𝙎𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙙𝙮, 𝙧𝙚𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙚. 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧-𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧?
Reef has been in love with Luna since they were kids. As a secret romance novelist, he pours his unrequited feelings into his books, reliving their love on the page. But when Luna’s uncle proposes a fake relationship to thwart a stunt her PR wants to pull, Reef’s wildest dreams and worst fears are about to collide.
Luna never stopped loving Reef, even when she broke his heart to protect him. Music became her refuge, but fame brought unexpected complications. Now, fate has brought them back together, but the demons of their past threaten to consume them both.
As Reef and Luna navigate their rekindled feelings amidst a whirlwind of secrets, heartache, and desire, they’ll discover that sometimes reality is even more extraordinary than fiction. When their truths come to light, will their love survive, or will they wish they’d left the past buried in the sands of time?
The Heartbeats of Aloha is a poignant, swoon-worthy standalone in the International Soulmate series. Immerse yourself in:
- A heart-melting second chance romance
- The lush, tropical beauty of Hawaii
- A fake relationship that feels all too real
- Deep, nuanced portrayals of mental health and disability
- Unforgettable characters, including an adorable canine companion
If you love emotional journeys filled with tender moments, sizzling chemistry, and the healing power of love, then Brooke Gilbert’s moving story is a must-read.
Let the rhythm of the islands guide you to your next great romance. Grab The Heartbeats of Aloha today and lose yourself in Reef and Luna’s unforgettable love story!
Content note: This book contains discussions of anxiety, depression, and panic attacks.
EXCERPT:
As soon as the doors closed, I turned to her. “Luna,” I breathed. I didn’t know what to do, but I was being drawn to her, the tether from earlier pulling at me even harder. I placed my hands on either side of her hips, grabbing the cold railing with everything I had, desperate to be close to her.
Then I leaned into her slightly. “He’s just an idiot who’s upset he lost the best thing he’s ever had. Nothing in the world could make me want to ‘return’ you. If you were mine, I’d do anything to keep you.”
Her eyes became even glossier as they drifted up to meet mine. “You don’t even know what it is.” She looked away. “I didn’t think I needed to tell you since this is all . . .”
“This is all what?” I asked her more pointedly. Her lips parted, but she said nothing. I could see the ghost of the word ‘fake’ on them. I gripped the railing tighter. “I never wanted any of this to be pretend. Not one second of it has been for me. Has it been for you?”
She shook her head methodically, as if knowing what she was unleashing, and my lips curved upward at her response. Especially when her body gravitated toward mine like she couldn’t stand to be apart.
I started to remove my glasses, knowing this was the first time my feelings and intentions would be on full display for her. The first time, nothing would be covered up under the guise of Louis’ plan.
“Luna, why did you write One More Hour? Was what you said on stage true?” I asked with urgency.
But her face said it all. I didn’t need the words her lips mouthed so sensually . . .“Yes . . . It was you I wanted. I’ve always wanted you. I still do.”
As I went to pull off my glasses, she stopped me, shaking her head emphatically. I felt like a dork, with the goofiest grin on display.
“What? You want me to keep them on? I was trying to look less like a nerd.” I laughed nervously as I leaned even closer to her, my hands clutching the railing beside her.
“Yes, they have to stay on. It’s required.” But she was only halfway teasing, and I loved it. “Do you know how many fantasies I’ve had about this?”
“No, why don’t you tell me?” I began coyly.
“Enough to have a bet with myself about how fast I can fog them up.” She smirked.
“Oh, I’m seeing the appeal now. Maybe this nerd thing can have some perks,” I mumbled. But all my cockiness left me as I became overwhelmed by her. Especially as she reached up for the collar of my dress shirt and tugged me toward her. The smell of the plumeria flower in her hair and the scent of Luna overcoming any hesitation. I wanted to bottle her scent along with this moment.
Our faces were only inches apart, warmth radiating between us. And I was ready to close any of the distance between us. Need taking over in a way I’d never known, when she breathed out, “Why didn’t you ever kiss me?”
“I couldn’t tell if you wanted me to.” A pain twisted at her cheeks with my words.
There was a hard tug on my shirt collar. A very clear sign of her want. And with that, all space and time vanished. It was just her lips on mine as I leaned into every part of her. Every part I knew intimately and loved . . . all of her. Allowing myself to taste her for the very first time.
I pulled back suddenly, and her eyes looked simultaneously confused and incredibly disappointed.
“Wait,” I interjected, and her face fell. I pushed off of the handrails and moved toward the elevator pad. Quickly, I pulled the emergency button, halting the elevator.
“Reef, you can’t do that.” Her eyes flashed with mixed amusement and sheer concern.
With a confidence I didn’t know I possessed, I strode back over to her. “Oh, but I think I already did.” I readjusted my glasses to look at her, the ones that were already fogged up. “Now, where were we?”
She laughed as my hands slid around the back of her thighs to pick her up, gently propping her against the elevator railing. Her legs seamlessly wrapped around me like they were always meant to be there.
“Oh yeah, here.” The words tumbled out of me.
Luna only laughed harder and then raked her hands upward through my hair, pulling me in with more force this time. I met her heady passion with a strong desire of my own this time. But I was becoming increasingly aware that I had kind of cornered her. And what started out feeling sexy now felt like it could cause anxiety. And that’s the last thing I ever wanted. I spun us around, effectively swapping our positions, hoping to give her more space and control. I was absolutely fine with her cornering me.
Luna looked at me and her legs squeezed even tighter around me as her fingers dug deeper. Sending shockwaves through my scalp and back. I guess I’d made the right call. Especially when her lips melted over mine and then started roaming, making use of my neck in ways no one had ever properly done before. I had gotten everything wrong in my novels. No kiss I wrote could ever compare to this. I was going to need to make a few revisions.
“Miss!” the intercom burst forth from the elevator speaker. We looked at each other with wide eyes. “Miss, please disentangle yourself and step away from the gentleman.” I started laughing and Luna gave me a look that said it wasn’t funny. “We’re going to be overriding the elevator panel and resuming normal functions as soon as . . . you . . . huh hmm . . . Remove yourself.”
But Luna just stayed glued to me, like a scared monkey. Her face was a mixture of shock and embarrassment. “Ma’am,” the booming voice rang out, “Please don’t make me call security.”
“Yeah, stop mauling me, Luna. Geez.” Now she was laughing, too, as I helped her stand beside me. She seemed as off balance as I felt. Her knees even buckled at the point of contact with the floor. With a sly smile, I pointed to the other corner of the elevator. “You better go over there, just to be safe.”
She just shoved me lightly, like when we were kids, and the elevator started moving. The booming voice thanked us for our ‘cooperation,’ no matter how unenthusiastically we had complied with the request. And then Luna’s long, petite fingers found their way in between mine. A peaceful reverberation echoing throughout my body when she did. She was like that first cool breeze coming off the ocean at the end of the hottest day. She was my happy place. Everything that made our island special, she encompassed it all so well. The heartbeats of this place were the people. The heartbeats were her.
My eyes dared to glance over at her, and the intimacy of this moment changed me. I would never look at love the same way. She had just cracked something wide open inside of me. Right at the place that had been scarred so many years ago, and then forever placed herself inside it.
Author Bio:
Brooke Gilbert is a Tennessee native, a microbiology graduate of the University of Tennessee, and a border collie mom. She is, as you may have already guessed, a hopeless romantic and a lover of Jane Austen. When she isn’t writing, she works as a jewelry designer, an audiobook narrator, and a graphic designer. Her writing features characters with autoimmune disorders, something she deals with herself. She believes it is important for these types of characters to be seen in modern literature and started writing so she could see someone like herself in literature. She is considered a medical mystery and has several rare autoimmune disorders. These disorders caused her to withdraw from Physician Assistant School, but she is happy to be pursuing her dreams of designing, creating, and writing. She thanks God for leading her heart on this new path and recites “perhaps this is the moment for which you were created” in times of doubt (Esther 4:14).
She loves watching classic films (thrillers and romantic comedies, too), reading, playing the ukulele, painting, dancing, Pilates, and spending time with her dog, family, and friends. One of her favorite quotes is from Flashdance: “When you give up on your dreams, you die.” She believes that if you’re waiting to pursue your dreams, stop waiting and start doing. Your time is now. And may you never stop being a hopeless romantic. Contrary to popular belief, it’s a very good quality. She’s still looking for her Mr. Darcy. Visit brookegilbertauthor.com to connect and stay updated on her latest projects.
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