Book Title: Room Service Author: Poppy Dunne Genre: Romantic Comedy Release Date: December 7, 2016 Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
His confident smile is killing Mom right now. He’s throwing a bucket of water on her, and we’re watching as the witch melts down to a cream pair of Manolo Blahniks and a spilled cosmopolitan.
Her horror at being unable to mock me gives me life. It spurs me on. Move in for the kill, Alex. I grip Ben by his lapel. “You always know just what to say,” I murmur, trying to sound kittenish. Then I get up on my tiptoes and kiss him. It’s supposed to be a moment to make Mom uncomfortable and get out of our faces. But the second our lips connect, a hot spark shoots through my body. Instead of freezing or shoving me away—which Ben could do, because I’m borderline assaulting him right now—he pulls me closer. Our bodies melt together. My head tips back and I inadvertently sigh into his mouth, my lips opening just a little, and that’s when I feel his tongue trace my lower lip, then stroke against mine just hard enough to make my pulse race. There’s nothing in our verbal contract that mentions making out, but I can’t stop myself from reaching up my arms to twine around his neck. As we kiss his hands slide down my back, a little possessive. I think I’m getting dizzy. Man, this guy is a good actor. He trails his fingers just above the curve of my ass, too. Classy, but still enough to make an onlooker a little uncomfortable. Bullseye. We break apart, even though part of me would like to stay locked to his face. Mom’s gulped down her drink in one go, clearly desperate to get the hell away from her daughter’s happiness. It feels good. “Well. You two have a pleasant evening.” She says it like we’re a pair of strangers whom she just walked in on to find screwing in a corner of the bathroom. “Go find Rollie before you…do whatever it is you do.” I want to say ‘have sex in the front hall,’ but think better of it. She walks away from us, stiff-kneed and red-faced. My mother tried to embarrass me and got it thrown right back in her face. It’s like Christmas in February. Though watching her walk away like I just stripped in front of her is kind of like a stiletto to the heart. Since Todd and I broke up—hell, since I took myself out to California and basically flipped her kind of life the double bird—she’s been distant. At least, more distant than she used to be. I can’t help wishing she could just be happy for me and the man I paid to be my date. Is that so much to ask?
Poppy writes books with relatable heroines who speak their minds and whose riotous inner dialogue reflects their complex characters. Her goal is to deliver a story that has equal parts heart, romance and humor. Her heroes are swoon worthy, yet hold on to your suspension of disbelief, because they pick up their own socks and cook.
In her free time, she looks for hobbies other than Netflix and procrastinating to fill out this author bio. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.
