Book Information
Title: His First and Last
Author: Terri Osburn
Release Date: April 21, 2015
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Summary
At eighteen, Lorelei Pratchett couldn’t wait to get out of her hometown. Twelve years later, her Hollywood dreams have fizzled and she’s back—temporarily, she thinks. Though she throws herself into saving the old theater and starting a baking business, small towns have long memories, and Lorelei’s wild past still haunts her. It doesn’t help that her ex-boyfriend, Spencer Boyd, is even hotter, smarter, and more distracting than before.
The fiery Lorelei that Spencer knew years ago may have become closed off and cautious, but their chemistry hasn’t faded one bit. Losing her a second time is unthinkable to him, yet Lorelei is convinced she doesn’t belong in Ardent Springs. Somehow, Spencer needs to show her that everything she needs is right here: family, friendship, new beginnings…and a man who’s never stopped loving her.
Warm, sexy, and laugh-out-loud funny, His First and Last is an irresistible story of first love and second chances.
Excerpt
Lorelei couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Couldn’t reconcile this mess with the place she’d loved. The Ruby Theater had served as her home away from home for so many years and now the screen sported a dark stain along the left third and a deep gash in the upper right-hand corner. The curtains that had draped the walls lay on the floor as if someone had dropped them all at once, leaving exposed brick behind them.
The feeling hit too close to home. This structure reflected what had become of Lorelei’s life. What she had let it become. For too long she’d ignored the signs of decay. Let outside forces tear at her self-esteem and batter her dreams. If she were forced to describe what it looked like inside her head, Lorelei could present a picture of her current surroundings with a one-word caption—This.
She asked the same question she’d been asking herself for months.
“How did this happen?”
Spencer shrugged and shook his head. “Neglect. Apathy. Greed. Take your pick.”
“Your committee really thinks you can fix this?”
He pointed up to the balcony. “Believe it or not, things aren’t as bad up there. The leaks are mostly by the screen, and the raccoons seem content to stay down here. The concession counter could be replaced with something used to start with. Popcorn machines aren’t much.”
Spencer had always managed to see the good in things. The possibilities. That was something she’d loved about him. No matter how moody or hateful she’d been, Spencer saw the good in her. Saw the potential of what she could be beyond the stubborn face she showed to the world.
“So?” he said, tossing a wet shingle out of his way. “You in?”
Staring at the wreck surrounding them, Lorelei knew nothing in this endeavor would be easy. But maybe she didn’t need easy.
Maybe she’d gone down the easy road for too long.
“I’m in. I have my doubts, but I’m in.”
When Spencer didn’t respond, she turned to read his face. There it was. That twinkle in his eye he’d always gotten when Lorelei proved him right. He’d known she’d cave as soon as she saw the condition of the theater.
The idea of someone knowing her so well, better than she knew herself, made her stomach clench. Lorelei stepped back, putting more distance between them. She wasn’t the simple teenage girl he’d once dated. There were open wounds Spencer knew nothing about.
“You ready to go?” Spencer smiled, but she could tell he knew she’d withdrawn. “My gut is telling me it’s time for lunch.”
“I’m not hungry.” Lorelei’s stomach chose that moment to make a liar out of her. To Spencer’s raised brow she said, “Fine, but walk fast. If those bats wake up, I’m running you over to get out of here.”
Spencer nodded. “Sounds fair.” He kicked empty popcorn boxes and shredded seat cushions out of his way. “And Lorelei?”
“What?” she said, following the path he created.
He stopped, causing her to run into him. Staring into her eyes, his expression unusually serious, Spencer said, “I’m glad you’re home.”
Lorelei didn’t have an answer, nor could she have spoken if she did since all the wind rushed out of her lungs. As he leaned forward, she was certain he was going to kiss her. God, how she wanted him to kiss her.
Instead, he took her hand and said, “Now let’s get out of here.”
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And I think?
The story follows Lorelei Pratchett and Spencer Boyd. Lorelei moved out of her horrible small-town as soon as she hit 18, and you can't really blame her the people were just so horrible. When she moved away she broke up with her then boyfriend Spencer because he did not want to come to LA with her.
Twelve years later, things have been rough for Lorelei and she's had to move back to that horrible town, the only silver lining is her Grandma is happy she's back. As soon as she's back the town is just all kinds of nasty, at least she gets a second chance with Spencer; whom by the way I was not too keen on until the end when he finally redeems himself. I think the fact that I really like Lorelei is what saved the story for me, because I swear I would have never returned to that town full of sanctimonious assholes.
Rating 3 out of 5
Read@Book
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Author Biography
Although born in the Ohio Valley, Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Terri Osburn found her true home between the covers of her favorite books. Classics like The Wizard of Oz and Little Women filled her childhood, and the genre of romance beckoned during her teen years. While Osburn went on to gain a degree in business administration, she couldn’t shelve her love of love stories. In 2007, she put pen to paper to write her own. Just five years later, she was named a 2012 finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award. The author of the Anchor Island contemporary romance series, Osburn resides in Virginia with her daughter, an assortment of pets, and her bookshelves full of keepers.
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