the last thing I want is to be with someone who reminds me of him in the least.”
“Well, that’s a shame, because Elec was freaking hot, and this guy…is even hotter.”
“Can you remind me why we’re discussing this? The dude doesn’t even say hello to me. He’s not signing up to be on this delusional version of The Bachelorette. He’s not interested.”
Neighbor Dearest suddenly wiped the sweat from his forehead, took off the mask covering his nose and mouth, and dumped the spray cans into a black drawstring sack. He slung it over his shoulder and just when I thought he was going to walk away and out of the courtyard, he began to walk in our direction. Jade straightened in her seat, and I hated that my pulse raced a bit.
His eyes were focused on me. I wouldn’t call it an angry stare, but he wasn’t smiling. The sunlight beamed directly into his blue eyes, which glowed and really stood out against his tan skin. Jade was right; this guy was truly gorgeous.
“Blueberry are my favorite,” he said.
“What?”
“Muffins.”
“Oh.”
Jade snorted but stayed silent, letting me take the brunt of this humiliation.
“And I’m not anti-social or a savant. I’m just a good old-fashioned prick…with supersonic hearing.”
He smirked and walked away before I could say anything.
When he was safely out of earshot—for real this time—Jade sighed. “Angry guys are the best in bed.”
“You just can’t stop yourself, can you? Haven’t you done enough damage? I’ve always told you that you’re loud when you think you’re whispering. Now there’s proof…at my expense.”
“You’ll be thanking me later when you’re screaming out in orgasm as the angry artist is Van Goh-ing down on you.”
“You’re crazy.”
“That’s why you love me.”
“It is.”
★★★
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Blurb
A STANDALONE NOVEL that does NOT need to be read in conjunction with any other book.
From New York Times bestselling author, Penelope Ward, comes a friends-to-lovers story with sexy new characters.
After getting dumped, the last thing I needed was to move next door to someone who reminded me of my ex-boyfriend, Elec.
Damien was a hotter version of my ex.
The neighbor I’d dubbed “Angry Artist” also had two massive dogs that kept me up with their barking.
He wanted nothing to do with me. Or so I thought until one night I heard laughter coming through an apparent hole in my bedroom wall.
Damien had been listening to all of my phone sessions with my therapist.
The sexy artist next door now knew all of my deepest secrets and insecurities.
We got to talking.
He set me straight with tips to get over my breakup.
He became a good friend, but Damien made it clear that he couldn’t be anything more.
Problem was, I was falling hard for him anyway. And as much as he pushed me away, I knew he felt the same…because his heartbeat didn’t lie.
I thought my heart had been broken by Elec, but it was alive and beating harder than ever for Damien.
I just hoped he wouldn’t shatter it for good.
Author’s note – Neighbor Dearest is a full-length standalone novel.
Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
About the Author:
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 11-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.
Connect with Penelope Ward:
Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Private Fan Group
Additional Books by Penelope Ward
RoomHate:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/294lIeT
iBooks: http://apple.co/1PgsvE7
Nook: http://bit.ly/1PLGnSL
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1POvSnW
Stuck-Up Suit: (co-written with Vi Keeland)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1S3LnpZ
iBooks: http://apple.co/1Qbwy57
B&N: http://bit.ly/29vrQhV
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/stuck-up-suit
Cocky Bastard: (co-written with Vi Keeland)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1MvHLg2
iBooks: http://apple.co/1PffE2J
Nook: http://bit.ly/1EjxNpY
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1UxCSUO
Sins of Sevin:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1F9tbc3
iBooks: http://apple.co/1K8mzGg
Nook: http://bit.ly/1hTKAKE
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1OaGY3D
Stepbrother Dearest:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1mFNMeg
Nook: http://bit.ly/1taMFjG
iBooks: http://bit.ly/YER0mT
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1fJaaBs
Jake Undone (Jake #1):
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1dJrHBC
Nook: http://bit.ly/1obAwJ6
iBooks: http://apple.co/1fJayQ8
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1SPKl0M
My Skylar
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1obOG2F
Nook: http://bit.ly/SLO1qi
iBooks: http://bit.ly/SLNOTR
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1kNrtAB
Jake Understood (Jake #2):
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GFdves
Nook: http://bit.ly/1FwJC0z
iBooks: http://apple.co/1DQQwgC
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1LQ7Fvk
Gemini:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1vgk1SE
Nook: http://bit.ly/1KfmLHD
iBooks: http://apple.co/1QTaONj
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1BGJ2wu
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COVER REVEAL – Stuck-Up Suit by Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland
STUCK-UP SUIT
(A standalone novel)
A Contemporary Romance novel
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Authors
Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland
RELEASE DATE: April 11th, 2016
Pre-order EXCLUSIVELY on iBooks:
Add Stuck-Up Suit to your TBR list on Goodreads!
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Cover Information
Cover designer: Letitia Hasser, r.b.a designs
Model: Dusan Susnjar
Photographer: Tijana Vukovic
Blurb
It started out like any other morning on the train.
Until I became mesmerized by the guy sitting across the aisle.
He was barking at someone on his phone like he ruled the world.
Who did the stuck-up suit think he was…God?
Actually, he looked like a God. That was about it.
When his stop came, he got up suddenly and left. So suddenly, he dropped his phone on the way out.
I might have picked it up.
I might have gone through all of his photos and called some of the numbers.
I might have held onto the mystery man’s phone for days—until I finally conjured up the courage to return it.
When I traipsed my ass across town to his fancy company, he refused to see me.
So, I left the phone on the empty desk outside the arrogant jerk’s office.
I might have also left behind a dirty picture on it first though.
I didn’t expect him to text back.
I didn’t expect our exchanges to be hot as hell.
I didn’t expect to fall for him—all before we even met.
The two of us couldn’t have been any more different.
Yet, you know what they say about opposites.
When we finally came face to face, we found out opposites sometimes do more than attract—we consumed each other.
Nothing could have prepared me for the ride he took me on. And I certainly wasn’t prepared for where I’d wind up when the ride was over.
All good things must come to an end, right?
Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.
Other books from Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward
Cocky Bastard
Amazon US:
Amazon UK:
iBooks:
Kobo:
B&N:
Meet Penelope Ward
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 11-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.
Stalk Her: Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Private Fan Group
Other books from Penelope Ward
RoomHate
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1WmdZLK
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1PysqdM
iBooks: http://apple.co/1PgsvE7
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1POvSnW
Nook: http://bit.ly/1PLGnSL
Sins of Sevin
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Qryeok
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1YrHjDx
iBooks: http://apple.co/1K8mzGg
B&N: http://bit.ly/1hTKAKE
kobo: http://bit.ly/1OaGY3D
Stepbrother Dearest
Amazon http://amzn.to/1mFNMeg
B&N: http://bit.ly/1taMFjG
iBooks: http://bit.ly/YER0mT
kobo: http://bit.ly/1fJaaBs
Gemini
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1vgk1SE
B&N: http://bit.ly/1KfmLHD
iBooks: http://apple.co/1QTaONj
kobo: http://bit.ly/1BGJ2wu
Jake Undone (Jake #1)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1dJrHBC
B&N: http://bit.ly/1obAwJ6
iBooks: http://apple.co/1fJayQ8
kobo: http://bit.ly/1SPKl0M
My Skylar
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1obOG2F
B&N: http://bit.ly/SLO1qi
iBooks: http://bit.ly/SLNOTR
kobo: http://bit.ly/1kNrtAB
Jake Understood (Jake #2)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GFdves
B&N: http://bit.ly/1FwJC0z
iBooks: http://apple.co/1DQQwgC
kobo: http://bit.ly/1LQ7Fvk
***************
Meet Vi Keeland
Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is an attorney and a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, & USA Today Best Selling author. Over the last three years, ten of her titles have appeared on the USA Today Bestseller lists and three on the New York Times Bestseller lists.
Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Pinterest
Additional Books by Vi Keeland
Life on Stage series (2 standalone books)
Beat
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1MWanfu
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1fczMX5
iBooks: http://apple.co/1DnI6f6
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1aqrmbS
B&N: http://bit.ly/1O1Ah0q
Throb
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1BgqIUD
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1CsRg9d
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1zk882K
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1x5c3P8
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1slglLN
MMA Fighter series (3 standalone books)
Worth the Fight (MMA Fighter Series, Book One)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1xC6epE
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1alpVES
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1dbzZ8R
Smashwords – http://bit.ly/1is0zNX
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1co2ZpF
Worth The Chance (MMA Fighter Series, Book Two)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1xC71aa
B&N: http://bit.ly/1gwTyJw
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1gHMCZg
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1fqQcnj
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/NU2rCR
Worth Forgiving (MMA Fighter Series, Book Three)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1wbsJEK
B & N: http://bit.ly/1ljdVzb
iBooks: http://bit.ly/XBTLFX
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1kWP4ka
The Cole Series (2 book serial)
Belong to You (Cole Series, Book One)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1fr26W2
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1KRsCVy
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/belong-to-you-vi-keeland/1114962845
IBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/belong-to-you/id639401754
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/belong-to-you
Made for You (Cole Series, Book Two)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Mi0AzQ
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1KRsdCx
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/made-for-you-vi-keeland/1115883225
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/made-for-you/id84550637
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/belong-to-you
Standalone novels
The Baller
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/23atpbd
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1ZwJnI4
iBooks: http://apple.co/1QM9TfP
B&N: http://bit.ly/1Yi2xmp
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1SEiOhC
Left Behind (A Young Adult Novel)
Amazon US:http://amzn.to/1G9HdDK
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Rmi3xp
First Thing I See
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1fr3dF7
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1RmihEP
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1JWFo21
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RELEASE BLITZ : Sins of Sevin by Penelope Ward
New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author
SINS OF SEVIN
(A standalone)
Release date 9/21/2015
A Contemporary Romance novel
Penelope Ward
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a
new forbidden STANDALONE romance!
NOW AVAILABLE!
Amazon US:
Amazon UK:
iBooks:
Kobo:
B&N:
Blurb
What happens when the one you want is the only one you can’t have?
My name is Sevin.
Homeschooled and sheltered by my ultra-religious family, I was always taught that lust was a sin.
Elle was the girl who’d been carefully chosen for me.
After a long-distance courtship, I’d be moving into her family’s guesthouse so that we could get to know each other in the months before the wedding.
Boundaries were set: no inappropriate touching, no kissing, no sex before marriage.
I’d accepted those rules and my fate.
Until I met the one I wanted to sin with.
That was when restraint became a problem…especially since THE ONE wasn’t Elle.
It was her sister, Evangeline.
You know what they say about best laid plans.
My name is Sevin, and I have sinned.
Told in alternating points of view, Sins of Sevin is a full-length standalone novel.
Contains graphic sexual content and harsh language.
Only appropriate for adult readers age 18+.
Sign up for Penelope’s mailing list now and be the first one notified of releases HERE:
Meet Penelope Ward
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 10-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.
Stalk Her: Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads
Other books from Penelope Ward
Cocky Bastard
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1FEkGjO
B&N: iTunes: http://bit.ly/1F57x8r
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1KeDQhg
Stepbrother Dearest
Amazon http://amzn.to/1mFNMeg
B&N: http://bit.ly/1taMFjG
ITunes: http://bit.ly/YER0mT
kobo: http://bit.ly/1fJaaBs
Gemini
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1vgk1SE
B&N: http://bit.ly/1KfmLHD
iTunes: http://apple.co/1QTaONj
kobo: http://bit.ly/1BGJ2wu
Jake Undone (Jake #1)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1dJrHBC
B&N: http://bit.ly/1obAwJ6
iTunes: http://apple.co/1fJayQ8
kobo: http://bit.ly/1SPKl0M
My Skylar
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1obOG2F
B&N: http://bit.ly/SLO1qi
iTunes: http://bit.ly/SLNOTR
kobo: http://bit.ly/1kNrtAB
Jake Understood (Jake #2)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GFdves
B&N: http://bit.ly/1FwJC0z
iTunes: http://apple.co/1DQQwgC
kobo: http://bit.ly/1LQ7Fvk
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