Today is the day!
For You & No One Else is here! Get an exclusive sneak peek and some hero inspiration pics...
I pride myself on having a low-self-promo newsletter. However, on release days, all bets are off. For You & No One Else is out, and so today’s newsletter is all about MY book! Mine, mine, mine…
It’s been a year since I’ve had a new release, so this one feels extra exciting. For You & No One Else is the third and final book in the Say Everything series. You don’t have to have read the others to read this one, but it will definitely enhance the experience, especially when you get to the epilogue of this one. (I did something experimental that was a ton of fun to write. You’ll have to let me know what you think!)
This is Eliza’s story and I really wanted to give her the perfect hero because she’s been such a good friend to the other heroines. She’s waited a long time for her love story! I’ll give you the official back cover summary below, but for those of you who love a romance trope, here are a few in this story.
Trope-y goodness…
Friends with benefits
Age gap (younger man/older woman)
Going off the grid (digitally speaking)
Computer hacker hero
Therapist heroine who doesn’t have all the answers
Hero with a secret past
A grumpy cat
About the book:
Eliza Catalano has the perfect life. So what if it actually looks nothing like the story she tells online? As a therapist, it's part of her job to look like she has all the answers, right? But when Eliza ends up as a viral "Worst Date Ever" meme, everything in her Instagram-filtered world begins to crumble.
Enter the most obnoxiously attractive man she's ever met, and a bet she can't resist: if she swears off social media for six months, Beck Carter'll teach her the wonders of surviving the "real world." No technology, no dating apps, no pretty filters, no BS.
It seems like the perfect deal—she can lay low until her sudden infamy passes, meet some interesting new people, and maybe even curate this experience into a how I quit the online dating racket book along the way. But something about Beck's raw honesty speaks to Eliza in ways she never expected. She knows he's supposed to be completely hands-off...but as complex feelings grow and walls come tumbling down, rough-around-the-edges Beck may be exactly what Eliza needs to finally, truly face herself—and decide who she really wants to be.
Get your copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | iBooks | Book Depository | Books-A-Million
What’s being said…
“Loren’s protagonists are flawed, vulnerable, and authentic, and it’s a joy to watch them help each other tackle problems. Their obvious chemistry lends itself particularly well to the bedroom in some truly sizzling scenes. Readers looking for mature, thoughtful romance will be thrilled.” —Publishers Weekly review
I mean, what writer doesn’t want to be called mature, thoughtful, and sizzling? Thanks, PW!
A sneak peek from For You & No One Else!
*some text has been removed to avoid spoilers*
He sniffed derisively. “Maybe I said yes because—”
Her phone chimed from the cup holder with a distinct cartoonish sound, and she winced. Not now. Not. Now.
Beckham’s words cut off, and her phone screen lit with what Eliza knew would be an animation of two champagne glasses clinking together.
“What kind of notification is that?” Beckham asked, leaning over and eyeing the screen.
“It’s rude to look at other people’s phones,” she said, keeping her focus on the road but reaching for her phone to tilt it downward.
Beckham ignored her comment and picked up her phone. “That animation work is terrible.”
He turned it toward her, which naturally made her look and the Face ID registered and unlocked her phone, opening the full notification. “Beckham.”
He turned the screen back toward him. “I could draw something better than this even if I were drunk and only using my left hand. Trent could draw something better than that using his tail.”
“Are you done?”
“Sorry. I couldn’t look away.” He was outright staring at her phone screen. “This is Aligned? That dating app?”
She tipped her chin up like she was the queen and no one should dare question her choices. “Yes.”
“Wow. You’d think an app that so many people use would spend more money on their graphics.” He brought the phone closer. “Looks like some dude named Ryan has toasted you or whatever. What’s that mean?”
“Oh my God.” She glanced his way. “Stop. Reading. My. Phone.”
He gave her a pointed look. *some text removed because of spoilers* “Either way, you don’t get to be mad at me for being curious.” He eyed her screen. “A financial planner? Likes boating? This guy sounds like a tool, Eli.”
Eli. Apparently, their little joke about names was going to stick, but this time the nickname hit her in a way that made her stomach flip a little. They’d stumbled into new territory. Coworkers who rarely spoke didn’t have nicknames for each other. And they certainly didn’t feel comfortable enough to comment on each other’s dating choices. But Beckham seemed to be one of those people who once you were past his very high gates and armed guard tower, you were in. A friend. No pretense or games. Even though she was about to throttle him for looking at her phone, she found she didn’t mind the shift. “I’m about to pull over and drop you on the side of the road, just so you know.”
He chuckled, completely unrepentant. “Ten bucks says that this boat he’s posing on is definitely not his.”
Blessedly, the parking garage for WorkAround came into view. She pulled in and parked, turning her body toward him. “Are you done now?”
He smiled at her and held up a pic of Ryan like it was Exhibit A in a court trial. “This dog he’s cuddling with? Clearly bait.” He turned back to the phone, leaning in close to it. “Blink twice, Fluffy. Are you okay? Does the bad man lock you in the basement when he’s not taking dating profile photos with you?”
Eliza groaned and grabbed the phone from him. “You’re the worst.”
He was grinning as he let her retrieve her phone. “Come on. Do you really want to be toasted by some dude posing on a boat?”
“I have nothing against boats,” she said, her cheeks burning. “And I’m sure if I looked at your dating-app inbox, it’d be full of women with pouty lips and low-cut shirts who claim they’re always up for an adventure.”
He made a sound in the back of his throat. “I don’t do dating apps.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course you don’t. Because you’re twenty-nothing, look like that, and probably have girls sign up on a list outside your door just for the chance to lick your tattoos.”
His brows jumped up.
Every part of her cringed at her outburst. Aaaand I’ll see myself out so I can go die of embarrassment somewhere else.
“I look like how now?” he asked, his mouth kicking up at one corner, a dimple appearing. “Are you telling me I’m pretty, Eli?”
“Shut up.” Real mature, Eliza.
“And I’m twenty-five for the record,” he said matter-of-factly. “I’d say that’s more twentysomething than twenty-nothing.”
“Wow. Ancient.” Eliza took a breath, trying to regain some shred of her dignity. “All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t judge someone for being on a dating app. Meeting people might not be as easy for some as it is for others.”
“I’m not judging you,” he said, those blue-green eyes locked on her. “I just think you’re setting yourself up for a bunch of nonsense. Those apps are advertising campaigns. Smoke and mirrors. Like the rest of social media. I guarantee you ninety percent of those guys on that app are lying about something and mainly just want to get laid.”
“And what if I’m just trying to get laid?” she shot back.
He was unfazed. “Are you?”
She stared at Beckham, chin tipped up, ready for a fight, but then her shoulders sagged. For some reason, she found she didn’t have the energy or desire to lie to him. Maybe he should’ve been a therapist. Or maybe all the emotion of the day had shorted out her normal filters. She was dumping all her truths on him today. “No. I’ve already been down that road. I’m looking for more than that.”
He shrugged and looked away. “Well, then I think you’re wasting your time with this stuff.”
She unhooked her seat belt and climbed out of the car, irritated and feeling some other emotion she couldn’t pinpoint. She the bag of supplies from the back seat and then walked around the car to hand them to Beckham. “Duly noted. But until you’re a thirty-two-year-old woman who would like to, one day, have a partner and a family and not have to celebrate Christmas alone, you don’t get to have an opinion on my dating life. Maybe a financial planner with a boat and dog is exactly what I want.”
He took the bag from her, frowning, his gaze going stormy. “You’re right. None of my business.”
“Nope.”
He stared at her for a moment and then leaned down.
Her heart jumped right into her throat because he looked like he was coming in to kiss her, but before he reached her mouth, he shifted over and pecked her cheek. “Merry Christmas, Eli.” He straightened and that devil-may-care look returned. “I hope by next Christmas you’ve found what you’re looking for.”
—excerpt from For You & No One Else by Roni Loren, Copyright 2022 Roni Loren
Hero Inspiration
Beckham’s vibe to me, while I was writing, was some combo of Josh from Younger with a little of broody Spike from Buffy mixed in.
Thank you (& a gentle request for reviews!)
Thank you to all of you who pre-ordered! Also, huge thanks to those of you who have already left reviews!
If you read it and like it, please consider reviewing the book online somewhere, particularly Amazon and Goodreads and/or on social media. Reviews really do make a difference on giving the book more visibility!
Where to get your copy
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | iBooks | Book Depository | Books-A-Million
Book Bonanza
If you happen to be going to Book Bonanza this week, please stop by my table and say hi! Dawn, my podcast co-host, will also be with me, so you can meet her too!
That’s all I’ve got for you today! I can’t wait to hear what you think of Eliza and Beckham’s story. :)
Happy reading!
*Book links are affiliate links (Amazon, Libro.fm, and/or Bookshop.org), which means I earn a small commission if you buy through my links. Also, I receive advanced listening copies of some audiobooks through Libro.fm’s Influencer program. However, all reviews and opinions are my own.
Happy Book Release!
So Xcited for this not sure if I'm going w/audio or ebook tho!