Spotlight & Giveaway: Meant for You by Layla Hagen

Posted November 16th, 2018 by in Blog, Spotlight / 58 comments

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Layla Hagen to HJ!
Spotlight&Giveaway

Hi Layla and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Meant for You!

 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Detective Will Connor’s life revolves around his badge. But when a feisty brunette barrels smack-dab into his life, he can’t ignore their crazy chemistry. Or the way her pretty smile strips him of all defenses.
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

“To the squad finally being reunited,” Luna exclaimed, holding her glass of wine for a toast.
I’d moved back from Paris two nights before and had immediately planned a reunion with my two best friends, Luna and Faith. I’d asked them to meet me at my grandmother’s old inn because I’d stopped by to visit the property this afternoon. We ended up ordering pizza and drinks and staying in. It was fitting. We had many memories here.

 

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

  • I wrote a few key scenes on paper, which I then lost around the house. Finding them again meant a thorough cleaning session (which I’ve been known to erm…avoid)
  • I kept craving mousse au chocolat (you might need to read the book to know why)
  • While making mental notes about a certain *wedding* scene , I kept smiling, and grinning. I was at the gym while this happened, and the trainer thought it meant the exercise the class was doing was too easy (it wasn’t), and asked us to do 10 more repeats.

 

Please tell us a little about the characters in your book. As you wrote your protagonist was there anything about them that surprised you?

Paige is this feisty woman who loves to fight for what she believes in, and I have to admit, I did not think Will would be so romantic, but he turned out to be totally swoonworthy.

 

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would you use for the audition of the main characters and why?

A certain wedding scene I mentioned above…if the actors could pull that one off, I’d trust them to do the whole movie.

But when he moved past my knee, I lost the battle. He smiled, as if he knew exactly the effect he was having on me, watching me intently. He’d trapped me with those sinful brown eyes. I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to.
“How do you like this, Paige?” Will whispered.
“You’re driving me crazy,” I whispered back. My entire body was tingling, even though he was only touching my leg. And the pressure between my thighs was intensifying. I couldn’t see what he was doing, but I felt every callus on his fingers.
“Good, that’s exactly what I’m going for.”
I inhaled deeply through my mouth, exhaling through my nose. If Will Connor thought I couldn’t push his buttons even when I was at his mercy, he was in for a surprise.
“If you continue to go so slow, you’ll never reach high enough to check if I’m wearing any panties.”
Victory! Oh, yeah. Will clenched his jaw, his hand tightening on my thigh.
“Paige,” he warned. His voice was breathier, which gave me immense satisfaction.
“You were saying, Detective?”
He wiped the sass right off my tongue when his hand moved higher.
“Tell me if you’re wearing any.”
“What if I won’t?”
His hand inched higher. He was going to call my bluff

 

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

That even the most stubborn of us change their mind

 

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

I am working on the next book in the Connor series, which is about Valentina. It will be released early next year.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

 

Giveaway: $25 Amazon giftcard

 

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

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Excerpt from Meant for You:

“To the squad finally being reunited,” Luna exclaimed, holding her glass of wine for a toast.
I’d moved back from Paris two nights before and had immediately planned a reunion with my two best friends, Luna and Faith. I’d asked them to meet me at my grandmother’s old inn because I’d stopped by to visit the property this afternoon. We ended up ordering pizza and drinks and staying in. It was fitting. We had many memories here.
“I can’t believe this space still looks the same. It’s like a time capsule,” Faith said.
“Except for the coat of dust,” I chimed in. The place had been empty and boarded up for a few months, and now that I had re- turned, my parents had asked me to look into selling it.
“We’re so glad you’re back.” Faith hugged me with one arm.
“I’m glad too.” My three-year work stint in Paris had been exciting, but I hadn’t seen myself settling down there. I was an LA girl at heart. I’d missed my friends, my parents, my siblings, and nieces. I’d also missed the near-constant sun. I couldn’t wait to hit the beach. I tanned quickly, and even though my hair was almost black, some strands earned a reddish hue after spending a few days in the sun.
“So you’re really going to sell this place, huh?” Faith asked.
“Yep. No other way.” My grandmother had run a successful B&B, but my parents wanted to enjoy their retirement doing nothing at all, and my siblings and I all had full-time jobs. I couldn’t see myself running a B&B on top of that, so better to sell the place than leave it to decay. The house would need some serious repairs before putting it on the market as it was.
The doorbell rang as we carried the empty pizza cartons to the kitchen.
“Are you expecting someone?” Luna asked.
“No.”
I dashed to the front door, swung it open, and came face-to-face with a very tall and very handsome man. He looked at me, then be- hind my shoulder at Faith and Luna.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
“I’m Detective Will Connor.”

A detective? Not what I had been expecting. Were detectives supposed to be this hot? I would have pegged him for a guy trying to break into the modeling or acting business. He certainly had the looks for it. Tall and well built, with chocolate brown, messy hair. His eyes were a smidge darker, and the bone structure of his jaw reminded me of the models in those aftershave commercials: defined, strong… sexy.
“Oh, and what’s the reason for your visit?”
“A neighbor called. Said he saw lights here and that the place had been boarded up for a few months.”
“It used to be my grandma’s inn. Now it’s mine. I came to take a look at it.”
“So you’re the owner?”
“I am, Detective. My name is Paige Lamonica. Would you like to see an ID?”
“No need. The neighbors thought someone broke in, what with the place being empty. Are there any signs of forced entries? Boarded-up houses attract burglars,” he explained.
“I haven’t checked the whole house yet, but all doors and windows on the ground floor are still boarded up. The boards will come down, though. I’ll be renovating the place.”
He folded his arms over his chest, and I took in those biceps for the first time. Holy hell. He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, and I had to practically force myself to look away.
“You didn’t see anything out of place either, right, girls?” I asked, turning to look at them. They nodded wordlessly, too busy checking out Will to answer. I’d mentioned earlier this evening that I wanted to date more, and now I could practically feel them measuring his dating potential. I turned my attention back to Will.
“Looks like you made this trip for nothing. Sorry for keeping you from problems that really need your attention.”
“I’m off duty, but I was in the area when the call came through.”
“Well, nothing going on here except some old friends catching up and celebrating the Fourth of July three days late.”
“Make sure you’re not too loud.” His tone was teasing.
“Why, Detective, will you arrest us?” I asked playfully. Something glinted in those dark eyes, making my insides tighten.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Will Connor lives his life by simple rules: take care of those he loves, give one hundred percent to his job, and never ignore his instincts. So when he meets Paige, he doesn’t plan to ignore their crazy chemistry, or the way her pretty smile strips him of all defenses…

As the development director of a nonprofit, Paige Lamonica has met her fair share of people. But Will is something else entirely. The sexy detective is a little too confident. With sculpted muscles and a chiseled jaw, he’s also far too easy on the eye. She loves that he goes toe-to-toe with her at every turn.

When Will asks her to attend his sister’s wedding with him, Paige thinks he just wants to throw some relatives who want to play matchmakers off his scent.

She couldn’t be more wrong. Will wants her.

When she teases him, he teases her right back. When she pushes his buttons, he repays her with dangerously hot flirting. When he claims her mouth, she’s in for the hottest kiss of her life.

As they spend more time together, Paige discovers there’s more to Will than she thought. With every layer she peels away, she craves more…

But as the daughter of an Army man, Paige has never wanted to get involved with someone on the force. Can Will persuade her to give in to him?

Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Google |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Layla Hagen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.
She fell in love with books when she was nine years old, and her love affair with stories continues even now, many years later.
She writes steamy and romantic stories and can’t wait to share them with the world.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | GoodReads |
 
 
 

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58 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: Meant for You by Layla Hagen”

  2. Diana Tidlund

    Christmas in New York anthology by Jolyse Barnett , Patty Blount, Jeannie Moon and Jennifer Gracen.

  3. John Smith

    “What are your favorite holiday romances?” How about “Cupcakes For Christmas”?

  5. clickclickmycat

    I love the best friend’s brother coming home to visit his family and they fall in love.

  6. Anita H.

    I love Christmas books! Maybe This Christmas by Sarah Morgan, Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery and The Trouble With Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis are a few of my favorite holiday reads.

  8. Kathleen O

    One that always sticks with me is Christmas at Timberwoods by Fern Michael… It’s not your typical romantic Christmas book..

  10. Cheryl Hastings

    I love the Christmas in New York series from Tule publishers, Susan Mallery and Jill Shalvis have great holiday reads as does Samantha Chase

  12. Marcy Meyer

    I don’t have any particular favorites. I do enjoy reading Christmas stories around this time of year.

  15. Janie McGaughj

    I don’t have any favorite holiday books. For movies, I particularly love While You Were Sleeping.

  16. laurieg72

    I like the Christmas romances where a Scooge like character , a disbeliever, is introduced to the magic of Christmas and becomes a believer. One example of this, Miracle on I-40 by Curtiss Matlock.

    I also like the return of a prodigal son or daughter or a husband and how that upsets the family dynamics. Or acceptance and moving on after the death of a loved one – A Virgin River Christmas Robyn Carr

    Finally, I like stranded whether by bad weather, car problems or getting lost and you find your soul mate. Baby It’s Cold Outside anthology and Bluebird Winter Linda Howard

  19. Vicki Clevinger

    If we are talking about books, I can read Christmas stories all year long. I love them all. If we are talking about movies, hands down it’s White Christmas

  23. Summer

    I really enjoyed the YA anthology My True Love Gave To Me, and Cara Colter has some really great holiday romances, she always writes emotional stories.

  27. Caro

    No particulat favorite, but I love holiday reads, and I love them even more when they start in like, October, lol. So I have plenty of time to catch up. 😛

  29. Teresa Williams

    I love all the Christmas books .I buy them every year and read them throughout the holidays.

  33. Mood Reader

    Movies? Love Actually & While You Were Sleeping.
    Books? Lisa Kleypas’s Wallflower Christmas & Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor.

  34. Laurajj

    Oh so many favorites that I have read more than once! I loved Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan, or Starry Night by Debbie Macomber! Oh and loved Chasing Christmas Eve
    by Jill Shalvis!

  35. Glenda

    I can’t say that I have specific favorites that come to mind. I do have a tendency to read a lot of Christmas anthologies since I’m so busy during the entire Holiday season. (It’s already started this year…)

  38. KateS

    Don’t really have a favorite, but In a Manhattan Minute was a good one.

  41. Cherie J.

    Every year it changes. I gather Christmas books all year long and start reading them after
    Thanksgiving.

  44. Nicole (Nicky) Ortiz

    I don’t have a favorite. I just read what sounds good!
    Thanks for the chance!

  46. BookLady

    I enjoy Debbie Macomber’s Christmas books, including Starry Night, Dashing Through the Snow, and Twelve Days of Christmas.

  48. Jaime Long

    I loved Sleighed it by Max Monroe! It was so funny and full of shenanigans!

  49. Karina Angeles

    His Mistress by Christmas by Victoria Alexander. I read it every year around this time. I LOVE the story!

  51. Chelsea B.

    Mine are more of the Christmas movie variety! I actually haven’t read many Christmas books.

  52. Tina R

    I love Christmas stories! Any by Debbie Macomber, Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas, Hearts On Ice by Jami Davenport, and Marrying Mr. English by Katy Regnery are just a few.

  58. Terrill R.

    The most recent holiday romance that I read was A True Cowboy Christmas by Megan Crews and it was AMAZING. I loved it so much.