Spotlight & Giveaway: Last Bride Standing by Ginny Baird

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Ginny Baird to HJ!

Hi Ginny and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Last Bride Standing (Majestic Maine Book 3)!

 
Hi! Thanks so much for having my on your blog!
 

Please summarize the book a la Twitter style for the readers here:

#NewRelease Last Bride Standing – #enemiestolovers #smalltownromance #romanticcomedy #beachread #pirates #forcedproximity #onlyoneoffice #fallfest #contest #coffeeshop #savethefamilybusiness #marriageofconvenience #bet #wager #sisters #family #funny #heartwarming #romcom #ginnybaird
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

Charlotte Delaney paused outside the airport terminal, scanning the crowd. Throngs of arriving passengers swarmed past her, grasping their shoulder bags and pulling rolling suitcases behind them. Most people were dressed for the mild September weather, in sweaters and light jackets. Others wore flipflops and shorts, like they’d just arrived in Maine from Miami.

Her sisters, Nell and Misty, stood close by, as did Nell’s fiancé, Grant, and his best friend, Jordan.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• Charlotte and Aidan had a “pretend wedding” when they were kids.
• Aidan had a serious childhood crush on Charlotte.
• Charlotte has never met anyone as stubborn as she is– until now.
• Aidan doesn’t understand he’s met his match, until it’s too late.
• There are certain critical references to the movie “The Princess Bride”.

What first attracts your main characters to each other?

Their mutual passion and smarts. Though they’re enemies at first, they admire these things about each other.
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe your main characters”love affair?

contentious, flirty, fierce, sexy, heartfelt
 

The First Kiss…

Given the nature of this sweet romance, this is such a big spoiler, I can’t reveal too much, other than to say that are both equally guilty of losing control at exactly the same time, in way that is both hilarious yet passionate.
 

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

When Aidan and Charlotte fly a kite and he first falls for her.

She laughed and ran along, moving faster and faster as the kite curtseyed and soared above the
beach, every so often skimming the waves with brazen darts and jags.
He stopped and cupped his hands on either side
of his mouth. “Nice job! Keep going!”
She peeked over her shoulder, and her grin took his breath away.
Then she spun back around and ran in happy zigzags down the shore, her bare feet kicking up
sand and spray. Looking as happy as she’d been as a kid.
Wild. Unfettered. Free.
He was loving this. So hard.
But he was not falling in love with her—his heart
thumped—was he?

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would be absolutely crucial to include?

This opening turnabout by Aidan, after Charlotte had nearly killed herself trying to avoid a marriage of convenience with him, and then finally resigned herself to it.

He cocked his head. “I’ve no interest in marrying you, Charlotte. Not here, not now. Not in England
later.” He frowned. “Pretty much not ever.”
The words landed on her like an avalanche, and for a moment she couldn’t breathe. Nell steadied her arm, and Misty’s eyes widened with fear.
No interest?
Of course he didn’t. Charlotte wasn’t his sort of woman.
She was a small-town girl who wore flouncy peasant
skirts, and he was a world-class bigshot who
thought quite a lot of himself. Obviously. Maybe she
should have expected his last-minute trick maneuvering.
Should have known better than to think he’d
honor their arrangement. Or that he’d be honorable
at all.
He calmly folded his arms in front of him, like it
had all been settled. Like he wasn’t just dropping a
bomb on all of them.
And with his next words, the bomb exploded,
leaving her dazed.
“I’m giving you your half of Bearberry Coffee,”
he said. “Free and clear.”

Readers should read this book …

Because it’s so warm ,and funny, and a great and fitting end to the Majestic Maine series. It also works fabulously well as a standalone enemies-to-lovers story between two headstrong and highly attractive people trying to outwit one another– without falling hopelessly, desperately, and irrevocably in love.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I’m working on a fun speculative Christmas romance with magical elements for 2024, and have a new Christmas rom-com set at a winery all ready to release in October 2023.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: One print copy of Last Bride Standing by Ginny Baird

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: The marriage of convenience with Aidan was only supposed to be for five years, but the payout was going to be huge and Charlotte was willing to do anything to help her family. If you’d been in Charlotte’s shoes (or cowgirl boots), how would you have reacted to Aidan arriving and calling off their deal? Would you have tried to win an even better allotment for your family like she did with the new Fall Fest bet, or would you have accepted Aidan’s initial offer–no strings attached?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from Last Bride Standing (Majestic Maine Book 3):

Charlotte and Aidan cut their deal.

EXCEPRT
“Here’s what I’m suggesting,” she said. “If you
win, you do exactly what you came to Majestic to do.
Cede one half of the company to my family.”
“And if I lose?”
“You give us everything.”
His mouth dropped open, but then he closed it.
“Everything? Meaning, I’ll be out of a job?”
“Like my parents and my sisters and I have been
teetering on the edge of losing ours?”
“Those stakes are awfully high, Charlotte.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “I knew
you’d be too chicken to do it.”
His eyes flashed. “I’m not chicken.”
“Oh yes you are.” She flapped her arms like
chicken wings and made squawking sounds.
His cheek flinched. “I’d have thought you
would’ve given up on jeering by now.”
“I am not jeering. I’m challenging.”
“But doubting.”
“What?”
He grinned. “You don’t believe I’ll do it, do
you?”
Her heart beat double-time. “Will you?”
“All I have to do is outsell you with coffee?” he
said. “Easy-peasy. Bearberry Coffee has been outselling
Bearberry Brews for years.”
“Underhandedly.”
“Even so.” He cocked his head. “By billions.”
“Billions which should have been rightfully ours.”
“So, it’s winner takes all with you, is it?” He
pursed his lips. “But only if you win?”
Charlotte’s face steamed. “When I win.”
“You seem very sure of yourself.” Aidan stroked
his beard. “How do I know you haven’t got this contest
all stitched up?”
As if she’d had time to arrange anything sneaky
and dishonest. No. That wasn’t her. “I’m affronted
you’d even think that.”
“I’m affronted you called me a chicken.”
“Well, maybe you are a little chicken. Maybe
that’s what this trip is all about. Your chickening out
of our marriage deal.”
“So. Wait. You actually wanted to marry me?” He
gawked in disbelief and she backtracked quickly.
“You know I didn’t,” she huffed.
He studied her a moment. “And yet you were
prepared to go through with it.”
“For the sake of the business and my family.” She
tried to turn the tables. “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t
do anything for your mom. Isn’t that why you agreed
to the bet to begin with?”
“I never said that I agreed.”
“I beg to differ. You most certainly did.”
“No,” he insisted. “You set up the wager with
your sisters and sent me the particulars.”
Charlotte got her guard up. “And you texted back
brilliant.”
“Because it was such a brilliant plan. In a nineteenth-
century sort of way.” His mouth twitched at
the corners. “Who thought it up? You, Charlotte?”
“It wasn’t anybody alone,” she said defensively.
“It was the three of us together.”
He whistled through his teeth. “Ace team. I suspect
they’re going to help you sell your coffees
then? Misty and Nell.” He grinned. “At the Fall
Fest.”
“Wait.” She swallowed hard. “You mean you’ll do
it?”
“I can’t see why not. If it makes you feel better
about things, I’m all for it. So yeah, my dad was shite
to yours, but now that’s over, and my giving you one
half of the company that my dad built with his business
savvy seems more than fair. Since that’s not
good enough for you, I’m happy to up the ante, because
I know one thing for certain.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m a far better businessperson than you are, so
you’ll never win.” Those were fighting words. “Not in
the way you’re hoping you will.”
Says who? She was good at business. No, great.
Okay. True. Her family business was failing, but
she wasn’t to blame for that. She’d been helping
Bearberry Brews with her advertising—every
chance she got.
He grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair
and shook it out before sliding it on. “I’m willing to
humor you, though.”
Humor? She gritted her teeth.
“For old times’ sake.”
He stood and so did she, scraping back her chair.
“How good of you.” Sarcasm dripped off her
tongue, then she faked a British accent and said,
“Brilliant.”
“I am rather a brilliant fellow, aren’t I?” He
stepped toward her. “Which is why I’m rising to your
challenge and saying yes.”
She couldn’t decide if she wanted to smack him
for his arrogance or hug him for agreeing to her
contest. This could be huge for her and her family.
Either way, it was a win. The only one with anything
to lose was Aidan.
He not only stood to forfeit his entire business,
he was blithely abandoning what was supposed to
have been their arranged marriage. He clearly
thought he could take her or leave her. That she
wasn’t worth considering in any sort of romantic
way. Maybe he wouldn’t have been so cavalier about
canceling their personal merger if he’d understood
what he was missing.
“And when you lose Bearberry Coffee,” she
asked him, “how will you support yourself?”
“I’m a trust fund baby.” He smiled. “I’ll land on
my feet.”
“How lucky for you.”
“My dad set up separate nest eggs for both me
and my mum.”
His whole world could be turned upside down
and he didn’t care? Nice to be that comfortably taken
care of that losing your job didn’t matter. None of
the Delaneys had ever known that luxury, but evidently
the Strongs had.
“So you’ll do it?” she asked.
“Under two conditions.”
“And what are those?”
“One. We can’t let on to the town what our bet’s
about. Not the stakes, I mean. That’s tantamount to
playing the sympathy card. If folks learn you’re
trying to better your family business, that might
throw things in your favor.”
“That’s fair,” she agreed. “And two?”
“Any discussion of marriage stays off the table.”
Her jaw clenched involuntarily. So hard it ached.
“Naturally.”
He’d made his point profusely. She got it. Aidan
Strong did not want to marry her. Fine. It was mutual.
She’d never marry somebody as insulting and
inconsiderate as him, no matter how gorgeous he
was. Looks couldn’t buy you everything, neither
could money. Though she was determined to get a
substantial financial settlement out of this good-looking
guy.
His light-brown gaze washed over her, and for an
instant she couldn’t breathe. Probably from hyperventilating
because he made her so flaming mad.
“So?” she asked him. “Do we have a deal?”
He stuck out his hand and firmly shook hers,
wearing a lopsided grin. “Now, when is this Fall Fest
of yours?”

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Opposites attract—and go head-to-head—in this cheerfully irresistible small-town romance.

With just ten days left till her folks’ loan comes due, ever-pragmatic Charlotte Delaney is officially throwing in the towel on the bet that she made with her sisters. It looks like it’s up to her to save their parents’ café and beloved home with a marriage of convenience to her family’s rival. It’s time to get the in-name-only nuptials over with. Of course, Charlotte’s never been one to easily admit defeat…

Aidan Strong has exactly zero intentions of marrying one of the Delaney sisters—even Charlotte, his first crush. He’s come to Majestic, Maine, to make things right…only Charlotte has other plans.

She’s challenging Aidan to a new wager. And the prize? His billion-dollar coffee empire. Now the tiny seaside town of Majestic is about to witness the ultimate game of hearts…and winner takes all.

Each book in the Majestic Main series is STANDALONE:
* First Bride to Fall
* Second Bride Down
* Last Bride Standing
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads |
 
 

Meet the Author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ginny Baird writes heartwarming contemporary stories filled with love, laughter, and happily ever afters. She enjoys cooking with her husband, taking walks in the park, and creating worlds with swoony heroes to fall for and heroines you’d like to have as friends. She lives in North Carolina with her family. Visit her website to learn more about her and her books: www.ginnybairdromance.com.
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