Maggie Blackbird

Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. Readers can jump from one author to another who share hooks from their current WIP (work in progress) or any previously published books.

For this week’s edition of Book Hooks, I will give you a teaser from The Circle is Small, a second-chance contemporary romance. Don’t forget to check out the other book hooks from participating authors here.

An ex-cop returning to face his horrendous past, the woman who won’t forgive him, and the family who’ll never let him forget that he killed their son.

Blurb:  First Nations Constable Jordan Chartrand’s guilt can’t handle the accusing stares from the family left to mourn their son after that horrible night…so he flees from his Ojibway community and the woman he loves. Two years later, his mother’s cancer diagnosis forces him to return to help her.

Devoted schoolteacher Ellie Quill wants nothing to do with Jordan after he bolted to the city and left her behind. Her life goals are set. As for her secret, she’ll keep that to herself, even if Jordan’s begging to know the truth about her child.

When the two are compelled to work on a community project to address the rampant drug problem, their forced proximity slowly melts Ellie’s icy walls. But no matter how much her heart desires to give Jordan the second chance that he’s begging for, she refuses to because providing a life for her son in the tradition of the Ojibway culture is her top priority now, not moving to the city where Jordan continues to hide.

Genre(s): Contemporary Romance, First Nations Romance, Adult
Heat Rating: Level 3
Publication Date: March 17, 2023
Publisher: eXtasy Books

PURCHASE A COPY TODAY

The hospital was busy as always. Jordan worked them through the crowd in the main area since the cancer treatment was a building away. The information written on the walls not only in English and French, but also in Ojibway syllabary. Up ahead was Robin’s Donuts. Being one in the afternoon, most of the lunch crowd had vanished, so they’d have a place to sit and talk.

Once he got them some soup and coffee, Mom shared about her treatment and how that was going. Then she set her hand on his.

“How about you? How are you doing?”

“Don’t worry about me.” He held his spoon with his other hand. “You worry about yourself.”

A doctor being paged came on over the intercom above them.

“I’m your mother. I’ll always worry about my kids first before what’s bothering me. Now I asked you a question. How are you?”

He might as well fess up. Sooner or later the moccasin telegraph would buzz Mom. “I’ve been spending my time with Ellie and her son.”

“Her son?” Mom blinked. “Don’t you mean your son, too?”

Jordan snorted. “I’m not the father.”

“What?”

“I’m not kidding. Ellie told me the truth already, and I’m fine with it. Raymond’s a great kid.”

Mom studied him. She opened her mouth and then closed it.

“What?”

“Nothing.” She flicked her hand. “I haven’t interfered in your life before and I’m not about to start now.”

“No. Say it. I mean it.” Jordan dug into the last of his soup.

“I’ve seen her with Raymond, and my guess is he’s your son.”

“Guess?”

“I watched you as a baby, and Raymond has the same traits. He may look like Ellie, but whenever I see her at the diner with him, I see you when you were little.”

No, Mom was imagining things. If Raymond was his, after Jordan had asked, Ellie wouldn’t have lied. That wasn’t her style. And what woman lied to the father of the child anyway? Only a person with no scruples. Ellie had tons of them.

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