Preservation Series by Rachael Wade
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis book 1: Preservation
Fear is sabotage’s sweetest weapon.
Kate has no time for meaningless romantic charades, and definitely no time for hot college professors who are full of themselves and smitten with her. Constantly battling eviction notices, tuition she can’t afford, and a sick, dependent mother, the last thing she needs is to be distracted with someone else’s complicated baggage.
When she stumbles into Ryan Campbell’s creative writing class, he is only “Mr. Campbell” to her, until Ryan finds himself captivated by her writing and she is forced to face their mutual attraction. His cocky know-it-all syndrome is enough to send her running in the other direction, and his posse of female admirers and playboy reputation are enough to squander any odds in her favor.
But underneath Ryan’s abrasive facade is something to behold, and she can’t stay away for long. Ryan and Kate must decide who they’re willing to become and fight against their former selves if they want to make things work. That’s if academia, vicious vixens, old skeletons, and their own mastery at self-destruction don’t pummel their efforts first.
Kate has no time for meaningless romantic charades, and definitely no time for hot college professors who are full of themselves and smitten with her. Constantly battling eviction notices, tuition she can’t afford, and a sick, dependent mother, the last thing she needs is to be distracted with someone else’s complicated baggage.
When she stumbles into Ryan Campbell’s creative writing class, he is only “Mr. Campbell” to her, until Ryan finds himself captivated by her writing and she is forced to face their mutual attraction. His cocky know-it-all syndrome is enough to send her running in the other direction, and his posse of female admirers and playboy reputation are enough to squander any odds in her favor.
But underneath Ryan’s abrasive facade is something to behold, and she can’t stay away for long. Ryan and Kate must decide who they’re willing to become and fight against their former selves if they want to make things work. That’s if academia, vicious vixens, old skeletons, and their own mastery at self-destruction don’t pummel their efforts first.
Synopsis book 2: Reservation
A sequel to the Amazon bestselling romance, Preservation, told from Ryan’s point of view.
Old Habits Die Hard.
Ryan Campbell is not only leaving his title of Professor behind to move on to bigger and better things at Simon and Warden Publishing, he’s also become Seattle’s rising literary star. Sitting on the overwhelming cusp of newfound fame, he learns soon enough that being popular has its downside.
Attracted to the buzz surrounding his new career, former lovers begin to creep back into his life, and potential ones emerge with enticing advances. While he works to juggle reserved, yet stressful, wedding plans with Kate and his new public image, he has enough to manage without worrying about Carter and Dean—Kate’s loveable albeit eccentric friends—and their latest shenanigans.
Surrounded by a lifestyle that includes temptation at every turn, Ryan finds himself immersed in a world full of scandal and lies, where his oldest weaknesses thrive and his ghosts return to haunt him. Questioning whether his life with Kate is his best path, he must discover if he’s still capable of being the man he aspired to be when she first became his, or if happily ever after is only an illusion.
Old Habits Die Hard.
Ryan Campbell is not only leaving his title of Professor behind to move on to bigger and better things at Simon and Warden Publishing, he’s also become Seattle’s rising literary star. Sitting on the overwhelming cusp of newfound fame, he learns soon enough that being popular has its downside.
Attracted to the buzz surrounding his new career, former lovers begin to creep back into his life, and potential ones emerge with enticing advances. While he works to juggle reserved, yet stressful, wedding plans with Kate and his new public image, he has enough to manage without worrying about Carter and Dean—Kate’s loveable albeit eccentric friends—and their latest shenanigans.
Surrounded by a lifestyle that includes temptation at every turn, Ryan finds himself immersed in a world full of scandal and lies, where his oldest weaknesses thrive and his ghosts return to haunt him. Questioning whether his life with Kate is his best path, he must discover if he’s still capable of being the man he aspired to be when she first became his, or if happily ever after is only an illusion.
Synopsis book 3: Declaration
Featuring characters from Love and Relativity.
Carter Montgomery spent most of his life blending in, and he liked it that way. It was always better to be seen, not heard. And while a theatric streak and friendly demeanor might have fooled most people, he knew the truth—he was the shy one. The quiet kid most people forgot about. Some might have considered that a bad thing, but those people all wanted to be in the spotlight.
The only place Carter didn’t mind attention was on stage, with The Hellions. Once content in his comfort zone in Seattle, Washington, he only knew three things: confrontation was to be avoided, keeping the peace was priority, and the moment he lost Kate Parker to Professor Ryan Campbell, he had no clue what to do with his life. Playing gigs, working at Pike Place Market, and watching BBC after the love of his life sailed off into the sunset just wasn’t going to cut it anymore.
Desperate to escape his rut, he takes a cue from Kate and chooses a random place to relocate—a small island across the country, where no one knows his name and memories of unrequited love aren’t found at every turn. Just when he thinks he’s found the perfect place to unwind and sink back into the shadows, in bursts Whitney Sinclair, a saucy firecracker who loves life and refuses to settle for second best. Full of contagious energy, she dares him to be brave, convincing him that it might finally be time to tell the world what he wants.
It might be time to make a declaration.
Carter Montgomery spent most of his life blending in, and he liked it that way. It was always better to be seen, not heard. And while a theatric streak and friendly demeanor might have fooled most people, he knew the truth—he was the shy one. The quiet kid most people forgot about. Some might have considered that a bad thing, but those people all wanted to be in the spotlight.
The only place Carter didn’t mind attention was on stage, with The Hellions. Once content in his comfort zone in Seattle, Washington, he only knew three things: confrontation was to be avoided, keeping the peace was priority, and the moment he lost Kate Parker to Professor Ryan Campbell, he had no clue what to do with his life. Playing gigs, working at Pike Place Market, and watching BBC after the love of his life sailed off into the sunset just wasn’t going to cut it anymore.
Desperate to escape his rut, he takes a cue from Kate and chooses a random place to relocate—a small island across the country, where no one knows his name and memories of unrequited love aren’t found at every turn. Just when he thinks he’s found the perfect place to unwind and sink back into the shadows, in bursts Whitney Sinclair, a saucy firecracker who loves life and refuses to settle for second best. Full of contagious energy, she dares him to be brave, convincing him that it might finally be time to tell the world what he wants.
It might be time to make a declaration.
EXCERPT:
The kiss wasn’t just any kiss. No, it was a tricky little bastard, because it started out soft and gentle, but shifted gears in a matter of seconds. The moment her response went from surprise to surrender, the kiss turned hard and hungry, launching us into a frenzy of movement. Her arms were around my neck, my hands were moving all over her body, and somehow, in a span of about five seconds, she climbed up me like a tree, her legs wrapped tightly around my waist.
We spun and bumped into the counter. I reached behind my back with one hand to tighten the cross of her ankles. And then I had her sitting on the edge of the stovetop, my hands exploring the tops of her thighs. I pushed the ruffled skirt hem up and clasped on to her bare, silky skin. Her tongue dove to the back of my throat, sliding over mine like wet, slick velvet.
Holy mother fuck, I couldn’t breathe. I was drowning in this girl. She lifted her ass from the stovetop and bucked into me, meeting my dick with the apex of her thighs. My fingers grazed the dampness, and my erection throbbed at the thought of making her come right through her panties. Judging by how soaking wet she was, she was that ready.
We spun and bumped into the counter. I reached behind my back with one hand to tighten the cross of her ankles. And then I had her sitting on the edge of the stovetop, my hands exploring the tops of her thighs. I pushed the ruffled skirt hem up and clasped on to her bare, silky skin. Her tongue dove to the back of my throat, sliding over mine like wet, slick velvet.
Holy mother fuck, I couldn’t breathe. I was drowning in this girl. She lifted her ass from the stovetop and bucked into me, meeting my dick with the apex of her thighs. My fingers grazed the dampness, and my erection throbbed at the thought of making her come right through her panties. Judging by how soaking wet she was, she was that ready.
“I’m burning up,” she moaned against my mouth, ripping at the buttons of my shirt.
“Oh, baby, me too.” I seated her ass back onto the counter and sent her a slow, precise rock of my hips.
“It’s so hot, God it’s hot.”
“I know. Let me help.” I made quick work of her shirt, gliding down the lace ruffles to get to the buttons. “This uniform drives me crazy.”
She giggled into my mouth. “You like?”
“Mmmmmm it’s so damn sexy.”
I dragged her shirt sleeves down to her wrists, wishing I could memorize the image—her leaning back on the counter like that, shirt wide open and tits thrust in my face—but something else glared at me from behind her, distracting me from the view. “You’re burning up!” I shouted. “Whitney!”
She laughed and leaned in, biting my lip hard. “It’s all your fault, Montgomery.”
“No, shit! I mean your shirt, it’s literally burning up!”
“What?” she shrieked, her head snapping to look back over her shoulder, where her shirt was still attached to her wrists. Flames had started to dance across the material and she let out a scream, pushing herself off the worktop and scampering to her feet.
I’d turned on the stove to start cooking the chicken and had forgotten about it.
“Oh, baby, me too.” I seated her ass back onto the counter and sent her a slow, precise rock of my hips.
“It’s so hot, God it’s hot.”
“I know. Let me help.” I made quick work of her shirt, gliding down the lace ruffles to get to the buttons. “This uniform drives me crazy.”
She giggled into my mouth. “You like?”
“Mmmmmm it’s so damn sexy.”
I dragged her shirt sleeves down to her wrists, wishing I could memorize the image—her leaning back on the counter like that, shirt wide open and tits thrust in my face—but something else glared at me from behind her, distracting me from the view. “You’re burning up!” I shouted. “Whitney!”
She laughed and leaned in, biting my lip hard. “It’s all your fault, Montgomery.”
“No, shit! I mean your shirt, it’s literally burning up!”
“What?” she shrieked, her head snapping to look back over her shoulder, where her shirt was still attached to her wrists. Flames had started to dance across the material and she let out a scream, pushing herself off the worktop and scampering to her feet.
I’d turned on the stove to start cooking the chicken and had forgotten about it.
Frantically sliding her shirt over her hands and flinging it to the floor, she jumped and started stomping on it while I flicked the stove off and raced for a pot of water to douse the shi
rt with. A loud sizzle pooled at our feet, steam and smoke rising around our knees.
“Oh my God!” she coughed, her choke mixed with laughter. “Were you trying to kill me, Montgomery?”
“No!” I laughed with her, my shaky hands and racing heartbeat slowing just enough to register that I needed to check her for burns. “Come here, let me see you.” I pulled her around the smoky puddle and toward me, grabbing her hands and arms to assess the damage. I turned her around under the light and gently ran my fingers over her arms, back and chest, brushing over her hot, clammy skin and the white satin of her bra. Her heaving chest rose as she took a deep breath in, then fell as she worked to calm herself.
“I’m fine. It just caught my shirt sleeve.”
“Way to give me a heart attack, woman.”
“Me, give you a heart attack?”
“Well, yeah,” I shrugged in exasperation, “first you attack me like that and make me crazed with lust, and then you go and set yourself on fire!”
“What?” she screeched.
“You heard me!”
“You’re the one who kissed me and sat me on the damn stove!”
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t thinking properly. God, I’m bloody knackered, now. I need to sit down. Come here.” Our panting laughter began to simmer down as we took a seat on the sofa.
She slipped comfortably into my lap and I radiated satisfaction, realizing that if I had a mirror right now, I’d probably find a big, cheesy grin plastered across my face.
“You, Carter Montgomery, are a menace.” She smiled down at me, slowly wrapping her hand around the nape of my neck, giving a light tug.
“I think I owe you a meal. Take out?”
“Oh my God!” she coughed, her choke mixed with laughter. “Were you trying to kill me, Montgomery?”
“No!” I laughed with her, my shaky hands and racing heartbeat slowing just enough to register that I needed to check her for burns. “Come here, let me see you.” I pulled her around the smoky puddle and toward me, grabbing her hands and arms to assess the damage. I turned her around under the light and gently ran my fingers over her arms, back and chest, brushing over her hot, clammy skin and the white satin of her bra. Her heaving chest rose as she took a deep breath in, then fell as she worked to calm herself.
“I’m fine. It just caught my shirt sleeve.”
“Way to give me a heart attack, woman.”
“Me, give you a heart attack?”
“Well, yeah,” I shrugged in exasperation, “first you attack me like that and make me crazed with lust, and then you go and set yourself on fire!”
“What?” she screeched.
“You heard me!”
“You’re the one who kissed me and sat me on the damn stove!”
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t thinking properly. God, I’m bloody knackered, now. I need to sit down. Come here.” Our panting laughter began to simmer down as we took a seat on the sofa.
She slipped comfortably into my lap and I radiated satisfaction, realizing that if I had a mirror right now, I’d probably find a big, cheesy grin plastered across my face.
“You, Carter Montgomery, are a menace.” She smiled down at me, slowly wrapping her hand around the nape of my neck, giving a light tug.
“I think I owe you a meal. Take out?”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rachael
Wade writes edgy New Adult and Adult romance and science fiction. She
is the author of the Amazon bestselling PRESERVATION SERIES, THE
REPLACEMENT, and LOVE AND RELATIVITY, as well as the paranormal romance
series THE RESISTANCE TRILOGY. When she's not writing, she's busy going
to concerts, watching too many movies, and learning how to protect
animals and the environment. She's an avid Brandi Carlile fan and loves
all things Tim Burton. Visit her at RachaelWade.com and LightsOnLove.com, and come chat with her on Twitter @RachaelWade.
