Cuddle Buddy Books Blog: Separation Anxiety Release Day and Review

Separation Anxiety

Lisa Suzanne

Separation.
We all get one true love in our lives, and it’s up to us to find it. Fate will act and try to push us together, but ultimately it’s up to us to recognize who that one person is when he’s standing in front of us.

It turns out that I recognized who my one person was when I was separated from my husband.

Anxiety.
On the same day I determined that I was finally going to file for divorce, I confessed my secret to Jesse Drake, my swoon-worthy colleague known for his womanizing ways. Jesse invited me to crash with him, and with each new piece of the enigmatic Jesse puzzle that I started to fit into place, I found myself wondering if Fate had pushed us together for a reason.

If only my husband would stop getting in the way of the man with whom I was meant to be.

AMAZON ~ KOBO ~ GOODREADS

Jenn's Review

Separation Anxiety by Lisa Suzanne
5 Stars
Veronica Thomas is hiding the truth of her failed marriage from everyone she knows including family, friends and colleagues. Although she is Lives with her husband Richard in the house they share, they share nothing more, living completely separate lives. For a year, Veronica and Richard have been living separate lives and hiding the truth. Even her best friend Quinn has no idea that Veronica and Richard are basically estranged.
Jesse Drake is hiding secrets too, secrets from his past. Coming off as the happy-go-lucky playboy with a trail of women to prove it, he is single and gorgeous and a counselor at the same high school where Veronica works as a teacher. She has always noticed him and he has noticed her, keeping his feelings for her hidden for five years.
When happy hour and too many drinks with coworkers finds Veronica sharing too much information with Jesse, revealing that her marriage is over and she doesn’t want to be with Richard anymore, the truth is out and Jesse Drake is there to help.
Jesse takes her to his house to spend the night in his guest room. He offers her an out, she can come live with him and in the end she takes it, happy to be done with Richard and move on with her life.
But, Richard’s not happy. Jesse’s keeping secrets. Veronica won’t sleep with Jesse until her divorce is final and a barrage of obstacles threatens Veronica’s happiness. Will Veronica and Jesse find everlasting love or are they doomed before it even starts?

From the first page, I fell in love with Veronica and Jesse. I found myself rooting them on as they fought every obstacle and wrestled with a sexual tension that had me breathless at times.
Jesse is a one in a million, hot, sexy man that woman drool over and dream of sharing their lives with.
Congratulations Lisa Suzanne on a book well written, may you bring us more Jesse in the future!

Jenn's Jesse & Veronica

Excerpt

I drank some wine to cool down, and much like the vodka the night before, all it served to do was heat me up. I had to be almost through my second glass, but it was hard to tell since Jesse kept topping me off. And, for some reason, wine hit me faster than any other alcohol.

“So, if you’re picky with women, why flavors of the week and not something more permanent?” I asked, knowing my bold statement never would’ve come out of my mouth if I wasn’t already wine drunk.

He shrugged and took a sip of his wine, avoiding eye contact.

“You’re a catch, Jesse. You work with kids. You’re good with wood. You make a mean chicken marsala. You’re hot as hell.”

His eyes snapped sharply up to mine at my last words, and I realized what the hell had slipped out of my mouth just a moment too late.

Fucking wine.

My face was already flushed from the wine, and I think I might’ve turned purple from embarrassment. I could not believe I just said that.

What the hell was I thinking?

This man was kind enough to extend an invitation for me to stay with him, and I just told him I thought he was hot. Or, more specifically, I told him that I thought he was “hot as hell.”

What. The. Fuck.

Something was wrong with me.

Seriously.

Cue mini-freak out number two for this meal, but this time it was because I was actually freaking out.

I played it off by drinking some more wine, pretending like I hadn’t just said that.

But Jesse didn’t let it slide.

“Hot as hell, huh?” he murmured.

Fuck.

I put my elbows on the table and buried my face in my hands.

“Oh my God. I can’t believe I just said that.”

I felt his hands over mine. He forced my hands from my face, and when I opened my eyes, he was sitting in the chair next to me. He had been stealthy; I hadn’t even heard him move, and suddenly we were nearly nose to nose as he held my wrists in his hands.

“Hot as hell?” he repeated one more time, that dangerous, sexy depth back in his low voice.

“Can we just pretend like you didn’t hear that part?” I whispered, nervous with him so damn close to me, his hands wrapped around my wrists.

He shook his head slowly and arched an eyebrow. “Fuck no, we can’t.”

Shit. He was going to ask me to leave, and I couldn’t figure out why my heart dropped into my stomach at the thought of moving out of his house. Surely he wouldn’t want me around now that he knew I thought he was hot. It was going to be awkward just seeing him at work from now on, never mind running into him at home, too.

I took in a sharp breath, bracing myself for his next words.

But instead of telling me he wanted me to move out, he gave me the biggest shock of my life.

“You’re a catch, too, V,” he whispered. I felt his breath against my lips. He was so close to me that I could literally lean forward two inches and my lips would be on his. Every nerve in my body leaned into him, forcing my body a little closer to his as if I had no control over it. My blood was boiling beneath the surface of my skin. “You’re amazing. You’re smart. And you’re so goddamn beautiful that sometimes it hurts to look at you and know that I can’t have you.”

I gasped at his words.

Holy. Shit.

He just called me beautiful.

And did he just say that he couldn’t have me?

Didn’t he know that I felt like I was already his?

I felt my body automatically leaning in toward his lips. As I gazed into his eyes and the space between us disappeared, I saw his eyes flick down to my lips for just a second. I closed my eyes and tilted my head toward his, eagerly anticipating the feel of his lips against mine.