AN UNEXPECTED SCANDAL – Jules Bennett
Lockwood Lightning , Book 1
Harlequin Desire #2727
ISBN: 978-1-335-20903-0
April 2020
Contemporary Series Romance

Green Valley, Tennessee – Present Day

Nick Campbell has just lost his beloved mother and is standing at her grave when he decides to finally open the envelope the attorney gave him upon her death. He reads it and is stunned to learn the name of his unknown father—a man Nick knows all too well and hates. While he's digesting the news, he turns to find Silvia Lane standing nearby. She is the architect for the resort he's building, and several weeks ago they had a one-night stand. Why is she here?

Silvia is not the type to fall into bed with a client, but her attraction to Nick overruled her sensibilities. Luckily, it was just one night, but she's discovered that she's now pregnant. Silvia tells him of her pregnancy and is pleased that he accepts responsibility, but it's apparent that he has other things on his mind. However, she needs to make sure that her pregnancy news doesn't get out right now, especially to her employer. Silvia is hoping to get a much-desired promotion at work and getting involved with a client could end up being a big scandal.

Nick is being pulled in different directions and isn't sure what is going to happen. In Green Valley, Rusty Lockwood owns a moonshine distillery and controls the flow of liquor in the town. Nick wants to go in a different direction than that, but it will mean coming up against resistance. In that letter from his mother, Nick learned that Rusty is his father. It's like a shot to the gut. Now Nick must formulate a plan of revenge because of the way the man treated Nick's mother and he must also win the liquor license for his resort—and figure out how to deal with the fact that he's going to become a father. He cares for Silvia and enjoyed their night in bed—but love? Can they co-parent together? But the hot desire between them hasn't died and it leads to more passion and time spent together. As they get to know one another outside the bedroom, will love bloom? Meanwhile, Silvia wonders if she can trust Nick. Her life in foster care didn't exactly foster trust in people for her. Add in that she senses he is keeping secrets from her, so she decides to put a wall between them rather than trust him.

In AN UNEXPECTED SCANDAL, there's a lot going on. Besides learning the name of his father, Nick also learns that he has two other half-brothers. How much does Rusty Lockwood know? Does Nick confront him? The road is bumpy for Nick and Silvia, but can they make it all the way to a happily-ever-after? Find out in this sizzling tale.

Patti Fischer