Turning
it On
Red Hot Russians # 2
Red Hot Russians # 2
By:
Elizabeth Harmon
Releasing
June 29, 2015
Carina
Press
Turning It On
Red Hot Russians Series
Book editor Hannah Levinson couldn’t be happier. This “Nice Jewish Girl” is ready to marry the man she’s longed after for half her life. When her fiancĂ© suggests they audition for Last Fling, a steamy new reality show for engaged couples, she lets herself be swayed. Maybe she’ll learn a thing or two.
Vlad
Shustov’s fall from a once-bright career as a competitive figure
skater was swift. Now trapped by a shameful past and an uncertain
future, “Vlad the Bad” strips for cash. Joining the cast of Last
Fling could earn him a fortune—or at least enough to finally leave
stripping. But to win the show’s prize, he must seduce an engaged
woman, something he can't even bear the thought of.
Hannah's
not like any woman Vlad's met before. Betrayed by the man she thought
she loved and relegated to the ugly-duckling role she’d worked so
hard to shed, can she trust there’s more to Vlad than meets the
eye? With sleazy TV tactics shattering the last shreds of the
contestants' confidence, they'll have to believe true happiness is
not only possible...it may be looking right at them.
Hannah
sighed and shook her head. “I’m not usually such an emotional
mess. It’s just this show. This whole situation! Back there…”
she flung her arm wide, in the direction of the mainland. “I’m
successful. Accomplished. I have a great job. I live in New York
City. Here, all anyone cares about is how hot I am. Or more to the
point, how hot I’m not!”
Vlad
nodded sympathetically. “It’s TV. Unfortunately, sex sells
better than other good qualities.”
“Exactly!
I can’t compete. I’m not like those other women, and I don’t
even want to be. But I have no choice. Not unless I want to lose my
fiancé to a scheming bimbo and have the entire nation talking about
what a pathetic loser I am. It’s humiliating.”
“You
can always learn to be sexy.” Vlad looked her over. “You’ve got
the right equipment. All you need is to learn to use it. I am around
sexy women all the time. I could coach you. You know…sexy lessons.”
“Sexy
lessons?” She had to laugh at that. “I’ve never thought of sexy
as a learned skill.”
“It
is, though. All about how you carry yourself.” He adjusted his
posture and the set of his broad shoulders conveyed a confidence that
was undeniably hot.
“And
who better to teach me than a guy named Vlad the Bad who takes off
his clothes for a living?”
“As
Uncle Ivan used to say, it pays to work with best coach you can
find.”
She
laughed again, but didn’t entirely dismiss the idea. Putting a
little strut in her stuff held surprising appeal. Yet what was the
catch? A guy who willingly signed on for a trashy show like Last
Fling must want
something. “And in return?”
He
thought a moment and Hannah tensed, afraid of what he might ask. Then
he gave a decisive nod. “I want you to read my book. Not just
query, synopsis, “sorry not right for us,” but the whole thing.
You don’t have to buy, but I want honest, professional critique of
how to make it better.”
Honest
and professional? Yikes. What would she say if the book was
god-awful, which it likely was? He’d pinned so much hope to it, she
couldn’t bear to be the one to discourage him. On the other hand,
at least she would be gentle and constructive. And if it was good,
this was a chance to help him achieve his dream. She imagined taking
the book to her boss. Sales and Marketing would drool over this hot
Russian male stripper–turned-literary sensation. As would everyone
else. And if it kept Jack from Robynne’s clutches, it was worth
the risk.
Vlad
narrowed his eyes. “So do we have a deal?”
A
bit more certain, Hannah laughed and stuck out her hand. “Deal.”
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I
love stories that give a fresh take on classic themes, and feature
characters and locations not often seen in romance. Give me a
lovable, if less-than-perfect heroine, a gorgeous hero with a heart
of gold, take them a little off the beaten path and I'm a happy girl.
I
read a variety of genres-- romance to horror and just about
everything in between. I am a member of Romance Writers of America. I
have worked as a freelance journalist for a number of local
publications and am a contributing writer to Romance Writers Report.
When
I'm not writing, I love to ice skate, bike ride, hang out at the
beach or on my front porch. I love vintage homes, adventurous
cooking, spending time with my family and traveling.
