Should Have Known Better Blog Tour

Should’ve Known Better

Cassandra Carr

Sara Jenkins is a self-professed math geek and hockey fanatic. She's thrilled when the Buffalo Sting of the NHL hire her as an advisor because she can marry her two loves into the perfect job.

Sebastian St. Amant is a young French-Canadian hockey player looking to make the jump from the minors to the big leagues. His lifelong dream is within reach, but he needs to convince the Sting's management and coaches he's ready for the NHL.

Sara and Sebastian meet, and sparks fly immediately. Both want to succeed at their jobs, but they can't ignore the growing attraction between them. Of course, a relationship is out of the question since Sara works for the Sting and Sebastian is a player -- and one fifteen years her junior. But the impossible becomes the necessary as Sara and Sebastian find they can't fight their attraction any longer. Even if everything crashes around them, though, they'll still win the ultimate prize - each other.

Excerpt:

Sarah Jenkins scooted to the edge of the seat in her SUV as she stared at the hulking building in front of her. The August sunshine was only partially to blame for the bead of sweat running down the side of her neck. She couldn’t afford to screw this up. After wiping her damp palms on her skirt, she slid out of the car and hit the alarm remote. Turning, she bounced off a hard object and stumbled backward from the force of the impact, letting out an involuntary grunt. The immoveable object was a man, and what a man he was. He had a body like granite, with chiseled features, and was casually attired in shorts and a T-shirt clinging for dear life to his arms and chest. The guy could’ve been a sculpture.

Yum.

“Are you all right?”

Her heart pounded in her ears due to the fight or flight reaction from their collision, paired with the pure, inexplicable rush of lust he evoked.

“I’m, um…” Sarah cleared her throat. Talk, you idiot. “I’m fine.”

Her cheeks flamed as she ducked her head. Was this what scientists meant when they said women were attracted to males they sensed had the strongest DNA? Between his killer body, light green eyes, and sexily tousled head of hair, he looked like he’d just jumped out a cologne ad in GQ. As far as she could see, his DNA was damn near perfect.

It was hard to miss the long, thorough once-over he gave her, leaving her hot and feverish—a reaction she couldn’t attribute purely to the blazing heat or her frazzled nerves.

Their gazes collided and he stared at her with a glimmer of male interest. She wasn’t sure why he’d be interested in her. He was gorgeous, and she was, well, a nerd, for want of a better word. Her eyes were drawn to full lips that would’ve looked feminine on other men, but there was nothing feminine or soft about him. Hard, sinewy muscles stretched over his arms, legs, and torso, but despite his size and musculature he managed to look lean rather than bulky. He reminded her of a panther readying to strike, and her breathing kicked up another notch. Sarah shook her head to clear it. She had a new job to focus on right now and that was the only thing that was important. It had to be. She couldn’t afford to screw this chance up.

“After you,” he said, moving back a step and motioning for her to pass. His voice had a hint of an accent. French-Canadian, perhaps? It rolled over her like a gentle breeze.

“Thank you. And I’m sorry about running into you.”

“I’m not.” He gave her a one-sided, incredibly hot smile.

She needed to get into the building before she did something stupid like offer herself to him as a human buffet.

Does this sound hot or what? So adding this to my TBR list!

Reasons I Love Writing May-December Romances

by Cassandra Carr

If you're at all familiar with my writing, you've probably seen a May-December romance in at least one of them. Why do I like writing May-December romances? Many reasons. Here are five of them:

1. There's an inherent conflict when people's ages are so far apart.

2. Oftentimes the two characters are at different places in their lives and seem to want different things. Getting them to the same place at the end is definitely a challenge.

3. The "forbidden love" aspect of the story can be played up.

4. The younger of the two can bring youth back to the older of the two and vice versa.

5. It can make for an interesting dynamic, as oftentimes the younger of the two is actually the one who behaves/reacts more maturely.

To expand on these points, I can't speak for other authors, but I love it when I have multiple "touch points" for conflict. Sure, having one big, central conflict is great, but if you have the opportunity to explore all sorts of different areas of conflict the book is more interesting. When the characters are at different places in their lives, with maybe one just starting out and the other nearing the end of something, they will each have divergent things that are important to them and that they will strive for.

Forbidden love is a great trope in romance, and that aspect is played up inherently in May-December romances. When an authority figure gets together with someone they shouldn't - boss/secretary is a great example, all sorts of problems can ensue. Plus, that younger person might help the older one rediscover their youth, which is always fun. Lastly, I always find it funny when the younger one is actually the character that reacts more rationally and maturely to the situations the characters are thrown into.

Not all of my storylines involve May-December romances, but when I decide to do it, it's a lot of fun.

What do you like (or hate) about May-December romances?