Jacquie Gee loves romance with a strong, sassy, heroines, and scrumptiously, gorgeous leading men. She writes sweet romance surrounded by chocolate, and always with fresh flowers in the room. She loves all things girlie, but it not afraid to kick off her heels and go play ball in the old cornfield with the boys. Raised in a small town in the country, she likes writing about them best. I mean, who doesn't love a small town.

To find out more about Jacquie, connect with her here: www.jacquelinegarlick.com

Looking for more to read? How about free short story in the world of Heartland Cove, click HERE.

Escape From Heartland by Jacquie Gee

Jules Bates is a fish-out-of-water in conservative, small town, Heartland Cove. A modern girl with modern dreams that have so far taken her all the way to father's bait shop at the end of town. There, she spends her days, elbow-deep in worm dirt. She can't remember the last time she's been on a date, or dressed in anything but a lumberjack shirt and hip waders. Her life seems to be at a stalemate. It's like her best friend said, "The perfect guy isn't just gonna walk in here and sweep you off your feet, you know?"

Or is he?

Jayden Sievert is on a mission, to solve the mystery of his life. But first he needs to track down a ghost. One in particular. The legend of Heartland Cove. Arriving in the small town, with his ghostbuster wannabe equipment in hand, he purchases the Caldwell place, much to the horror of the townsfolk—a stately Georgian Manor overlooking the sea, with a less than pleasant past. No one's been brave enough to set foot in that place for over a decade.

Is this man mad? Or perhaps just a little crazy?

Jayden ignores them all. He knows the key to his success lies in his ability to minimize distractions, but then he meets Jules. Could she be the answer to the long-buried secret that Jayden's spent a lifetime searching for?

CURATOR'S NOTE

Your quintessential fish-out-of-water story, times two, chuck full of laugh out loud moments. That about sums up this read. Becca Lane and Jason Sievert find themselves in the craziest 'cute-meet' situation ever, when their chance meeting is pre-arranged by a ghost. That's right, a ghost? This is the contemporary romance with a paranormal feel in the set. What I love about Jacqueline's work is how she approaches dialogue. Her banter is always very entertaining. Her work also has a lyrical quality about it. But she is an award-winning author, after all. What I loved most about this book was the humour. I literally laughed out loud in spots. I particularly enjoyed meeting Mr. Beardie Beard, the love interest in the book, and the romantic scenes between him and Becca that oozed with old-Hollywood-film charm. The added attraction of having music mixed in with the read, which the author incorporated into the pages in a very unique way, added to the ambience of the romantic movie-set feel. This book features another home-grown heroine, but this one is dying to escape the Cove! – Jacquie Gee

 

REVIEWS

  • "This was a new author for me and I was pleasantly pleased. Overall the read was romantic and fun with some unexpected twists. Jules and Jayden make a quirky, endearing, new age couple, and Jayden's sidekick ghost added extra appeal to the read. The story was about finding love in the most unlikely places, and how true love never dies. I stayed up late reading this one, and I have to admit, I jumped at a few bumps in the night. Looking forward to more by this author. I haven't laughed out loud over a book in a long time."

    – Deb James

  • "Really sweet read about the misfit in town and a ghostbuster wannabe, who shows up in her quaint small town and buys the local haunted house from the misfit's best friend. I especially loved the sweet, swoony banter between the two main characters. And I really loved the music extras the author included in this book. Very cool idea!"

    – Lilian Mater

  • "This book made my heart sing. It also made me want to dance. Hints of an old-fashioned romance all wrapped up in a sweet, modern contemporary story, with a surprise side-serving of ghost! Such a cute idea. This book made me laugh right out loud in places. Jules sidekick, best friend Anna was a nut! But I have to say, the dance scenes were my very favorite. Lots to like about this book. I can't wait to read another by this author."

    – Francine Herlehy

  • "Super cute romance with a paranormal feel in a unique setting. I don't think I've read a book set in Canada before. I especially love the scenes with the ghost. The charming little town was super cute too. I love how Jules was her own person in a town where everyone else blends in. And her friend Anna was hilarious. I wish I could find a guy like Jayden."

    – Sherry Pinsonneault
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

Lightning snakes across the front bay windows. Then, without warning, the air hits Jules in the back, tossing her forward into my arms. I instinctively catch her as thunder strikes and it appears she's leapt into my arms because of it, but it's actually the ghost at play. He's tossed her into my arms.

"What was that?" Jules cranks around looking very distressed.

"I dunno for sure." I shake my head. "But you better stay close."

She clings to my chest. No argument there.

Lightning strikes again and thunder crashes. "She's an angry one and she's close."

"Ridiculously angry," Jules adds.

"Is this a typical Maritime thing?"

"No," she snaps, trembling. "I don't remember this being in the forecast!"

Another crash of thunder and she scowls, looking deeply troubled. It sounds like it's hitting right outside the door. "You're right." Jules' eyes look like they're about to pop from her head. She talks a mile a minute. "Anna must have left. Otherwise, we'd have seen her jeep. She can't be here, or she'd answer me. We should go." "She whirls around, ready to bolt from the building, and I catch her by the waist.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" I say into her ear, pulling her to me, her feet still kicking. "No sudden movements, my friend. Besides, we can't go out there right now in the middle of all this." I look again to the lightning streaking the panes of the windows, like fireworks now.

Every window of the house is affected, illuminating in rapid sequence. Thunder booms all around us, shaking the rickety old structure.

"Well, we can't very well stay here." Jules glowers into my eyes, as I lower her to the floor.

"I'll take my chances." She turns, about to bolt again, and a particularly loud crash of thunder sends her screaming back into my arms.

"I think it's best if we let things die down out there a bit."

"I think you're right." She buries her face in my chest. Her skin is warm and soft in contrast to the cold air around us, closing in tighter with every moment.

Jules looks up as lightning slashes the windows again. She lets out a small shriek and digs her nails into my chest.

"It's only a storm." I try to comfort her.

"I don't think so," she gasps. The lights above the staircase flash on and off again. A strong crack of thunder hits, driving a gasping Jules crawling up my shins. "Okay, look," she says, breathlessly, fearfully, staring up into my face. "There's something I should have told you. This place is haunted, okay?" Her words come out fast and slightly garbled, her voice trembling as hard as her hands. "I probably should have told you on the drive up here, but Anna said she really needed the sale, and there was that possibly of her winning the trip to Hawaii to consider and—"

"I know." I gaze down at her.

"You know about the trip to Hawaii?"

"No." I laugh. "I know about the house."

"You do? And you came to look at it anyway?" Jules scowls. Her voice cracks.

"Call me crazy—"

"Evidently."

"And you're a very good friend, by the way."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Thunder crashes again and she snuggles close. The cold air presses us even closer.

"I'm… ah…" I start, feeling as though I owe her some sort of explanation. I can't tell her, but I should tell her something. "I sort of fancy myself a bit of a paranormal sleuth." It's not completely the truth, but it'll have to do for now. I feel guilty lying to her, but I swear when this is all over, I'll tell her the truth.

"So, like a ghostbuster wannabe, is that it?" Jules pulls back, her voice nearly shrieking.

"Something like that—"

"You knew this could happen, and you dragged me up here?"

"No!" I frown. "I—I had no idea this would happen." I run a flustered hand through my hair. What does she think I am, a monster?

"Unbelievable." She drops her hands from my chest. "I knew this was too good to be true."

"What was?"

"Never mind." She turns her back to me.

"Look, i-if it's any consolation, this is not what you think." I move closer. "It's like not voluntary. I have a gift or something. I—I see things—"I stammer, trying to explain the unexplainable.

"Omigawd, you see dead people?" She melts away from me.

"No, no—not like that. Well, sort of—"

She glares back at me, panicked.

"Okay, no, that's not it." I put up a hand. "No, that's exactly it." Jules gulps. "But only sometimes, and especially when they're related to me—"

"Fantastic. So, what? You know the guy that haunts here?"

"In a round about way, yes."

The wind picks up, throwing the wind chimes outside on the porch into the wall, causing both our heads to snap around. A second gust of wind drives the chimes into the door and Jules back into my arms. The cold air intensifies, crowding closer, engulfing us like a blanket.

"It's a long story," I whisper in her ear. "Maybe I'll tell you sometime over a beer—"

"I don't drink beer."

"Okay, fine, what do you like? Wine?"

"Moscato."