The Book Boyfriend Read online

  THE BOOK BOYFRIEND

  Carina Rose © 2021

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The use of artists, song titles, famous people, locations, and products throughout this book is done for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as an advertisement. Trademark names are used in an editorial fashion, with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

  Editor: James Gallagher, Castle Walls Editing

  Formatter: Tami Norman, Integrity Formatting

  Cover Design: Sommer Stein, Perfect Pear Creative

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Epilogue

  Preview of Once Upon a Kiss

  Other Books by Carina Rose

  About the Author

  Contact Carina Rose

  A note from the Author…

  Acknowledgments

  This book is dedicated to those who took a chance and did it.

  Prologue

  She did it. Finally. Callie’s trembling fingers hovered over the keyboard as she stared at her laptop’s screen. Months and months of sleepless nights, some tears, and part of her heart and soul had been poured into her first and, for all she knew, her last romance novel, Ready to Fall. Callie took a deep breath and read what she had just typed.

  He turned and looked at the sea of guests at the large outdoor wedding before he heard the minister formally declare his brother off the market. In the past, weddings would make Hudson break out into a cold sweat, but today that hadn’t been the case. Could it be that he was ready to share his life with someone? To take the chance and fall in love in hopes of not losing it? To give up the life of one-night stands and unemotional sex for a true relationship? And what woman would be ready for a man like him? Perhaps being the most sought-after bachelor was overrated? A few weeks ago, that thought would have made him laugh out loud. That one woman could win his heart. But today, after witnessing his brother, someone he admired, recite his vows, Hudson Newman decided he wanted that for himself… that it was time for him to open his heart.

  He glanced around the marquee tent, and although he had dated more than one guest and a bridesmaid, no one there was the one for him. It wasn’t as though he expected to easily find his soul mate, but that wouldn’t deter him. Excitement coursed through him as he thought about all the possibilities and the fact that he, too, was ready to fall.

  A glorious smile spread across her face as she typed The End.

  Relief, exhaustion, and a major sense of accomplishment flowed through Callie. Her friend had told her she could do it, but believing it herself had been a completely different reality. It wasn’t as though she didn’t think she was intelligent enough to pen a story, but to have the courage to share it with the world? Someone might as well have challenged her to bungee jump out of a helicopter. No, even that seemed easier.

  Not to mention that Ready to Fall wasn’t your typical romance, if one at all. It mostly revolved around the hero of the book as he traveled his path to self-discovery—his awakening, so to speak. It actually sounded more like male fiction. Was that even a thing? Marketing-wise, Callie wasn’t sure. Plus, there were a few bedroom scenes that were a bit risqué but made him all the more swoony.

  Granted, Hudson didn’t get his happily ever after at the end of the book, but he was happy for now—and on his way to finding true love. Research showed that was good enough for the genre. Plus, she’d already plotted out the second book, which would show Hudson falling in love and possibly getting married. She loved the idea of establishing a character and following their arc.

  Being able to breathe life into her characters and live through their eyes had been liberating… fictionally, of course. She never frequented adult clubs, nor did she own any “toys” of the grown-up variety. Callie preferred old-fashioned courtship, and then if she clicked with a man, she’d consider a relationship. Despite her belief that marriage wasn’t for everyone, Callie looked forward to giving her character that moment—even if she didn’t want that for herself. Which could be the very reason she’d been single for so long.

  Shaking her head and getting back to the topic at hand—her manuscript—questions aside, she knew an honest opinion would be needed before hitting “Publish.” And there would be only one person for that job: her best friend, Gina. She had been Callie’s biggest cheerleader since day one, always telling her to believe in herself and that she could do it. After a few deep breaths, she sent the document in an email and prayed Gina liked it.

  Callie closed her laptop, took a sip of her wine, and decided to let the words fall where they may.

  Chapter 1

  Three months later

  Callie still couldn’t believe she’d done it. She remembered the day she finished Ready to Fall. It felt as though it were a lifetime ago rather than a few months. In that time, she’d had her book edited and formatted. The perfect steamy cover had been created, and then she’d read it over and over again and given it to Gina for a final read. Thankfully, Gina loved it. And Callie knew that despite being her best friend and maybe a bit biased, Gina would tell her the truth—even if it hurt.

  Gina gave her a warm smile. “Sweetie, don’t stress. You’ve got this. Plus, you have me.” Much to Callie’s surprise, Gina had told her she belonged to several online book groups and, being her typical self, had integrated herself among bloggers and book influencers. She knew how to market books and understood that side of the business much better than Callie could have ever imagined. Still, that didn’t put her at ease.

  “Thank you, but I’m just so nervous.”

  “We’re at a spa,” Gina said, winking at her nail tech, who most likely thought the pair had had one too many mimosas. The woman ignored her boisterous client and continued tinting Gina’s toes. “I understand your anxiety, but trust me, between my connections and ad placements, you’re on your way. I’ll go as far as to say cheers to the next bestselling author.”

  Callie tentatively clinked her glass against her best friend’s and rolled her eyes. “That’s a bit much. I’d settle for a few sales.”

  Gina downed half of her mimosa in one fluid swallow. “Trust me. Pretty soon, Lily May will be a household name.”

  At this rate, Callie was sure her eyes would stay pointed toward the ceiling. But that was Gina. The believer in manifesting your destiny. Believe it will happen. Visualize it. Two lines Gina had said on more than one occasion. Callie, on the other hand, didn’t buy into watching
the angle of the moon or deciding which spice to burn or whatever her best friend said to do.

  The only thing Callie had manifested was thankfulness that she had a day job. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” she said as the manicurist misted Callie’s toes with a quick-drying solution. Deciding to take the day off from her job as the membership coordinator at an elite country club, and head to the spa where she’d be forced to stay away from her computer and the tempting refresh button, had to be Gina’s best idea ever.

  Callie knew to keep a level head and not to expect too much, regardless of Gina’s enthusiasm. Everyone in the one authors’ forum that she’d decided to join said the same things—Gaining readers is a marathon, not a sprint. Do not put too much stock in your debut book. Do not waste money on advertising, but just keep writing. One went as far as to say, The market is completely saturated, so don’t get your hopes up. A few comments, including that one, were not very kind-spirited. If it weren’t for her constant pom-pom-waving best friend, Callie may have kept her story in her hard drive and not sent it out into the world.

  “Have faith, sweetie. PR is my specialty. Plus, along with everything else, I may or may not have contacted my sorority sister at the morning show in DC… and a different contact at the Chronicle… and may have sent a hundred or so copies to a few social media influencer friends of mine.”

  “You did what? And where did you get copies?”

  “Please…” She waved her glossy pink-tipped fingers in the air and blew on them for good measure. “Your password wasn’t that difficult to figure out. I went in and ordered some advance copies. Plus, the morning show needed a little spicing up. More than one of the hosts, including my sorority sister, Morgan, read and loved it. Who was I to say not to talk about it? Same with the influencers. Look, if you want to be in the game, you need to get in the game. Benchwarmers don’t win titles.”

  “You’re unreal.”

  “Let’s see how unreal I am.” Before Callie could say the word no, Gina pulled out her phone, going against everything they said they wouldn’t do for fear of ruining her day. She watched her bestie quietly scroll and tap her screen; meanwhile, the lump that formed in Callie’s throat continued to expand.

  Callie kept looking at her best friend, hoping to get even the slightest hint as to what was happening with her book. Then, much to her dismay, Gina slowly lowered her phone and let out a breath before turning her head toward Callie.

  “What? Is it bad? Do I not have a sale? Are the reviews horrible? Do I even have reviews? Should I have not released today, since it’s a Thursday?” Callie dropped her head into her hands before peeking through two of her freshly manicured fingers. “Go ahead, rip off the bandage. I can take it.” Lord knew she had already survived hot wax being used in places where it didn’t belong.

  When she saw her bestie’s shoulders release any stature they had, she almost told her to keep it to herself. But it was too late. “Look, this is your first book,” Gina started off saying in a soft, almost motherly tone. Callie looked up and nodded, doing her best to not look disappointed. “It’s such a major accomplishment to even write a book. Not to mention a romance that even had me blushing… and I’m not the good girl in our twosome.” At that, Callie forced a smile at her friend’s claim. She had stepped way out of her comfort zone to write Ready to Fall, much like she had in the waxing room. Gina went on, “I’m so proud of you. I absolutely loved your story, and you know that I declared your sexy hero, Hudson Newman, as my own. I mean, how could I not? Who wouldn’t want a tall, dark, stunningly handsome, and successful man who is looking for love? I can’t wait for book two!”

  When Callie had created her book’s hero, she’d merely put on paper the type of man she’d want. The sort that had eluded her. She’d kissed a few frogs over the years, and it wasn’t as though she were looking for Prince Charming—she just wanted a man who knew her worth and appreciated it. Gina was right. What woman wouldn’t want a man like Hudson? He was perfect… and sadly lived only in her imagination.

  “Yes, I know. Thank you, and despite him being fictional, he’s all yours.” Doing her best not to smudge her freshly tinted Tiffany Blue toes, she sat up a bit straighter, ready to slide out of the large leather chair and go home to drown her sorrows in a big vat of hazelnut-flavored chocolate. She was beyond thankful that she’d decided to use a pen name. At least people who knew her wouldn’t look at her with sympathetic eyes. Finally upright, she forced a smile. “I appreciate your support and for everything you did.”

  “Sweetie, I’m not sure how to tell you this, but you better sit your cute butt back down, because once we leave here, you have a lot of work to do.”

  What could she possibly need to do? Who wanted to do anything after so many hours of work had failed? It only proved why she loved her day job. It was stable and brought in a steady paycheck. The only person she had to rely on to make money was herself, not the spending habits of others. Still, Gina looked so convinced at her statement. “Why?” Callie finally asked.

  “Because, my friend… you… are… trending!” Gina’s boisterous voice had others in the salon turning their way. Her voice hitting fever pitch, she beamed: “Your book isn’t ranked yet, but trust me, when it is, it’s going to be fantastic, because your social media is blowing up.”

  Callie’s jaw dropped. “What?” She grabbed Gina’s phone and couldn’t believe what she saw. Early readers and bloggers were posting and tagging her all over the place.

  Lily May’s debut book is fire!

  Oh, Hudson… I’m ready to catch you.

  I’m calling it… Hudson Newman is the hottest book boyfriend of the year… no, the CENTURY!

  Where can I find my own Hudson? *fans self*

  “Oh my gosh!” Callie finally said, handing Gina her phone.

  “You’re so lucky I’m not the type to say, ‘I told you so.’ You know what, forget it. Who am I kidding? I’m exactly that type. I told you so. All you needed to do was burn that negative energy and manifest the positive.”

  Callie’s blonde hair bounced as she bobbed her head, still in shock. “And have the best bestie ever.”

  “Well, yes, that goes without saying. Get ready, Cal, because you, my friend, are on your way to becoming a bestselling author, and everyone is going to want a piece of you.”

  A sudden bout of panic tickled each one of Callie’s nerves. It wasn’t just a saying that a person could feel the blood draining from their face, because if she had to guess, Callie looked more like Casper than her usually rosy self. Her head spun and suddenly Gina’s silhouette had doubled… no, tripled.

  “Cal, honey, are you okay? Here, drink this.” After a quick nod, Callie closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and accepted the bottle of water from Gina, who added: “We’ve got this.”

  “We? Will you help me?”

  “Consider me your personal PR person. Heck, I’ll go as far as being your agent. Granted, I’m a novice to the book world, but I’ll figure it out. Clearly I did something right with your ads and early copies.” She stood and helped Callie out of the leather recliner. “Let’s get out of here and strategize. We have work to do. We need to strike while the iron’s hot.”

  Again, all Callie could do was blink. The only plausible explanation was that she must have been dreaming. After practically floating out of the salon, they hopped in Gina’s car and were in Callie’s apartment in record time. Gina plopped down on the sofa. “Okay, I think having a publisher would be beneficial.”

  Callie snort-laughed, knowing how hard they were to come by. Gina didn’t know that she had queried the book’s synopsis to a few, only to be rejected. “You make it sound so easy.”

  “Numbers talk. And from the looks of this, you’re going to have the numbers.”

  Once again, and still shocked, she couldn’t disagree. “I’m no longer sure I want a publisher. Everything is happening so fast. Let’s put a hold on the publisher search. What else?”

  They s
pent the rest of the day adding to Callie’s to-do list, and by the time Gina left, Callie didn’t bother checking on her book’s ranking. Instead, she climbed into bed and prayed that when she woke up in the morning, today wouldn’t be a dream.

  Chapter 2

  On a normal day, Callie didn’t need to force herself to focus, but ever since she’d released her book two weeks and three days ago, everything had seemed to tilt on its axis. Where she used to receive few emails unrelated to a subscribed list, she now received more than one hundred… per day. She had been getting requests for everything from the links to her character Hudson’s social media pages—something she thought to be a bit extreme—to readers asking for more.

  Gina, who sat next to her, sifted through a different email account, clicking and typing away.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Creating your reader group and posting the link to your newsletter.”

  “A what? In where?”

  “Group.” Her flat reply had Callie furrowing her brows. “Seriously, Cal, how do you not know this stuff? Authors create online groups so their readers can stay up to date and also chat about your books. Don’t worry, I made myself the admin.”

  Callie exhaled and then counted to five. It wasn’t as though she were annoyed with Gina. She wasn’t annoyed at all, just confused. “I feel like I’m a fish out of water here, G. I woke up one day and decided to finally put my thoughts down in somewhat of an organized fashion. Then released it a couple of weeks ago. I never expected anything like this would happen. It was just a story that I thought of. We all know…” She raised her hands and made air quotes. “That guy.”

  “The hot guy?” Gina asked, with a tilt to her smirk.

  “No, the guy who doesn’t want a relationship. The player. The BMOC, the one that turns every girl’s head but refuses to turn his. And… ,” she continued, with a palm facing Gina. “I’m not saying that guy is a jerk. He’s someone who knows what he wants and what he doesn’t. It’s just in Ready to Fall he takes a look at it and figures it out, you know what I mean?”