Summary
Ryan Lucas would rather be anywhere but Ransom Creek, Connecticut. After losing his high-adrenaline career as a Hollywood stunt driver, he's had to tuck his tail between his legs and take up employment as a chauffeur for the Montgomerys, a wealthy hotelier family.Amy Sanders has returned home to Ransom Creek to take over her mother's former position as nanny to the Montgomerys—bringing her close to dashing Jake Montgomery once again. She grew up with a major crush on Jake, and it's not easy to leave those feelings behind, even though her friendship with the hard-edged family chauffeur, Ryan, has a sizzling undercurrent of undeniable attraction.
Amy's determined to prove to Ryan that life at Montgomery Manor isn't all bad, but each time they draw closer Jake swoops in. Amy is torn between two men—and two worlds. And Ryan is rapidly coming to learn that if he wants to make Amy his, he'll have to prove to her that life downstairs can be everything they both want.
Buy Links
Amazon - http://amzn.to/1nuCkhyBarnes and Noble - http://bit.ly/1fvImt8
iTunes - http://bit.ly/1jFHqKg
Tamara Morgan's Inspiration For If I Stay
IF
I STAY is a love story between two staff workers in the fictional world of
Montgomery Manor. Set in rural Connecticut, Montgomery Manor is a grand,
fifty-room mansion that serves as the home seat of a wealthy hotelier family.
Even though the book is set in the modern-day era, the Montgomerys have a large
staff they depend on to keep things running. A cook, a housekeeper, gardeners,
a chauffeur, a nanny…I think you can probably tell where this is headed.
If you haven’t guessed by now, IF I STAY is a contemporary take on Downton Abbey (and all the other upstairs/downstairs stories we like to watch and read). I love—absolutely love—the idea of all these people (most of whom happen to be young and single, wink wink) living and working under the same roof. You’ve got the three oldest Montgomery heirs, born to a life of wealth and privilege, and then you’ve got a dozen staff members who cater to their every need. Of course attraction and intrigue comes into play. How could it not?
Where IF I STAY diverges from the traditional Downton Abbey-style stories is that not only is it set in a contemporary setting, but it’s also more of a romantic comedy than a drama. While I did my best to honor the high sense of drama that makes upstairs/downstairs tales so much fun, I also stuck true to my own style, which is very much focused on where laughter and love combine.
I also started the series off downstairs with the nanny and the chauffeur, but as the Montgomery Manor series progresses, you’ll find upstairs/upstairs love and even a line-crossing upstairs/downstairs tale.
For lovers of Downton Abbey, I’ll also say this about my series—no one dies! I know a good kill-the-character-off moment makes for good television, but when it comes to romance novels, it’s Happily Ever After all the way.
If you haven’t guessed by now, IF I STAY is a contemporary take on Downton Abbey (and all the other upstairs/downstairs stories we like to watch and read). I love—absolutely love—the idea of all these people (most of whom happen to be young and single, wink wink) living and working under the same roof. You’ve got the three oldest Montgomery heirs, born to a life of wealth and privilege, and then you’ve got a dozen staff members who cater to their every need. Of course attraction and intrigue comes into play. How could it not?
Where IF I STAY diverges from the traditional Downton Abbey-style stories is that not only is it set in a contemporary setting, but it’s also more of a romantic comedy than a drama. While I did my best to honor the high sense of drama that makes upstairs/downstairs tales so much fun, I also stuck true to my own style, which is very much focused on where laughter and love combine.
I also started the series off downstairs with the nanny and the chauffeur, but as the Montgomery Manor series progresses, you’ll find upstairs/upstairs love and even a line-crossing upstairs/downstairs tale.
For lovers of Downton Abbey, I’ll also say this about my series—no one dies! I know a good kill-the-character-off moment makes for good television, but when it comes to romance novels, it’s Happily Ever After all the way.
~ Tamara Morgan
Excerpt
Amy scooted out from underneath Ryan and got to shaky legs. Giving in to the indulgence of a backward glance to find him staring openmouthed at her, she lifted her shirt off and tossed it to the hallway floor.“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice gruff.
She kept moving, an extra sway in her hips as she unbuttoned her shorts and shimmied them off her hips. “Leaving you a trail of bread crumbs in case you get lost along the way.”
“Amy…”
She reached behind her and flicked open her serviceable white cotton bra. The only way to dress up that kind of bland plant material was to dangle it enticingly from one fingertip, which she did as she reached her door. It wasn’t locked—unless someone wanted to steal her ancient ten-pound laptop or her collection of Old World maps, there wasn’t much to take—so she pushed it open and slipped in.
One. Two. Three. Four. She flicked on the lights, assuming Ryan was right behind her. Five. Six. Seven. Was he seriously not going to follow her in here? Eight. Nine. Nine and a half.
She slipped out of her panties—more of the same boring white cotton, though at least they had bits of scalloped lace at the edges—and tossed them out the open door.
Nine and two-thirds. Nine and three-quarters. What the heck came after that?
“Goddammit.” Ryan stormed through the door and tossed all her clothes onto the floor. “Are you trying to kill me?”
He stopped, suspended in a swirl of desire that hit him from all sides, holding him momentarily aloft. In his haste to somehow find the ability to both walk and gather up Amy’s clothes, he’d forgotten that he held all her underclothes. Nothing stood between him and her completely naked body except distance and air—both of which mattered for absolutely zero.
Author Biography
Whether building Victorian dollhouses, consuming mass quantities of coffee and wine, or crying over cheesy 1950s musicals, Tamara commits to her flaws like every good heroine should. She lives in the Inland Northwest with her husband, daughter, and variety of household pets and only occasionally complains about the weather.
Social Networking Links
Website - http://www.tamaramorgan.com
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/tamaramorgan
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTamaraMorgan
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Tamara_Morgan
Never heard of this author before, and the blurb seems interesting... but the excerpt you shared definitely do the trick. Thanks for sharing, I'll surely keep this one in mind! :)
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