Spotlight & Giveaway: DOCTOR LOVE by Leisa Rayven

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author LEISA RAYVEN to HJ!

Hi LEISA RAYVEN and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, DOCTOR LOVE!

 
Hello, darling readers! Long time, no see.
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Doctor Love tells the story of Toby Jenner, a hot geek who has developed the world’s most accurate matchmaking app. The only trouble is, it’s able to predict everyone’s perfect partner except his own. When he finally meets an amazing, beautiful, quirky woman, his own algorithm declares the relationship will lead to certain heartbreak. Of course, he should run the other way from his perfectly imperfect match, but that would be boring. Instead, he moves into her plush New York penthouse to manage the glitchy A.I. that runs/ruins her life as they both battle their doomed but desperately hot attraction.
Will Toby move heaven and earth to defy the odds? Or will he listen to his head over his heart?
(You’ll have to read to find out.)
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

I close the door and turn to find Liza standing with her arms crossed. “So, you’re Doctor Love?”
“Actually, the name’s Toby. Or Total Fraud if you’d prefer.”
“You let me totally trash you and your app without telling me who you were?”
“You were on a roll. It would have been rude to interrupt.”
She stares at me for a few seconds, and I stare back. I feel like I have so much to say to her, but in this moment, I can’t think of a single topic of conversation.
“So …” she says and shifts her weight.
“Yeah. So …”
She looks at the door, and then at me. “Thanks for the assist tonight. I really appreciate your help. And sorry about the …”
She points to her own bottom lip, and I nod as I vaguely wonder what it would taste like. “No problem. Anytime.”
I drag my gaze back up to her eyes. I’m surprised to detect definite heat in the way she’s staring at me. So few times in my life, a woman I’m attracted to is clearly crushing on me, too. And yet, here is the most stunning creature I’ve ever seen, mentally undressing me within an inch of my reasonably short life. It’s exhilarating.
I feel like something momentous is going to happen between us. That maybe tonight will be the beginning of something so profound, neither one of us will ever ––
“Dammit, this can’t be happening again.” In a second, Liza’s whole demeanor changes. She goes from heavy-lidded staring to something that looks a lot like panic. She pushes off the counter and heads toward the door. “Best of luck with the app and everything, Toby. I have to go.”
I frown in confusion. “Wait, what?” She brushes past me. “Liza, just stop for a second.”
She turns and sighs, and I don’t know what the hell I’ve just done, but she seems pissed.
“What’s going on?” I ask. “Did I do something to offend you? Say something wrong?”
“It’s not anything you said. It’s you.” She gestures to my whole body, which doesn’t help my confusion in the slightest.
“Okay. My existence is annoying?”
“Yeah. Kind of.”
“You want to explain that?”
“Just trust me when I say that us spending any more time together isn’t a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because …” She looks at the door, and then back to me. It appears she’s torn between leaving and staying, and even though I have no idea what the hell is happening, I know for damn sure I don’t want her to go.
“Because?” I urge.
She drops her head but then looks up again. “You seem like a really great guy. And I have this habit of meeting guys who seem really great but who are one hundred percent wrong for me. It’s one of the reasons I showed up to this thing tonight; to try to break my cycle of suckage.”
“Okay, I get that.”
“I have to learn to do the opposite of what my instincts tell me, because if I date the people I like, then I end up getting slammed.”
I frown. “So, what you’re saying is that you want to go out with people you don’t like? And also, that you want to date me?”
She sighs like I’ve just cherry picked her argument to suit my own agenda, which I totally have.
“I’m saying,” she says in a patient tone, “it was lovely meeting you, but I have to go.” She opens the door and turns to me with a wistful expression. “I hope everything works out for you, Toby. I really do. I’m sure I’ll see you around.” She gives me a half-smile and then walks out.
Several hundred justifications as to why she should stay die on my tongue as the door closes behind her. I stand there for a minute, stomach twisting with wrongness, as I try to figure out what the hell I want to do.
Invite her for a drink.
Something inside me flinches. I’ve had strong physical attractions to other girls over the years, but nothing like what I’m feeling for Liza. And my track record with women who fascinate me is abysmal.
I should take my out-of-control attraction as a warning sign. Nothing good will come from intensely wanting someone I’ve just met. And yet, I can’t bring myself to let her walk away. I just can’t.
The part of me that’s borne the brunt of countless rejections warns I’m making the wrong decision, but the dozens of excuses it offers up as to why I shouldn’t go after her gets scuttled like bowling pins when I mutter a quiet, “Fuck it,” and wrench open the door.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• Toby has appeared in the first two books of the Masters of Love series: MISTER ROMANCE and PROFESSOR FEELGOOD, but now it’s his time to shine as the main character.
• Toby has an amazing collection of cardigans, like any self-respecting hipster.
• The female lead, Joanna, is part Phoebe from Friends, part Alexis from Schitt’s Creek, party super-spy, and part superwoman. (But, you know, flawed and broken and all that other good character-building stuff.)
• I had to reread the first two books in the series while I was writing DOCTOR LOVE and had to compile an extensive and complicated timeline, as the events of this book take place at the same time as other events in the series. It gave me a major headache, so if you notice any inaccuracies, please, for the love of all that’s holy, ignore them. (Just kidding, tell me.)

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Toby and Joanna both have terrible track records with relationships, so when they both feel an instant and intense attraction, of course, they’re wary. If something’s too good to be true, it usually is.
Toby is drawn to Joanna’s forthrightness and vulnerability, and Joanna loves how intelligent and protective Toby is. Of course, the fact they’re both total hotties doesn’t hurt either.

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

The first scene that got me into my feeling occurs when Toby and Joanna end up at the same dinner party after Joanna kissed the heck out of Toby on the night they met a couple of weeks earlier and then promptly disappeared on him. Channeling Toby’s anger and humiliation that Joanna lied to him about her identity was stressful, but also kind of fun.

SNEAK PEEK:
Eden and I throw back another tequila shot, and it’s just as powerful as the first. “Whoa.” My head spins a little, and I don’t mind that the alcohol is lowering my tension levels. I’m almost cool with the fact the woman of my dreams is currently in an in-depth conversation with a walking pick-up-line. She looks around as if she wants to be saved. For a moment, our gazes meet, and in that second, I’d love nothing more than to grab Raj and hang him from the highest hook on Max’s wrought-iron coatrack. But she’s not mine to save. She’s made that quite clear.
“Jo! Hey, come over here for a sec.” Dammit. Eden seems intent to save her, even if I’m not.
When she heads over, I make a move to leave.
“Okay, I’m out …”
“Hang on.” Eden puts her hand on my arm. “I really want you and Joanna to get to know each other. I just know that you two would hit it off.”
Oh, we did. At least, I thought so. She might disagree.
“Yeah, too much to do tonight, Tate,” I say. “Maybe another time.”
Unfortunately, Eden doesn’t let go of my arm, so even though I’m getting more anxious the closer Joanna gets, short of forcibly extricating myself, I can’t find a way to politely leave.
When Joanna arrives, Eden pulls her into a hug.
“Hey. I haven’t seen you for weeks.”
“Sorry,” Joanna says, flicking her glance to me. “Just … busy. You know, life and stuff.”
Sure. Wouldn’t have anything to do with avoiding certain guys like your life depended on it, I’m sure.
“So,” Eden says. “We should make some time to get together and work on Toby’s speech, right?” She looks at me. “I know you’re flat out, but any dates or times spring to mind?”
Sure. How’s never for you? Does that work?
I clear my throat. “Uh … I’ll have to check my schedule.”
Eden screws up her face. “Stop trying to impress Joanna with your fanciness. You and I both know you don’t own a planner.”
Joanna widens her eyes. “How do you remember everything you have to do if you don’t write it down.”
“I don’t.” I adjust my bag on my shoulder. “I forget stuff like a cool person.”
Joanna smiles at that, and goddammit, no. That’s not fair. Staying mad with her is essential right now, and I can’t do that if she smiles at me. I’m not sure if there are rules against that sort of thing in the Geneva convention, but if there aren’t, there damn well should be.
“Eden!” We all turn to see Max waving at us from amongst a group sipping cocktails. “Come and settle an argument about gin versus vodka.”
She shoots a look between Joanna and me before saying, “Happy to,” and saunters off.
If I was a suspicious person, and I absolutely am, I would think that she and Max are colluding to get Joanna and me alone. I love my friends, but sometimes, I fucking hate them.
“So …” Joanna says, looking as uncomfortable as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
“Yeah, so …”
Ignoring Max’s earlier warning about the tequila, I grab another shot and slam it back. It burns like the others, but the soothing after-effect is nowhere to be found.
“So, I gotta go.” I put the glass back on the bar, and that’s when Joanna touches my arm.
“Toby, wait ––“
I pull my arm back because even though smiling might not be technically classed as torture, touching me definitely is.
“Why?” I demand, not even a little fuzzy around the corners anymore. “So you can lie to me again? So you can get away from me as fast as possible the moment my back’s turned.”
“That was never my intention.”
“Really? Because it seemed like that was your plan all along, and you pulled it off like a pro.”
“Please, just let me explain.”
“You’ve had weeks to do that. You knew who I was and where I’d be, so if you wanted to clear the air, you could have done it well before now.”
I turn to go, but once again, there’s a gentle hand on my arm, and it’s like she’s Velcro and I’m a giant, weak-ass piece of fluff who can’t wrench itself free.
“Toby …”
I sigh and try to disguise my anger from those around me. As it is, I have no doubt Eden is watching this exchange and wondering what the hell is going on.
“Stop touching me,” I whisper, and then roll my neck to try to get rid of some of the tension winding up my spine. “Going forward, that’s rule number one. Rule number two is that we will spend the minimum amount of time together for this project and then avoid each other like we’re getting paid to do it. Rule three is that you don’t lie to me again.”

Readers should read this book….

… if they like interesting, quirky characters, a cracking plotline, and swoon-worthy romance that will melt their hearts. I absolutely adored writing Toby’s point-of-view in this classic tale of head-versus-heart and I sincerely hope readers love him just as much as I do.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I’m currently outlining at least one (possibly two) more books in my Masters of Love series. I just love this cast of characters so much, I want to spend more time in their world. The working title of the next book in the series? MISTER PROTECTIVE. Basically, it’s a bodyguard romance with a twist and will feature all the series faves, plus a new couple who only had minor parts in the previous books. I’m excited about it!
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: Signed paperback of DOCTOR LOVE (Paperback is open internationally.) Plus 3 Kindle E-books. (Amazon only). 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What are your favorite Hot-Geek romances?

 
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Excerpt from Doctor Love:

Certain people enter your life like they were always meant to be in it. There’s a familiarity about them, as if you were best friends a lifetime ago, and you’ve reconnected to fall back into the comfortable tracks of your friendship train.
Then there are people who ignite something powerful inside of you that makes being around them almost painful. They’re so brilliant and incandescent, it hurts to look at them, and the merest brush of their hand against yours can trigger a bout of lust that almost knocks you on your ass.
If you put those two sensations in a cocktail mixer and blend them together, you’d get a perfect description of how it feels to spend time with Liza.
I’m trying to keep my optimism in check, because getting to invested before I know our score is mightily stupid. But when just walking next to someone is this thrilling, you know you’re a goner.
“Thanks for the coffee,” Liza says, gesturing to the cardboard cup in her hand.
I shrug. “It was the least I could do after you bought me whiskey and pizza.” It was also the most I could do considering I’m almost out of cash.
After eating, we headed into Manhattan, and now we’re just aimlessly wandering the streets, sipping our drinks and chatting. We talk and bond over obscure British TV shows we both love, and spar about whether Marvel or DC do better movie adaptions. She laughs at all my jokes, and I laugh at hers. I’ve never met someone with whom I click so thoroughly.
This is going so well, it’s starting to worry me.
After a while, I notice that I’m talking more than she is, and there’s a weird tension creeping into her expression. She keeps looking at her watch, and it makes me aware that our time together is running out.
We stop outside the Tiffany store on Fifth Avenue, and she gives me a resigned sigh.
“It’s midnight. Guess it’s time to see if we turn into a pumpkin or not.”
I shove my hands in my pockets. “That was the deal, right?”
She nods but doesn’t look at me. “Yeah, it was. Even though I already know how this will go.”
She looks so dejected, I move closer. “Liza we’ve had an amazing night. Don’t you think that bodes well for our compatibility?”
“Toby, you truly don’t understand my ability to pick guys who are wrong for me in every way. Over the years, I’ve dated not one, not two, but three men who ended up on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. You don’t even understand my capacity for bad choices.”
“See, this is why we’re perfect for each other. I always make wrong choices, too. Maybe in this case, two wrongs make a right.”
“Or two wrongs make a really wrong.”
I get out my phone. “Not going to happen. I have faith in us. I predict something over an eighty-five.
“Toby …”
“You think we’ll be borderline; I get it. But it’s not going to happen. I can feel how right this is.”
If she’s even half as attracted to me as I am to her, this score is going to be one for the record books.
“Okay, but before we do this, you need to know that … well, the thing is, when I took the test earlier tonight, I …”
“Yeah?”
“I just …” She shakes her head, struggling to tell me something. “When I answered all those questions, I just …”
She looks up at me, and I have no idea what she’s trying to say so I wait.
She lets out a frustrated sigh. “I have this terrible habit of hiding from the things I don’t want to face, and this falls squarely into that category. You’re going to be disappointed, and I hate the thought of disappointing you.”
I want to touch her, but I have a feeling that right now, that would make her even more anxious.
“Liza, listen … I’ve had the most amazing night with you. Even if this doesn’t go any further, we have that, right?”
“Right.” She shifts her weight. “I just need you to know that regardless of what happens next, I think you’re an amazing person.”
“See?” I say, giving her a smile. “That’s yet another thing we agree on.” I hold out my phone. “Let’s just get it done, so you can stop worrying. It can’t be as bad as you think.”
“Oh, it most definitely can. But let’s do it anyway.” She takes a breath as she pulls her phone from her bag, and I don’t miss how her hand is shaking.
“Moment of truth.”
We both tap the screen to open the app, and then, with excitement firing in all my nerve endings, I bump my phone against hers. Within seconds, there’s a soft ding, and a number appears on the screen in sparkling gold.
Holy shit.
If my phone were a poker machine, right now it would have lights flashing and sirens blaring as it spit out an avalanche of silver dollars.
Ninety-three percent.
I fucking knew it.
When I look over at Liza, I expect to see happiness in her expression, or at the very least, relief. Instead, she seems like she’s on the verge of tears.
“Hey.” I put my hand on her shoulders and rub her upper arms. “This is good news, right? I mean, I couldn’t be happier right now if I tried.”
“Toby …”
Shit, no. This can’t be happening. She’s going to blow me off knowing that we’re practically perfect for each other? How can she deny this?
“Liza, stop.” I take her face in my hands and get her to look at me. “Whatever excuse you’re going to come up with right now, just … don’t. You can feel how right this is.”
I move closer, and I take in a breath when she grips the front of my shirt, drawing me closer.
“Toby … that score … You don’t understand.”
“I do. I understand that you’ve had shitty guys in the past, but don’t let that ruin whatever’s happening between us.” I lean down, tying hard to hold myself back from kissing her. “Just … let yourself be happy. You’re my perfect match. It’s right there for the whole world to see. The math doesn’t lie.”
We’re so close, I can feel her breath on my lips. She looks into my eyes, searching for something. I wish like hell I knew what it was, because I’d do everything in my power to give it to her.
“Toby …” She stares at me for a few seconds, and then she pushes up onto her toes and kisses me.
Jesus.
Adrenaline explodes, racing through my veins, making everything heightened and electric. I know I only met this woman tonight, but it feels like I’ve been waiting for an eternity to taste her lips. I cradle her head and tilt it to get a better angle, then I kiss her back, slow and soft at first, savoring her sweetness as lightning sparks though every nerve ending.
“Oh, my God,” she whispers between our lips, and I couldn’t agree more.
I’ve kissed a lot of women, but not a single one felt anything remotely like this. My mouth knows the shape of hers. My tongue brushes against hers and it feels like we’ve done this a million times before.
Being a man of logic, I don’t put much stock in the whole concept of love at first sight. I mean, I understand that certain people have insane chemistry and can feel an instant and powerful attraction, but love? Nope. Love needs time.
But kissing Liza? I get it. I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for this feeling. Every ounce of light suction, every sweet taste of her, makes me want to handcuff myself to her side, forever and always. How the fuck can this feel so good?
As we continue to kiss, a million thoughts run through my head. I want to take her home to make love with her, but I have no place to call home. I want to buy her flowers and chocolates, but right now I barely have two pennies to rub together. I want to wake up with her and witness the moment she comes out of dreamland and back to me, but even though kissing her feels more right than anything else I’ve ever experienced, I can’t get over the suspicion she’s kissing me for all the wrong reasons.
I’ve never wanted someone the way I want her. A whole barrage of romantic fantasies plays out, and for the first time in my life, I want to make every single one of them come true.
With a low groan, I turn so I can press her up against the wall of the building beside us, and she grasps at me, urging for more.
“Liza.” Damn, my voice is hoarse; thick with lust and more need than I’ve ever felt. My body is screaming for her, hard and aching, and grinding against her does nothing but make me ache more intensely.
“Liza … let’s go somewhere. Anywhere.”
She pulls back, panting heavily and still gripping me with tight hands. “I can’t. Toby … this is ––”
“Amazing. Spectacular. Yeah, I know. And I don’t want it to end just yet, so …”
Just then, a car horn blares so loudly beside us, we both flinch. That’s followed by tires screeching and someone screaming, and when I let her go and turn to see what’s going on, there’s a guy on the ground in front of a taxi.
A woman races over to help him and screams, “Call 911!” to the growing crowd. I step away from Liza, so I can pull out my phone.
“Shit.” Adrenaline from the kiss is blasting through my veins so violently, I can barely dial, but I punch in the numbers and wait to be connected. When I look back to the accident, the guy is getting to his feet. He wobbles a little before waving to the people around him.
“I’m okay.” He rubs his elbow. “Just a little nudge. I’m fine.”
Me and about three others hang up, and I breathe a sigh of relief as he’s escorted out of the street. If I were a betting man, I’d predict that the guy is mostly trashed, which is probably why he was walking in front of a cab in the first place.
“Wow. Close call, huh?” I say, pocketing my phone. “Just another regular night in NYC.”
I turn to see Liza’s reaction to the scene, but she’s not there.
“Liza?”
I look all around me, and then I walk to the corner and see if she’s stepped back, out of the way of the foot traffic.
“Liza!”
I turn in every direction, scanning the thinning crowd, looking for her familiar shape among the dozens of people bustling about their business.
But she’s not there. She’s nowhere.
She’s gone.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Being wrong for each other has never felt so right …

Toby Jenner may be tall, handsome, and own the world’s greatest collection of cardigans, but his track record with women is woeful. Even though he’s the tech genius behind the most successful matchmaking app of all time, it seems as though Doctor Love is able to predict everyone’s perfect partner except his own.
All that changes when a beautiful, intelligent, quirky-as-hell woman crashes into his life. Plagued by her own relationship woes, Joanna’s done with dating guys who aren’t right and pins her hopes on the Happy Ever After app turning her love life around.
Within hours of meeting her, Toby realizes he’s finally found the soul-deep connection he’s always craved. Even better, she seems to feel the same way.
There’s just one problem – according to his own state-of-the-art compatibility algorithm, they don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of working out.
Being a man of logic, Toby knows he should forget about her and move on. He knows he shouldn’t move into her plush Manhattan apartment so he can monitor the glitchy A. I. that runs/ruins her life. He knows he should be fine with her dating men whose compatibility scores aren’t in the single digits. And he should absolutely ignore how just being near her sets his entire world on fire.
Yes, Toby is very aware that falling for his perfectly imperfect match will lead to devastating heartbreak. But he also knows that if there’s even a one-percent chance of them making it, he’ll move heaven and earth to beat the odds.

A compelling tale of head versus heart from the international bestselling author of Bad Romeo and Broken Juliet.
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Meet the Author:

Leisa Rayven burst onto the romance scene in 2014 when her Starcrossed Series was optioned by Macmillan New York in a three-book deal. As a former actor, her debut novel, BAD ROMEO revolved around the world of Broadway, and was published to critical acclaim. Since then, all her subsequent novels have regularly featured on international bestseller lists and she has received glowing praise from high-profile authors such as Colleen Hoover, E.L. James, Christina Lauren, and Jennifer Probst.
Her latest series, The Masters of Love, includes MISTER ROMANCE, PROFESSOR FEELGOOD, and DOCTOR LOVE, and is available through publishers all over the world.
Leisa lives in Brisbane, Australia with her husband, two large teenage sons, and four judgmental cats. When not writing books, she’s eating guacamole.
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