Unbreak My Heart {+ Giveaway}

It’s a pleasure to be participating in author Nicole Jacquelyn’s Release Week Blitz for her new novel, UNBREAK MY HEART. 

As part of the celebration, Nicole is sharing her Top Five Things you don't give your best friend for a wedding gift if she's marrying your soul mate. Can you guess what they are? In addition, there’s an excerpt to read and you have the chance to win one of ten (10) trade paperback copies of UNBREAK MY HEART. Please see the end of the post for more giveaway details.

Title:  Unbreak My Heart

Author: Nicole Jacquelyn

On Sale: June 7, 2016

Formats: Trade Paperback & eBook

Price: $14.99 USD

Goodreads

What do you do when your soul mate marries your best friend?

If you're Kate Evans, you keep your friend Rachel, bond with her kids, and bury your feelings for her husband. The fact that Shane's in the military and away for long periods helps-but when tragedy strikes, everything changes.

          After Rachel, pregnant with her fourth child, dies in a car accident and the baby miraculously survives, Kate upends her entire life to share parenting duties. Then on the first anniversary of Rachel's death, Kate and Shane take comfort in each other in a night that they both soon regret.

          Shane's been angry for a year, and now he feels guilty too – for sleeping with his wife's best friend and liking it…liking her.  Kate's ability to read him like a book may have once sent Shane running, but their lives are forever entwined and they are growing closer.

          Now with Shane deployed for seven months, Kate is on her own and struggling with being a single parent. Shane is loving and supportive from thousands of miles away, but his homecoming brings a betrayal Kate never saw coming. So Kate's only choice is to fight for the future she deserves – with or without Shane…

UNBREAK MY HEART is available at the following sites: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Google Play, iBooks, Indiebound, Kobo, and Powell’s.

Now the Top Five Things you don't give your best friend for a wedding gift if she's marrying your soul mate …...

                            1. A framed photo of you and your soul mate… before your best friend came along.

                            2. Recipes for his favorite foods. Since they were passed down in your family, you can use that excuse when she asks for them. “Sorry, secret family recipe.”

                            3. Anything expensive. You love her, but she’s already taken enough.

                            4. Lingerie. As far as you’re concerned, she’s wearing a long flannel nightgown to bed.

                            5. Your opinion on the relationship and wedding.

I don’t remember the drive to the hospital or even where I parked that afternoon. I can’t recall what the nurse looked like as she searched for Rachel’s name in their computer system or the walk toward the room where I waited for someone to speak to me.

The first thing I remember clearly is the white-haired doctor’s kind face as he sat down across from me, and the young chaplain’s small smile as he chose the chair to my left. Their words became a litany that I would hear in my dreams for years.

My Rachel was gone, but her son was alive and in the NICU.

“Is there anyone you’d like for us to call? Any family or friends that you’d like to be here?”

The question jolted me out of the fog that seemed to be getting thicker and thicker around me. Dear God.

“I’ll make the calls,” I answered, looking blankly at the wall. “Can I have some privacy please?”

“Of course. I’ll be right outside if you need me,” the chaplain answered, reaching out to pat my hand. “I’ll take you up to the NICU when you’re ready.”

The room was silent after they left, and I fought the urge to scream at the top of my lungs just to hear it echo around me. I understood then why people hired mourners to wail at funerals. Sometimes the lack of sound is more painful than the anguished noise of a heart breaking.

My hands shook as I pulled my phone out of my front pocket and rested it on the table in front of me.

It only took a moment before the sound of ringing filled the room, and I rested my head in my hands as I stared at the name across the screen.

“Hello? Kate? What’s wrong?”

“Shane—” I said quietly, my voice hitching.

“What? Why are you calling me?” His voice was confused, but I could hear a small thread of panic in the urgency of his words.

“I need you to come to Tri-City Hospital,” I answered, tears rolling down my face and landing on the glass screen of my phone, distorting the letters and numbers.

“Who?” His voice was frantic, and I could hear him moving around, his breathing heavy.

“Rachel was in an accident.” I sobbed, covering my face to try and muffle the noise.

“No,” he argued desperately, as I heard two car doors shut almost simultaneously. “Is she okay?”

I shook my head, trying to catch my breath.

“Kate! Is she okay?” He screamed at me, his anguished voice filling the room as I’d wanted mine to just minutes before.

“No,” I answered through gritted teeth, feeling snot running down my upper lip as I heard him make a noise deep in his throat. “She’s gone.”

He didn’t say a word, and less than a second later, the connection was broken.

I rubbed at my forehead, trying to convince myself that it was all just a nightmare. Where was I supposed to be? What was I supposed to do now? My best friend in the entire world was there in that hospital, but not really. I couldn’t bear to see her. I couldn’t help her. Where the fuck was I supposed to go?”

I made my way to the NICU as quickly as I could, and within minutes, I was holding my new nephew in my arms. The nurses told me that he’d passed all of his tests with flying colors, and I was in awe as I sat down in a rocking chair, cradling him to my chest.

“You sure got a shitty beginning, little man,” I murmured against his fuzzy scalp, rocking back and forth gently. “I’m so sorry, buddy. You’re probably missing your mama and that warm bubble you’ve been in for so long. I can’t help you there.”

I sniffled, closing my eyes as tears rolled down my cheeks. My whole body ached, and even though I had that little boy in my arms, the whole day seemed like some sort of surreal dream, foggy in some parts and crystal clear in others. I wanted to hop up and take his sleeping, little form to Rachel, to tease her about the weird Mohawk thing he was sporting and make joking comments about how men always seem to sleep through the hard parts of life. I wanted to see her smile proudly at the sturdy boy she’d produced and grumble that I was hogging him.

I wanted everything to be different.

I hummed softly with my eyes closed for a long time, holding the baby close to me. It was quiet where we sat, nothing breaking up the stillness of the room until I heard someone open the door.

“There he is,” the nurse murmured from the doorway.

My eyes popped open to see Shane’s ravaged face just feet from me. He looked like he was barely holding on. I swallowed hard as his red rimmed eyes took in his son carefully before rising to meet mine.

“Is he okay?” he asked thickly, searching my face. I’d never seen him so frightened.

“He’s perfect,” I answered, my voice throbbing with emotion. “The nurses said he’s a rock star.”

He nodded twice, reaching up to cover his mouth with his hand, but before he could say another word, he was stumbling and falling to his knees with an almost inaudible sob.

TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

You can follow Nicole on her journey during this tour by visiting the following blogs participating.

Black Heart Reviews	June 6th	Spotlight
Angie & Jessica's Dreamy Reads	June 6th	Spotlight
Reading Lark After Dark	June 6th	Spotlight
Talk Books to Me	June 6th	Spotlight
Jennifer Vido	June 6th	Spotlight
Moonlight Rendezvous	June 6th	Spotlight
Books to Breathe	June 6th	Spotlight
Novels In Heels	June 6th	Top 5 List
Garden of REden	June 6th	Spotlight
Booklovers For Life	June 6th	Spotlight
The Reading Date	June 7th	Top 5 List
three chicks and their books	June 7th	Spotlight
Agents of Romance	June 7th	Spotlight
Okie Dreams Book Reviews	June 7th	Spotlight
Busy Bumble Bee Book Reviews	June 7th	Spotlight
Stephanie's Book Reports	June 7th	Spotlight
A Brit and a Yank	June 7th	Spotlight
Always YA at Heart	June 7th	Spotlight
The Escapist Book Blog	June 7th	Spotlight
Red's Romance Review's	June 8th	Spotlight
She Hearts Books	June 8th	Spotlight
Straight Shootin' Book Reviews	June 8th	Spotlight
Romance Junkies	June 8th	Top 5 List
Jenuine Cupcakes	June 8th	Top 5 List
Mary Gramlich (The Reading Reviewer)	June 8th	Top 5 List
Reading Between the Wines Book Club	June 8th	Top 5 List
Nose Stuck in a Book	June 8th	Spotlight
Life With Two Boys	June 9th	Spotlight
Once Upon An Alpha	June 9th	Spotlight
Thoughts in Progress	June 9th	Top 5 List
M's Sinful Reviews	June 9th	Spotlight
Reads & Reviews	June 9th	Spotlight
Bridger Bitches Book Blog	June 9th	Spotlight
Margie's Must Reads	June 10th	Top 5 List
Book You Very Much	June 10th	Top 5 List
Books + Tea = ME!	June 10th	Spotlight
Reads By Rose	June 10th	Spotlight
Lustful Literature	June 10th	Spotlight
Ramblings From A Chaotic mind	June 10th	Spotlight
Biblio Belles Book Blog	June 10th	Spotlight
Beauté De Livres - Beauty Of Books	June 10th	Spotlight
Sexy Bibliophiles	June 10th	Spotlight
Dirty Girl Romance	June 10th	Q&A
Reading in Pajamas	June 10th	Top 5 List
The Regal Critiques	June 10th	Top 5 List

Author Nicole Jacquelyn

When Nicole Jacquelyn was eight and people asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she told them she wanted to be a mom. When she was 12, her answer changed to author. Her dreams stayed constant.

First, she became a mom, and then during her senior year of college--with one daughter in first grade and the other in preschool--she sat down and wrote a story.

For more on Nicole and her writing, connect with her on Facebook and Twitter. 

ABOUT FOREVER

To find out more about Forever and the wonderful books they have to offer, check out their website and connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

This tour-wide giveaway is for ten (10) trade paperback copies of UNBREAK MY HEART. To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. What would be among your Top Five Things not to give your best friend for a wedding gift if she (or he) was marrying your soul mate?

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