This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. M. Jayne LaDow will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
In the close-knit town of Marchfield, where gossip spreads faster than a teenager’s texts, English teacher Audrey Fremont and Algebra instructor Oz Taylor find themselves at the center of a scandal—and a romance neither saw coming.
A few too many drinks at Happy Hour and a glimpse of his infuriatingly sexy shoulders lead to a one-night stand that should have ended there—but didn’t. Relentlessly organized and a bit of a perfectionist, Audrey is horrified to discover that Oz is one of her new coworkers. Yet, stolen glances in the hallway, moments in the copy room, and snarky banter make keeping it “no strings attached” nearly impossible to maintain.
With meddling friends and nosy colleagues already placing bets on their romance, Audrey and Oz can’t ignore the chemistry simmering between them. But just when Audrey thinks she’s got everything under control, a surprise confession from Oz leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew about love.
In a town where everyone’s watching, Audrey and Oz must decide: will they keep playing it safe, or risk their hearts on a love that could change everything?
Enjoy an Excerpt
“I picked up a guy, Val, and I took him home,” I said into the machine without daring to look at her.
A minute passed in silence. Sammy Kershaw twanged Third Rate Romance in my head while I pushed and prodded the levers and buttons, searching fruitlessly for the jammed paper.
Seconds ticked by slowly, and my anxiety grew until I couldn’t stand it anymore. I ducked my head out to look at her.
Val was gaping at me. Her mouth moved as if she tried to breathe air underwater. Finally, she managed, “WHAT?!”
I snorted at her expression. “It was irrational and completely unlike me. But I was blindsided, Val. He came into the bar, and he had these shoulders. Massive shoulders!”
Val gasped dramatically. “Oh no! Not SHOULDERS?!”
I glared at her. “You know my weakness.”
“I do,” Val nodded solemnly for a moment. “So what happened?”
“I asked him to drive Green Lightning to my apartment.”
“You never let anyone drive her! Not even me,” Val pouted.
“He didn’t even like her! He said she was ugly!”
Val’s hands fisted, and she hit the table. “Outrageous! What a jerk. I can’t believe you let a jerk drive her!”
“I’ll say it again. I was both wasted and irrational.”
“And hot for a bologna pony, apparently,” Val responded wryly.
I wiggled my eyebrows. “I may have offered to ride his stick shift.”
About the Author: 
M. Jayne LaDow is a playwright and author who leapt into writing romance after spending thirty-three years wrangling middle school English students. Her rom-coms are hilariously inspired by her years in education, where she was regularly pied in the face, sang classroom karaoke, and dressed up like characters from novels. She resides with her very patient husband, two brilliant yet snarky children, three cuddly rescue cats, a toe-biting tortoise, and a bearded dragon who judges her life choices from his terrarium.
