Dare to Hope, a steamy contemporary romance from Madison Michael

An Audacious Dare…. An Audacious New Romance Series from Madison Michael

It’s been a long time since Madison Michael released a book as part of a series. Too long. Well, she’s making up for that, starting in June with the release of the first of twelve stories in the Double Dare Romance Series.

Dare to Hope kicks off this series of steamy, contemporary stories about a group of friends, the “Crazy Eights,” who are too busy and too far away from each other but want more time together. “Weddings and funerals,” they lament, are the only times they see each other.

The solution – more weddings. The “Crazy Eights” double dare each other to find love and win the pot of gold, or lose and complete humiliating tasks. The stakes are high and the timeline short – one year.

Meet the Double Dare Romance Series and Dare to Hope, available July, 2020. Want to be sure to stay informed about the launch? Become a Madison Michael Insider and get the latest launch news. Curious about the Double Dare women? Be sure to follow Madison on Facebook.

 About Dare to Hope: A Double Dare Romance

She’s Betting on Love and the Stakes are High

The “Crazy Eights,” eight women who have been friends for 30 years, have a powerful connection yet rarely see each other. At a pivotal time in their lives, they create a way to remedy this predicament, an audacious dare contrived to bring them together for weddings – each participant must get married within twelve months. The stakes are high.  Win the bet and lose your heart; or lose the bet and perform a personally mortifying task.

In the first of their stories, we meet Eliana, beautiful and brilliant, but starting over, focused on her career, not on some foolhardy dare. Longing for a family but recently divorced and on her own, Eliana sets her sights on a new job, a new home and accepting her single, childless status.  Independent and determined, she has no idea that in less than six months she will both win and lose her heart’s desire.

Jeremy Klein, genius engineer and inventor, is also making life changes. He’s sold his startup to a major medical device company,  becoming President and CEO, and a billionaire before he is forty.  Although he’s gun-shy about  the dating game, Jeremy knows it’s time to apply his smarts, sex appeal and new-found success to finding true love.

When Eliana meets Jeremy, they bond quickly. The couple has so much in common and a chemistry that sizzles. Winning Eliana feels like a fantasy come true to Jeremy. Their attraction is immediate and electrifying, and a one-night stand morphs into planning a future.   But plans change.  On track to wedded bliss, baby and all, Jeremy and Eliana are derailed by accusations that threaten their relationship, Eliana’s career and Jeremy’s future as CEO.

Spies, lies, allegations and misunderstandings abound, threatening to destroy their happiness. That is, until those “Crazy Eights” get involved, scheming and manipulating to win Eliana her happily ever after. Can a group of determined friends help Eliana and Jeremy hold onto love?

In the tradition of The Beguiling Bachelor Series, Madison Michael creates a romance series about independent and sassy women, sexy and successful men, true love, and lasting friendships.

An Excerpt from Dare to Hope: A Double Dare Romance

When she met the people from her new company tomorrow, it would be soon enough to impress. Meanwhile, Eliana sat in a lightweight and comfortable sundress. She never fought the ‘dress like a man’ battle. Her subdued blue dress was short but not too short, cut low in front but not too revealing. With so few women and her history, Eliana knew she would attract men. There was no need to advertise her presence. Hoping to make an acquaintance or two before tomorrow’s kick-off, she wanted them to see a smart, approachable woman, not a sex object.

Once more, she scanned the room for familiar faces. There were none. Her perusal halted when her eyes locked on a tall man turned in the opposite direction. He dominated a conversation with one of the medical device conference organizers who was paying rapt attention. She was sure she didn’t know him, although she couldn’t see his face, but something about his mannerisms, fluid and graceful, kept Eliana’s eyes focused on him.

It might have been his shoulders, broad above a long, lean body, filling an obviously expensive suit to perfection. Or his hair, resting against the collar of his shirt, dark and thick with a bit of a wave. Or his hands which were large and expressive with fingers just made to play piano, or Eliana’s body. Oh yeah, if she’d known this man, she would have remembered him.

She longed to smooth the fabric of that suit over his broad shoulders. Her fingers itched to run through his hair. She had never felt the desire to fondle a total stranger, but something about this man – whose face she had yet to see – left her craving a caress.

Eliana studied the stranger at length, wishing she could meet him. He was commanding, several inches over six feet. His growing audience hung on his every word. And those hands, the long, tapered fingers moving as he spoke. Eliana was obsessed by them, wondering would they feel like skimming over her skin. What would that body, a very tempting body, feel like pressed into hers? She melted at the thought.

Eliana was beyond intrigued and, if she admitted it to herself, maybe aroused. Wow, and she hadn’t even seen his face? The way he commanded his audience, his mannerisms, his posture, his body, and that hair were enough to be riveting. She knew pharmaceutical and medical sales reps tended to be better looking than average, but still, this man stood out, and not just due to his height. He wore that gorgeous suit for starters. In a room full of khakis, in this stifling heat, this man wore a dark, expensive suit that fit him like a glove. She once again allowed her gaze to caress him, admiring the way the dark fabric just skimmed his broad shoulders before tapering to a slim middle.

As if he felt her scrutiny, the stranger abruptly turned his head and locked eyes with Eliana. A blush crept from her neck to the roots of her hair as she sat pinned, spellbound, reluctant to break the connection. Damn, he had caught her staring right at him. What the hell? Eliana resisted her instinct to hide under her hair. After all, he had already noted her evident attention; too late to pretend otherwise. Instead, she lifted her head, peered straight into his handsome face, and held his gaze.

She was trapped. Deep-set brown eyes scrutinized her meticulously, unabashed as they perused her like fine art at an auction. She endured his scrutiny, holding her breath until his lips curved, lifting upward to reveal two deep dimples in each cheek. She had wanted his approval, and that smile offered that and so much more.

It was a stunning smile, full of promise, mischief, and sensuality. Eliana could tell he liked what he saw and although men admired her frequently, this felt different, powerful, reciprocal, and strangely inevitable. She gave up any pretense of disinterest, allowing a matching smile to curve her mouth in invitation.

Mr. Brown Eyes got the message. Eliana watched as he swiftly disconnected from his conversation and sauntered her way. She loved the way he moved, relaxed and fluid, assured. A few people tried to capture his attention, and while he wasn’t rude in his dismissals, his focus never left her face. He was a man on a mission, single-minded and heading her way.

Please, God, Eliana prayed quickly, do not let this man be the new sales manager. It would be lamentable if she had to keep him at arm’s length. He was the first man Eliana had felt drawn to since Nico. If she was honest with herself, he was the first man she had ever felt this attracted to so immediately. It was enough to make her believe in love at first sight and fate.

“Hi,” he stepped closer, ignoring the empty stool beside her to halt just inside her personal space. Usually, Eliana would have reflexively backed up, but she savored his closeness, the power emanating from his presence. Even in this stuffy bar, he smelled good – fresh, like soap and good whiskey. And up close, his eyes were more magical – a hint of gold dancing in their depths.

“Hi,” she responded on a breath, letting the single word hang there for a moment before adding “You aren’t in sales, are you?”

“Nope.” If he thought it was a strange conversation starter, he kept it to himself. “Engineering and design, although I have dabbled in sales. I could be in sales for you,” he offered in a voice smooth as brandy, redolent with sexual promise and a hint of curiosity. She laughed at his offer. “Are you in sales?”

“Yes, I am. I was thinking of what a crime it would be if you turned out to be my new boss. I’m meeting him tomorrow.”

“Jeremy,” he responded, extending his hand to shake hers. “Not in sales. Is your boss named Jeremy?”

“Thankfully, not.”

Dare to Hope will be available July, 2020. Follow the launch plans, and get a free romance,  by joining Maddy’s Insiders group.

Meet Madison Michael:

Madison Michael loves to binge news, movies, books, Oreos and romance – reading romance novels, writing romantic stories, watching Rom-Coms over and over. Maddy has spent her self-isolation fretting about the health of her friends and neighbors and catching up on TV programs from ten years ago. Hunkered down with her cat, Gracie, and a Zoom life-line to the world, she is wondering how people date and social distance, how much junk food she can consume in a day and why Gracie only wants to play when Maddy needs to work.

Oh, and Madison is also hard at work on the rest of the Double Dare Romance series. Watch for more of the series in Autumn and Winter, 2020.

Madison’s Social Links:
 

 

All Caught up on Madison’s Books?

The Beguiling Bachelor Series – Four Successful, Sexy Men meet their matches – and how!

The B&B Billionaire Books – Second Chance at Love stories set in small town America

Standalone Stories – from Sweet Time Travel to Sexy May-September Romance

(available only when you sign up to be an Insider)

 

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