Spotlight & Giveaway: The Paramedic Roommate Pact by JC Harroway

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author JC Harroway to HJ!

Hi JC Harroway and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Paramedic Roommate Pact!

 
Hello Romance Readers!
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Critical care paramedic, Kaia McBride, 29, is just starting to find her feet after a horrible break up and miscarriage. Fortunately, her best friend and work colleague, Levi Young, 35, offered Kaia his spare room until she was ready to move on and find her own place. They work together as rescue helicopter paramedics in New Zealand’s South Island. But living together adds a new level of awareness to their six year friendship. When they’d met, they’d each been seeing someone. But now they are both single. Although Kaia has plans to set him up with a friend.
When a tipsy one night stand on Levi’s birthday makes them wonder if they’ve ruined the best thing in their lives, they quickly agree to put it and any awkwardness behind them.
neither of them wants to jeopardise the friendship.
But now that one great night is all either of them can think about. Running often dangerous rescue missions together highlights how protective Levi is of Kaia, their patients and the rest of their crew. But could she ever take him seriously as a romantic partner? Up to now and thanks to his childhood hang-ups, he’s been the king of the casual hook up and openly admits he’s never been in love, whereas Kaia has been burned by it. Kaia knows that, one day, Levi wants a family of his own. Whereas she’s not sure she could ever again go through the heartache she experienced in losing her baby.
Their work is often dangerous. Soon, what they mean to each other becomes increasingly difficult to ignore and they succumb to temptation and restart their physical relationship. Soon, Levi is asking her to stay, not as a room mate, but as a couple. Kaia’s heart soars only to be quickly crushed. He’s not offering love, just co-habitation, all he thinks he’s capable of. But while Kaia has been scared to trust her instincts and her feelings, having been wrong about her ex, she can’t help falling in love with her best friend, the best man she knows. Levi promises to always care for her, to be there for her as usual but he doesn’t know how to love her the way she deserves so Kaia moves out.
With Kaia gone from his home and working different shifts, Levi realises that he’s allowed his hangups from childhood to ruin the best thing that has ever happened to him. For the first time in his life he’s in love and it’s with his best friend. Kaia realises that Levi is the one person she’s always trusted her instincts with, that she trusts him unconditionally with her heart and together, they can make love work.
 

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

‘I love the new haircut,’ he said, his pulse leaping with both excitement and panic.
Straight after they’d finished work, she’d rushed off to an appointment at the hairdresser’s. In all the time he’d known her, she’d worn her glossy brown hair long, usually tied back in a ponytail. But now, with at least six inches cut off the length, the tousled, layered cut kissed her shoulders and bounced when she turned her head. And the chestnut colour was shot through with warm reddish streaks that made her gorgeous brown eyes glow in the low lighting of the bar.
‘Thanks,’ she said, her smile playful as she ran her fingers through the ends. ‘It’s part of the new me.’
Chugging a swallow of beer to dampen down the surge of forbidden desire he felt for his friend, Levi desperately tried to think platonic thoughts. ‘There was nothing wrong with the old you,’ he said quietly, hoping she wouldn’t sense his inner turmoil.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• The Paramedic Roommate Pact is set in New Zealand!
• Kaia and Levi are rescue helicopter paramedics!
• In one scene near the end of the book, they deliver a baby, something I have personal experience of!

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

Kaia and Levi have been friends for years. They share a career, have the same sense of humour and values and are both active and sporty. They’ve always secretly fancied each other, but when they met at work, they were involved with other people. Levi’s relationship was brief, but Kaia’s turned serious. When it ended, Levi temporarily offered Kaia a room at his place, until she found her feet.

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

The scene where Levi begrudgingly goes on the ‘blind date’ that Kaia has set up while she’s at home, jealous that he’s out with another woman was an emotional one to write. These two are so perfect for each other but neither of them can see that because of their respective pasts. The anguish they each feel in this scene is heartbreaking. Kaia worries that Levi might bring the date home. Levi was only going through the motions for her.

‘How did it go?’ Relief that he was alone pounded through her in time with her rapid heartbeats. She was a terrible, selfish friend to both Levi and Heidi.
Levi kicked off his shoes and sprawled at her side on the sofa, resting one foot on the coffee table so he was all long, sexy limbs and a cloud of delicious scent next to her. Temptation personified.
‘Good,’ he said, his voice as relaxed as if they were discussing the rugby scores. ‘I can see why you two get along.’
Was that it? Kaia swallowed as discreetly as possible and fought hard to curb her curiosity. ‘Told you she’s great,’ she said, needing more from him than a few vague answers.
Questions gathered on her tongue. Did he fancy Heidi? Were they going to see each other again? Had they ditched coffee and booked a hotel room, where they’d had the kind of sex Kaia now knew Levi was capable of? None of that was her business.
As if already bored and moving on from the barely begun conversation, Levi reached for the remote and flicked on the TV, not bothering to adjust the volume, which had been turned down low from Kaia’s earlier attempts to take her mind off him and his date.
Kaia sat motionless, the pressure inside her building. She wanted all the details. Now. But also couldn’t bear to know that he might be seriously interested in Heidi. Not sex-interested, but relationship-interested. Not that it was likely for him or that she had any right to know his personal business, not when she’d recklessly slept with him then slammed into reverse and made some lame and ineffectual attempts to patch up their friendship.
As if he knew she was watching him, and without turning his gaze from the TV, he said, ‘I know you want to ask me. Just get it over with.’
‘Okay,’ she said, her cheeks heating. ‘Are you going to call her again?’
That was a legitimate question, since Heidi was her friend. He couldn’t read too much into that beyond Kaia’s being protective of the other woman, given his track record. Then, because she couldn’t seem to control the direction of her thoughts or hold her tongue, she added, ‘I kind of thought you might bring her back here. I’d have…made myself scarce if you had.’
He turned, his expression casual. ‘Are you saying you’d have been fine with me bringing a friend of yours home for sex?’
Kaia gaped, her face heating. ‘I… Yes,’ she lied, desperate to know if that had been considered.
Levi looked away. ‘Well, as you know, she’s in the process of relocating down here for work. So…’
Again he left her hanging, neither confirming nor denying his intentions.
‘So you’re saying if she did live here you would call her again?’ Was it simply the geography temporarily keeping them apart? And why did she need to know so badly? As if his answer might throw as much danger at their friendship as their sleeping together had. With a wince, she realised she’d brought both risks, crossing the line to becoming lovers and throwing a stunning woman in his path, upon herself.
‘What’s with the third degree?’ he asked levelly, his stare moving over her face so breathing evenly became hard. ‘What are you really asking me, Kaia?’
The way he said her name, his deep voice all gravelly, reminded her of that night and the way he’d groaned it against her skin. The intensity in his eyes built until she couldn’t look away from the spangled blue depths of his irises. And worse, she didn’t want to look away. She wanted to drown there.
She opened her mouth to ask one of her many intrusive questions but closed it again when his gaze dropped to her parted lips. Her body flooded with heated memories of that first kiss in the kitchen the night of his birthday, the many passionate ones that had followed, all over her body, the escalation of kissing to the kind of sex she now knew it was impossible to forget.
Because she’d tried. And she knew this man. Trusted him. Loved him as a friend. And with that acknowledgement, came the sticking point: it didn’t matter how badly she still wanted him or how much she trusted him. One day, she wanted a real relationship and Levi was at best lukewarm about commitment. Even if he still wanted Kaia too, he would only be interested in a fling and she couldn’t expect more.

Readers should read this book….

If you love friends-to lovers stories.
If you enjoy fast-paced medical drama.
If you adore romance and want that swoony HEA.
If you’re curious about New Zealand, its rugged and isolated natural beauty.

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

I am currently writing a Christmas-themed Medical Romance for Harlequin, out in time for Christmas 2026!
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: A print copy of The Paramedic Roommate Pact. Open internationally.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Have you ever visited New Zealand? If not, would you like to visit one day?

Excerpt from The Paramedic Roommate Pact:

KAIA CLOSED THE taxi door and headed up the path of Levi’s place, her emotions a confusing jumble that left her head spinning with more than an alcohol buzz. Poking at some of those feelings, she found the most persistent was the unexpected jealousy she’d experienced the moment Heidi’s message had appeared.
Despite Levi’s having given Heidi’s photo only a cursory glance, his easy acceptance of her number and his casual promise to ‘“give her a call’” had been enough to tip Kaia into new and unforeseen territory, the burn of envy simmering in her chest. She’d ignored it. Levi was a great guy—loyal, dependable, sexy. Every word she’d told Heidi about him was true. And he was her friend. She shouldn’t be thinking about him in any other way. She couldn’t risk ruining what they had⸺a great working relationship and an invaluable friendship⸺not when he’d picked her up at her lowest point.
‘Great night,’ she said, pushing her key into the lock as she tried to reason away her irrational envy.
Maybe because he hadn’t dated anyone in the whole time she’d lived in his spare room, as if he was being considerate by not bringing a hook-up home, she’d grown used to him being single. Maybe her jealous overreaction was another sign that she too was ready to move on like her ex. Not that she was in any hurry to start dating seriously. Secretly, she was enjoying that she and Levi were single at the same time. Harmless flirtation with him was helping her regain her confidence, which had been decimated by Sam’s change of heart. But maybe she was ready for more than a new haircut.
Telling herself that she simply felt protective of her place in Levi’s life as his best friend, and any future relationship he might have would put that under threat, she flicked on the lights and headed for the kitchen.
‘Do you want tea?’ she asked, switching on the kettle. She needed something to calm her stomach, which, ever since she’d started talking about him and Heidi dating, had formed into a tight little knot she was thoroughly ashamed of.
‘Sure,’ he said, joining her, that slightly lopsided smile of his on his face that told her he was a bit merry and had enjoyed his birthday.
Because she too was a bit tipsy, she leaned against the kitchen counter and simply grinned at him. He was so handsome, with a great smile. He was a catch for any woman. Shame, then, that he stayed resolutely single. And not believing in love? He’d hinted at that before but she hadn’t paid much attention back then because she’d been happy in her relationship. But now, she wanted to dig deeper and find out why.
For a few seconds, while the only sound in the room was the gentle rev of the kettle boiling, they smiled goofily at each other. Then, a subtle switch infected the atmosphere. Levi’s expression turned serious, his blue eyes darkening with intensity as a small frown pinched his sandy-coloured brows.
‘I’m going to miss you,’ he said, his stare locked to hers so she saw his uncertainty. A rare emotion for her usually confident and self-assured friend.
Kaia’s heart rate soared, that thrill of excitement back. There was something different about Levi too, tonight. An intensity she’d never before witnessed. It made the attraction she’d spent the past few weeks reasoning away, all the more persistent. Of course, she would rather have him as a friend than have more, cross that line and potentially lose him from her life if it didn’t work out. Wouldn’t she? Because long-term, she and Levi were looking for different things.
She nodded, choked. ‘I’ll miss you too,’ she replied, her voice trailing off to a strangled croak. ‘I hope you know that a big part of me wants to stay. You’ve been…great. I couldn’t have survived the past few months without you.’
Everything was easy with Levi. Whether it was stabilising a patient on the side of a mountain or quietly hanging out at home.
‘But I’ve been telling myself that moving out is an important step in my recovery,’ she said, resolved. ‘It’s time to start putting the pieces of my life back together.’
And maybe the way she couldn’t stop fancying her friend meant she was ready for something fun and meaningless, too.
He nodded, his eyes bright as if with pride. ‘I’ll support you in any way I can.’ His smile kicked up a notch to the playful one she loved. ‘Changing light bulbs you can’t reach. Putting spiders you’re terrified of outside. Scaring off creepy neighbours who want your number.’ He flexed his arms to show off his intimidating biceps and Kaia laughed.
‘Lucky me. I’ll have you on speed dial, especially for the spiders,’ she teased, trying to get back to their regular playful vibe to help stave off her inappropriately carnal thoughts. ‘And the good thing is, I’m not moving far.’
He nodded, but the way he looked at her made her skin tingle on the border between pleasure and pain, as if she was were standing too close to a fire. As if he was having the same lusty thoughts as her. But could Levi really be more than a friend? Or was it simply her wishful thinking and the beer? That restlessness nudging her out of her comfort zone? She’d never really been keen on one one-night stands, but maybe that was a perfect way to open the door on her new life. The new Kaia.
‘We’ll still see each other at work,’ she added, her pulse flying at the idea of experiencing one night with Levi even as her stomach sank with the realisation that if she went to medical school, she’d have to give up her job as a paramedic.
But surely that look on his face must be in her imagination. In all the time she’d known him he’d never once given her any indication that he found her sexually attractive. He was a decent man, yes, and would never have crossed the line while she was in a relationship. But they were both single now. They’d been living together for weeks and nothing. Maybe she was reading too much into his words and expressions.
‘This was always going to be a temporary living arrangement,’ she finished, trying to convince herself as much as him. ‘Besides, you’ll finally have your place to yourself,’ she added, because he’d stayed silent. ‘Just think, you can have as much noisy sex as you want when I’m gone.’
She tried to chuckle as she normally would when making a joke, but at the mention of sex, even the air molecules around them seemed to still so the noise of the kettle and the rush of blood through Kaia’s ears seemed deafening.
He continued to stare, his expression unmoved and unreadable, his chest rising on laboured breaths as if he was seriously upset she was moving out. Drawn to him, she took a half-step closer. ‘You must want your life back to normal,’ she said quietly, the words emerging strangled by her tight throat.
Levi was a sexual man. The enforced abstinence couldn’t be fun. But suddenly, it was as if she didn’t know him at all and had no idea what he was thinking.
‘What if I’d rather have you?’ he asked simply, his voice so low she frowned, uncertain she’d heard correctly. Or maybe she’d misunderstood his meaning.
Was he saying he’d rather have her staying in his spare room than sex? Or rather have sex with her? Now sex was all she could think about.
Kaia’s heart, which had been poised mid-flutter all evening, because that was its normal state whenever she spent time with Levi, flipped into a new rapid and erratic rhythm. Could he possibly be as attracted to her physically as she was to him? Sometimes, frequently if she was honest, she couldn’t help but regret that neither of them had been single when they’d first met. How might their relationship have developed if she’d been free to acknowledge their chemistry? Would Levi have slept with her then moved on, as she’d seen him do countless times with other women? Or might a sexual relationship between them have turned romantic? Only Levi didn’t really do romance, nor was she ready for a new relationship just yet. And it was too late to have that with him. They’d become friends instead.
The idea of just one forbidden night bloomed in her head, growing, taking shape, tempting her towards recklessness.
Aware that her mouth was open when his stare dipped there, she dragged in a shaky breath. ‘You don’t mean that,’ she whispered, scared to move from the spot in case she broke the strange spell binding them to this moment.
But what did her thoughts mean? Surely they were the wild and thrilling imaginings of a crazy woman. Maybe she’d taken her desire to pivot her life a step too far. It was one thing to want a new look with a fresh haircut, even a new start with a passionate, meaningless night, but another thing entirely to sleep with her best friend and risk losing him.
‘Don’t I?’ he asked, eventually. He didn’t move a muscle but the scent of his aftershave and the heat from his body bathed her, the dangerous energy coiled in him electrifying the air.
Kaia shuddered. Something had changed tonight, for sure. While she’d prattled on about Heidi, she’d been forced to acknowledge that, but for their friendship , once upon a time Levi might have been the perfect man for Kaia. They had so much in common and shared a particular sense of humour . But hadn’t she often wondered why, when he had a very healthy sex life, when they spent so much time together at work and at home, he’d never once crossed that line with her? Hadn’t she, in the depths of her loneliest moments since she’d split up with Sam, wondered just how good it would be to sleep with Levi?
Stunned by her rush of mental honesty, by the tantalising idea of briefly exploring this chemistry, she stayed frozen in place. ‘I don’t know what you’re saying.’
Was she seriously considering crossing that line, just one time? With Levi? The man who’d helped her to pick up the pieces when the life she’d thought was hers had disintegrated, piece by piece. The man who, come rain or shine, was always there for her and had never let her down. She literally put her life in his hands on a daily basis at work, safe in the knowledge that he had her back and would never allow her to get hurt. There wasn’t another man she trusted more. ‘Maybe we’ve had too much to drink,’ she finished, fighting the tightness in her chest and the restless excitement urging her to step closer. To take that risk. To let go for once and have what she wanted.
‘I’m not drunk,’ he said. Beyond his inscrutable stare shifting over her face, he didn’t move.
Warning signs flashed in her peripheral vision. If only he felt the same as she did and could admit they shared some pretty potent chemistry. If only he shared her curiosity of how they might be together and the now insistent and clamouring desire to explore the attraction.
Kaia hesitated, both elated and terrified by this frisson between them, the awareness that she was a woman and Levi was a very attractive man. There was still time to laugh this off and go to bed. Separately. But her feet wouldn’t move. All those accidental and deliberate touches today seemed more meaningful. As if they’d all been leading to this single moment. This momentous decision.
‘Neither am I,’ she replied, finally stepping slowly forward.
She had no idea what they were saying, what they were doing, but this conversation felt like an enormous gamble. If she judged it wrong, the way she’d been wrong about her relationship with Sam, she might seriously offend her best friend, who’d never once given her any indication that he so much as fancied her. But if he did feel the same, if she was right about his intense looks…? Maybe she could have just this one night.
‘You’re not making any sense,’ she whispered, giving him time to step back or make a joke the way he normally would. But nothing about tonight felt normal, certainly not the way his stare scoured her face, the way he stood as still as a statue, his breathing ragged, as if everything she felt was real and reciprocated.
‘Sometimes life doesn’t make much sense,’ he said, his gaze lingering on her mouth for a few exhilarating seconds during which she became increasingly convinced that he wanted her too. ‘It makes no sense to me that your ex would walk away from you.’
A thrilling gasp sounded in her head. ‘You’re just saying that because you’re my friend,’ she pointed out, almost from habit, clinging to her last shred of willpower.
Their jokes often bordered on flirtation. But Levi’s expression wasn’t friendly. It was fierce and searing and raging with what looked like need.
‘I am your friend,’ he confirmed, the look on his face and the few cryptic words he’d spoken, flooding her pelvis with liquid heat that slid down her legs so she feared she might actually collapse.
Drunk on the excitement pounding through her body but safe in the knowledge that he cared about her, that she trusted him, she slowly raised her hands to his shoulders.
‘Well, on that note, happy birthday,’ she whispered.
She rose onto the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to his. Brief. Forbidden. And so tempting she could barely breathe.
But there was still time to pretend this was an innocent peck to mark the end of a fleeting era where for a few months they’d not only worked together but also lived together. Still time to retreat to safety and just be friends.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Book Info:

Out of the friend zone…and into the fire!
BFFs and paramedics Levi Young and Kaia McBride always have each other’s back—professionally and personally. After Kaia’s relationship imploded and she needed a place to stay, committed bachelor Levi quickly offered. Except living together only intensified their harmless flirtation…resulting in an impulsive and recklessly incendiary night! For the sake of their relationship, they make a pact: no more friends with benefits. Yet sticking to their agreement is another matter entirely when temptation is in the room next door…
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Meet the Author:

International bestselling author, Jo, aka JC, writes passionate romance stories from her home in New Zealand. From steamy stories set in glamorous locations to tense medical dramas, there’s always a swoony happy ever after.
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