Spotlight & Giveaway: Merry Little Heartbreak by Stella Holt

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Stella Holt to HJ!

Hi Stella and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Merry Little Heartbreak!

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

Merry Little Heartbreak is Grey’s Anatomy meets The Family Stone with a steamy, second chance, festive, holiday, love story.

Drake Maguire made his choice years ago when he went off to medical school across the country and stayed gone for a decade to become a famous plastic surgeon. But he also left his first love Margo Monroe behind to follow her dreams. Now he’s returned home to Alexandria, Virginia, it’s a month before Christmas, and they’re working in the same hospital. Margo thinks he’s after her job, but what he really wants is a second chance. The magnetic attraction between them has not faded, but they’ve both been keeping secrets and some wounds don’t heal.
 

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

“I’m tired of pretending I’m still mad at you, when I never really was.” His other hand came up to cup her face, and she closed her eyes, willing herself not to bask in the desire coursing through her.

What inspired this book?

The Legacy of the Maguires series features all these mushy sensitive Maguire alphas and strong women. I couldn’t resist a medical romance with two driven people and an abiding love that brings them back together. I love an emotionally charged, second-chance romance.

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

I’ve always loved medical dramas and am so impressed by men and women who go through so much education and training to dedicate their lives to medicine and caring for others. So a medical love story at Christmas sounded like the perfect combo for book five in the Legacy of the Maguires.

Drake Maguire is an alpha with dark features, a chiseled jaw, and practically oozes success, but he made a mistake and once he realizes it, he’s determined to fix it, and get the girl.

Margo Monroe is curvy, spunky, and whip-smart. She has no regrets, and would never admit that some nights she lets herself wonder what if she had sacrificed her dream to follow Drake. She’s upset with herself for still having feelings for Drake, especially after he left her behind.

These two are stubborn and still totally obsessed with each other but if they can’t hash out their past, be vulnerable, and admit they each made mistakes, then they won’t find their way back to each other. There is a love standoff in Merry Little Heartbreak, and it’s unclear who will crack first.

What was your favorite scene to write?

In chapter four Drake is at a Maguire family event and I brought back several of his cousins from books 2-4, it’s so fun to write their banter. The men in this family are yummy, cinnamon roll alphas, and if you haven’t read one of these before you are in for a holiday treat with five books in the series out.

SNIPPET;
“Drake’s considering a career change,” Finn said, filling Conner in on their conversation. “I’m trying to convince him to come back to Virginia.”
“Do it. You’ve been miserable. Why don’t you go into pediatrics? You’d probably be good with all those cute babies.”
“Never,” Drake said.
“Orthopedics.”
“Boring.”
“Brain surgery.”
“Tools are too delicate.” Drake held up his massive hands.
“Plastic surgery. Your logo can be, Get done by the god,” Conner said.
“That’s what I do, idiot.”
“Oh yeah, that’s lame. Emergency is where it’s at: broken bones, life-and- death injuries. Those doctors are high-speed adrenaline junkies. You could move back and get away from all those fake people in LA,” Connor said.
Drake nodded. “Yeah, but you know who else works in emergency at Mercy?”
Finn piped up, “My teammate works in emergency, but who else?”
“Miss Margo Monroe,” Drake said.
“Damn. Well, you could go to a different hospital,” Finn said.
“Or you could settle that score with her,” Conner said.
Drake forced a smile, even though just saying her name made his stomach twist into knots. He wasn’t about to admit he’d kissed her at the event the night before. It was best if he stayed far away from Margo. Even now, the memory had his heart pounding, and his interest flared.

What was the most difficult scene to write?

attraction between my hero and heroine, while keeping the scenes fresh. This is harder than it may seem.

SNIPPET;
His hands wove into her hair, releasing the thick waves.
“I missed you.”
With those three words, her heart broke open, and she could feel the power of how deeply she had needed to hear them. She had missed him for ten years.
Then his mouth was on hers, and she dove into his embrace. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms above his shoulders to pull him closer. One of them growled as his hands cupped her bottom before he effortlessly hiked her up into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his narrow hips, and he walked them farther into her place.
His admission made her putty in his hands. There was no pretense, no denial as their bodies collided. Pulling his T-shirt up, she felt his rigid muscular abdomen and smooth silky skin under her touch. Soft hair tickled her fingers as they moved up along his chest.
“More,” she breathed as he bit her lower lip before sucking on it.
Memories rushed back with promises of pleasure, and their kinetic energy was explosive. She needed him to never stop.
Drake was always a giving lover in bed, but the young man she’d known in college had turned into a more confident version. And she had a feeling she was about to experience an entirely new side of Drake’s desire. Before she could dwell on it, he began to remove her shirt, then slowly peeled off her jeans, leaving her with only her bra and mismatched panties.
“Baby, you’re so gorgeous. I want to sink my teeth into this spectacular, round ass.” His mouth moved over her hip and he gave her a gentle bite while his hands roamed her curves.

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

Yes, book five is spot on my style; playful characters with a serious and unique plot to navigate while balancing a flirty romance and emotional tension. The will-they or they won’t-they overcome the drama that stands between them.

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

Love is messy and complicated, and our dreams are important but once we find the special people in our lives we need to hold onto them.

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

I am wrapping up the 6th and final (for now) book in the Legacy of the Maguires series My Favorite Mistake- it will be out in March 2024. It’s a steamy, fake dating, secret baby, story about two people trying not to fall in love.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: Winner will receive one ebook copy of MERRY LITTLE HEARTBREAK plus one additional ebook of the winner’s choice from Tule Publishing.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: If you could spend time with any fictional male hero, who would it be, and why?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from Merry Little Heartbreak:

Chapter One
Margo
Dr. Margo Monroe was meticulously typing out new labels for each of the cupboards in the ER attending doctor’s office. The space was small, with no window, and may have previously been a closet, but it was now organized. She shared it with three other attending physicians at Mercy Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia, and she liked to help them keep it tidy. Organizing was also an excuse not to walk over to the auditorium gallery.
“Dr. Monroe, you missed a fantastic presentation in the gallery on the new triage techniques for burns and treatment by the plastic surgery god from LA.” One of the eager second-year resident students on rotation in her emergency room saddled up next to Margo just as she exited the closet.
“I’m sure it was riveting but probably more applicable up in the burn unit.”
The bright-eyed doctor picked up a tablet from the charging station. “Thank you for letting me attend with the others.”
“Don’t thank me. It’s important for you all to be exposed to every discipline, so you can see the ER is by far the superior place to practice real medicine while serving your community.”
“Well, you missed more than just the techniques. It was clear why the doctor from LA is referred to as ‘The One.’ He was smoking hot.”
“Sara, you have too many years left of residency to get sidetracked by a pretty face, besides you know what they say about hot men with god complexes?” Margo said.
“What do they say?” a deep voice from over her shoulder asked.
Margo’s arch-support black sneakers squeaked on the linoleum floor as she turned to face the man behind that voice. A voice that sent a shiver of awareness over her skin and made her heart skip a beat before it plummeted to the floor.
“Dr. Monroe, I was expecting to see you in the lecture today,” the director of the hospital said.
She was standing next to the tall, gorgeous man with a deep voice. A man with midnight-black hair and dark eyes to match. He stood towering over the three women in a flawless tailored gray suit, black tie, and a playful smirk pulling at his full, lush lips.
Margo took a deep breath and squared her shoulders like she was facing a firing squad with her head held high.
“Someone needs to actually see patients in the ER, Director Kelly, even when we have world-famous lecturers,” Margo said, not trying to hide her distaste with the insinuation that she was slacking.
“Our guest, Dr. Maguire, asked to see the triage space for burn victims so he can consult on which upgrades can be made. He’s going to be consulting with the plastic surgery department for the week and needs to know the process a burn victim goes through upon intake.”
Margo’s stomach did a dive, and her heart fluttered in her chest.
“Dr. Monroe, it’s lovely to see you again,” Dr. Maguire said, holding out his hand toward her.
She forced herself not to flinch when she took his strong, warm hand that enveloped hers. He held her hand for a few seconds longer than necessary. Long enough for her to notice how soft and strong his hand was at the same time.
“Dr. Maguire, welcome to Mercy where chaos reigns,” she said, not knowing at all what to say.
“Yes, obviously, we have one of the busiest trauma units and emergency rooms in the tri-state area,” the director blathered.
“I read you see over one hundred thousand burn victims a year.” His eyes didn’t leave Margo’s.
“Dr. Maguire, your presentation in the gallery was exceptional. There was a rumor you’ll be joining the plastic surgery department tomorrow for a demonstration on your techniques.” Sara exuded awe.
Drake was still staring at Margo as if he was trying to make sure she was really the same girl he’d left behind twelve years ago. Then he finally stopped staring, and his face lit up with an authentic smile that highlighted his carved jaw, covered in a five-o’clock shadow she wanted to reach out and touch.
“Yes, I’ll be consulting on possible improvements in the plastics department and participating in an exciting procedure tomorrow.”
Before Sara could swoon over Drake, the trauma alarm went off, and the head nurse called out, “Shooting victims, five.” Margo was off like an Olympic runner. Eight years of daily trauma training, and she couldn’t have stood still if she’d wanted to. Her first stop was to wash her hands in the utility sink nearby next to another resident.
“Dr. Monroe, the tour of the triage area?” the director called.
“No time, but you’re both free to watch how we handle multiple gunshot victims. There will be burn marks from the shots if they were in close quarters.” She finished washing her hands and grabbed gloves. “There’s at least a fifty-fifty chance.”
She let her eyes run up and down Drake’s form, his hands pushed into his pockets as if he were on a tour of the zoo, but she could see the tension in his shoulders. “Stick around and you can help us sew up the victims, but you might want to put on some scrubs. Nothing nice ever makes it through a shift at Mercy.”
Drake nodded with a knowing smile. “I’m already scheduled for another procedure in plastics, but hopefully we’ll get a chance to work together soon. There’s something we need to discuss.”
Then the paramedics with gurneys were pouring in from the ambulance bay, and she was too busy for the next two hours to worry about how long the director or Drake stuck around. But if she were honest, she’d known the minute he left because her heart stopped racing, and the hairs on the back of her neck went down. All these years, and he still had the allure to make her entire body respond. He’d only gotten more confident and gorgeous with time.
Over ten years felt like ten minutes. And he looked even better in person than in the medical journals she always looked for him in.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

This year, they’re unwrapping the truth for Christmas…

Drake Maguire’s first love dumped him right before they were to move cross country for medical school. Now he’s made a name for himself as a plastic surgeon to LA’s wealthiest, even if it bores him. But this Christmas, he returns home to Virginia to pitch in at the same hospital as his ex. Could this be a restart for his career and his heart?

Margo Monroe can’t believe her bad luck. December should be a time to string twinkle lights and stockings in her ER, but instead, she’s dodging Drake’s questions and her urge to run her fingers through his hair. Yes, they broke each other’s hearts last time—yet perhaps throwing in the towel was a mistake.

But flirting leads to more than just words, and Margo needs her head in the game if she wants to expand her career in the new year. Are their emotions merely on call for the holidays, or is this attraction a symptom of something far merrier?

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

Meet the Author:

Author of your next binge-worthy romance series, Stella has been plotting sexy, tear-jerker stories since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born a Georgia peach, Stella loves all things country but calls the beach home even though she’s currently living outside D.C. with her family. Most days she can be found drinking too much coffee, collecting lipstick she forgets to wear, and baking.

Stella’s first series featuring first responders debuts in 2023. You can find her on Instagram @stellaholtbooks and www.stellaholt.com
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | GoodReads |