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Clovis, California – Present Day Sutton grew up in Clovis, but she currently lives in Los Angeles, where she is a co-owner and manager of a restaurant. Her mother was in a terrible accident, and Sutton is back in Clovis to care for her while she recovers. Alas, it isn’t easy because there has always been a lot of friction between the two, namely over the fact that Sutton’s father left them years ago. Well, it seems that history is repeating itself when her boyfriend of two years dumps Sutton over the phone while she’s in a bar. Unfortunately, two men sitting nearby overhear the conversation, and while Sutton is having a spirited discussion with the men, in walks her best friend from school, Tara. Turns out Tara is engaged to one of the men, Michael, and the other one is his brother, Elijah. They start discussing marriage counseling, and Michael makes a bet that the counselor couldn’t tell a real couple from a fake one. So, he dares Elijah and Sutton to go to counseling and pretend to be engaged. Sutton agrees but wonders what she’s gotten herself into. It seems like a lot is going on in STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED. Two strangers agree to pretend to be engaged and go to four counseling sessions, where they have to pretend to know things about each other. Of course, they're assigned “projects” to work on their “relationship.” It quickly turns their somewhat bellicose relationship into an attraction. After Sutton’s recent breakup, she isn’t looking for a new one. Meanwhile, she is trying to juggle caring for her mother and managing a restaurant long-distance. Her mother is stubborn and doesn’t seem to want to get better. Any suggestion from Sutton is met with resistance. Her mother keeps expecting Sutton’s father to come take care of her. However, he has been gone for years and doesn’t appear to have any interest in his wife (they are only separated) or his daughter. Elijah runs a boxing studio, and though he does a good job, Sutton soon learns that he is a talented photographer. He loves photography, but his father set him up in the boxing studio business, and he feels he can’t disappoint his father. Elijah turns out to be helpful to Sutton, though her mother makes it clear that she doesn’t like him. Meanwhile, Elijah and Sutton are attending the counselling meetings and doing the “homework.” Let’s just say there is sexiness involved in the assignments. Their attraction is turning serious between them, though her mind is still on getting her mother self-sufficient, and then she can return to Los Angeles. Could they do a long-distance romance? STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED is a fun and quirky romance that hits the high emotional notes, too. You will feel Sutton’s frustration at dealing with her mom and her restaurant, so it’s a good thing Elijah is nearby to help her let off steam. Oh, what a steamy thing they have going on. The banter is fun and enlightening as Sutton soon discovers a few things about herself. In this tale, we only have her point of view, so we don’t know what he’s thinking, but readers will sense that maybe it’s time he did things for himself and not for his father. Will they manage to find a happily ever after together? Find out the answer by grabbing a copy of the highly entertaining STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED. Patti Fischer |
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STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED – Kasie West