Benedict Cumberbatch. Tom Hiddleston. Theo James. Idris Elba. Henry Cavill. What do they have in common aside from talent and being ridiculously good-looking? Right—their panty-melting accents. Because folks, a British accent is my sexy kryptonite. This weakness was born from my love of Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice; of Hugh Grant’s Charles in Four Weddings and a Funeral (and later William in Notting Hill); of Ralph Fiennes as Count Laszlo in The English Patient (long before he became He who shall not be named); of Ewan McGregor in pretty much any movie ever (and yes I digress because he’s Scottish, but this is my post). The British accent, British humor, British literature—I love it all so much I spent my junior year of college in Great Britain. And since publishing my first book in 2014, I’ve been waiting for the right story to come along where I could wrap my love of a man with an accent up in a tall, dark, and surly fictional hero. Enter Will Evans from my new release, Six Month Rule.
Six Month Rule is the second stand-alone story in my Kingston Ale House series. I knew book two would be Holly’s book. She’s the sister of the heroine in book one, The One That Got Away, and I knew enough about Holly from book one to understand that she was a bit of a workaholic and justifies putting professional happiness above personal happiness not because she thinks the two are mutually exclusive but because she finds work more fulfilling than relationships. Her theory is that relationships fizzle after the honeymoon phase, which she thinks lasts roughly six months. Truth circle—this idea came from the early years of my own dating experience. While I have since changed my tune, Holly isn’t quite there, yet. So I figured, who better to test this theory on than a sexy, single British man who unwittingly stole her corner office, is only in town for six months, and who can’t wait to get back to London to be a proper father to his six-year-old daughter who lives with her mum and stepdad?
I wanted to write an office romance because how fun to write sexy times in places where sexy times aren’t supposed to happen. I wanted to write a heroine who was strong without a man in her life but who learns how to balance the many aspects of her own happiness. And yes, I wanted to write a Mr. Darcy type—a man who, on the surface, seems arrogant, moody, and dismissive. But beneath the surface he’s just trying to get it right—life, love, parenting, and career. And he does it all in a three-piece suit and with a British accent.
That’s where Six Month Rule came from, folks. Now I’m off to go watch some nineties Hugh Grant. Who wants to join me?
About the book:
Taurus: Hold fast to your single-minded nature today—no matter how long her legs or how lush her red lips.
Gemini: You were a shining star last night, but reality can be a real—well, you get the picture. Just remember: Tall, dark, and British equals no corner office for you.
Will Evans never wanted a reason to stay.
Holly Chandler wants nothing more than for him to go.
But neither one is prepared for what can happen in six months. Because it doesn’t matter what you want when what you need walks out the door.
Holly’s been busting her butt to make partner at Trousseau, and there’s no way she’s going to let some stuck-up British arsehole get in her way—no matter how drop-dead gorgeous he is. But that doesn’t mean she can’t have a little fun in the process. She has a six-month rule: date just long enough for the honeymoon phase to wear off, then walk away before anyone gets hurt. If they both know the rules up front, walking away will be a piece of cake. Or maybe not…
Find it online:
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About the author:
A.J. Pine writes stories to break readers’ hearts, but don’t worry—authorshe’ll mend them with a happily ever after. As an English teacher and a librarian, A.J. has always surrounded herself with books. All her favorites have one big commonality–romance. Naturally, the books she writes have the same. When she’s not writing, she’s of course reading. Then there’s online shopping (everything from groceries to shoes). And a tiny bit of TV where she nourishes her undying love of vampires, superheroes, and a certain high-functioning sociopath detective. You’ll also find her hanging with her family in the Chicago ‘burbs. A.J. is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary.
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