Title: Butterfly in Frost
Author: Sylvia Day
Release Date: August 27, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Then Garrett Frost moves in next door.
He’s obstinate and too bold, a raging force of nature that disrupts the careful order of my life. I recognize the ghosts that haunt him, the torment driving him. Garrett would be risky in any form, but wounded, he’s far more dangerous. I fear I’m too fragile for the storm raging inside him, too delicate to withstand the pain that buffets him. But he’s too determined…and too tempting.
And sometimes hope soars above even the iciest desolation.
Excerpt: Butterfly
in Frost by Sylvia Day
Roxy
bounces on her feet with excitement. “Les and Marge sold their
house.”
I
blink. “I didn’t know they were selling.”
She
laughs and heads toward the front door. “That’s the thing. They
weren’t.”
“Wait,
what?” I hurry after her as she steps outside.
I
look to the right at my home, a lovingly restored butterfly-roofed
midcentury, then on to the traditional house just beyond it that
belongs—belonged—to Les and Marge. Including Roxy’s, all
three of our homes have unique lots set between the homes that line
the street and the Sound, affording us unhindered views of the water
as well as exceptional privacy—all within a twenty-minute drive of
the airport.
Roxy
shortens the length of her stride to allow me to catch up, then
glances over at me. “The day after you flew to New York, a Range
Rover pulled into their driveway, and the guy inside offered them
cash to close—and move out—in fourteen days.”
My
step falters, and Minnie gets momentarily tangled in her leash. The
dog shoots me what I would describe as an irritated look, then keeps
trotting forward. “That’s crazy.”
“Isn’t
it? Les wouldn’t say how much the offer was, but I’m thinking it
was huge.”
We
march up the inclined driveway, my head tilted back to take in the
houses scaling the hillside. Designed with big windows to maximize
the view, the homes have a look of wide-eyed wonder. Our little
stretch of the Sound used to be a secret, but with the housing boom
taking over Seattle and Tacoma, we’ve been discovered. Many
residences are undergoing major renovation to suit the tastes of new
owners.
Reaching
the road, we turn left. To the right is a dead end.
“Well,
if they’re happy,” I say, “I’m happy for them.”
“They’re
overwhelmed. It was a lot to happen all at once, but I think they’re
happy with their decision.” Roxanne stops when Bella does, and we
wait as the two dogs mark one of their usual spots on the gravel
edging the asphalt. There are no curbs on the streets in our
neighborhood and no sidewalks. Just beautiful lawns and a profusion
of flowering shrubs.
“We
all tried prying information out of them,” she goes on, “but they
weren’t sharing anything about the sale.” She gives me a sidelong
glance. “But they did share a bit about the buyer.”
“Why
are you looking at me like that?”
“Because
Mike and I both think the buyer is someone famous. A film director
maybe. Or an artist. Can you imagine? First Emily, a bestselling
author. Then you, a reality-TV surgeon. Now this guy! Maybe we’re
sitting on the new Malibu—beachside living without wildfires or
state income tax!”
The
mention of Roxy’s husband, Mike, coaxes an inner smile. A New York
transplant like me, he adds a welcome touch of the life I left behind
to the reality I’ve since created for myself—a reality that’s
just been rocked by the loss of neighbors I like.
“What
are the clues you’re working with?” I ask, deciding to play
along. If I’ve learned anything the past year, it’s to accept the
things I cannot change. A tough task for a control freak like me.
“Les
pointed out to this guy that he hadn’t even seen the inside of the
house. The guy said he didn’t need to. He knew already that ‘the
light is perfect.’ I mean, who would say that? Gotta be someone
who’s in visual arts, right?”
“Maybe,”
I agree tentatively, disquieted by the unexpected conversation. The
road rises sharply before us, the incline steep enough to put a
little burn in my thighs. “Doesn’t mean he’s famous, though.”
“That’s
the thing.” Her words carry a note of breathlessness. “Les
wouldn’t give numbers, but he did say it was crazy the guy didn’t
just buy that huge compound at the end of the street. That house is
listed for three and a half million!”
My
mind staggers at the thought. Les and Marge have—had—a
beautiful home, but it’s not worth anywhere near that much.
“I
think I saw the buyer once through that big arched window in the
living room,” Roxy goes on. “The blonde with him was a looker.
Supermodel skinny with legs for days.”
I’m
panting when we reach the top; Roxy, who hits a gym most days of the
week, is not.
A
quarter mile farther, there’s a street to the right leading to Dash
Point. Beyond that and straight ahead, the road slopes back down and
around until it’s at water level. Redondo Beach is there, as is
Salty’s, a restaurant on stilts in the water with expansive views
of Poverty Bay and beyond. I’m about to wax poetic about Salty’s
seafood chowder when a runner dashes around the corner at a full
sprint. His sudden appearance rattles me. A closer look makes me
freeze midstride. My breath locks in my lungs.
There
are too many things to register at once, so my mind attempts to
absorb the whole man. Dressed only in black shorts and shoes, he is a
visual feast of deeply tanned skin, intricate sleeves of tattooed
art, and sweat-slicked, flexing musculature.
And
his face. Sculpted. Square-jawed. Brutally, breathlessly
handsome.
Roxy,
now a few feet in front of me, gives a low whistle. “Hot damn.”
After
overcoming
a
turbulent time in her life, Dr Teagan Ransom is content in her
surroundings; a waterfront home she adores in a picturesque area of
Seattle. With a job she loves, she couldn't be happier. That's until
her next-door neighbours unexpectedly sell up after an offer they
couldn't refuse and the new owner makes his presence known…
Garrett Frost is a man on a mission and what he wants he gets...
First a confession...this is my first Sylvia Day novel!
Second confession...I had to read this book twice before writing this review because the twist at the end had me screaming expletives in a 'what the hell' way.
Most of the frustration I had with this novel is due to how the protagonists, specifically, Teagan act and behave around each other. It definitely makes you scratch your head and think about what is going on in their heads. I also didn't connect with either of them in the same way as Garrett and Teagan didn't 'click' as a couple despite what we find out about them and the steamy scenes they share.
The best part of the narrative is the twist because it definitely triggers a reaction and makes you think about what you've read to that point. In some way, it answers a couple the questions I was pondering along the way. It explains Garrett's full-on, 'I won't take no for an answer' possessive attitude towards Teagan and the speed at which they became a couple. However, it's Teagan's behaviour throughout which still remains a mystery.
I didn't have any expectations before I read Butterfly in Frost, therefore, I'm neither super elated or disappointed with this novel. Fans of Ms Day will appreciate the mentions of Gideon and Eva Cross within the narrative.
Garrett Frost is a man on a mission and what he wants he gets...
First a confession...this is my first Sylvia Day novel!
Second confession...I had to read this book twice before writing this review because the twist at the end had me screaming expletives in a 'what the hell' way.
Most of the frustration I had with this novel is due to how the protagonists, specifically, Teagan act and behave around each other. It definitely makes you scratch your head and think about what is going on in their heads. I also didn't connect with either of them in the same way as Garrett and Teagan didn't 'click' as a couple despite what we find out about them and the steamy scenes they share.
The best part of the narrative is the twist because it definitely triggers a reaction and makes you think about what you've read to that point. In some way, it answers a couple the questions I was pondering along the way. It explains Garrett's full-on, 'I won't take no for an answer' possessive attitude towards Teagan and the speed at which they became a couple. However, it's Teagan's behaviour throughout which still remains a mystery.
I didn't have any expectations before I read Butterfly in Frost, therefore, I'm neither super elated or disappointed with this novel. Fans of Ms Day will appreciate the mentions of Gideon and Eva Cross within the narrative.
***arc
generously received courtesy of Montlake Romance via NetGalley***
Website: https://www.sylviaday.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorSylviaDay
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SylDay
Instagram: http://instagram.com/sylvia_day
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/list/19823.Sylvia_Day
No comments:
Post a Comment