The Holiday Hoax is out today!
Captain 'Perfect' Zane Browning and Jocelyn Blackwell's story was delightful to write last Christmas. I read it again a few weeks ago and couldn't stop grinning and sometimes laughing out loud. Zane comes across so full of himself, their banter is hilarious, and the fake engagement took me by surprise.
Despite the teasing and jokes this one tugs at my heart strings. Captain Perfect is of course far from perfect. Aren't we all? One of my favorite parts of being an author is delving into someone's backstory and inner thoughts. I'm always blown away by what hard things every individual has gone through. So true in real life as well. Marjorie Hinckley said, "Be kind, everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." The truth of that hits me over and over again.
Praying you're doing well and feeling the Savior's love on this beautiful fall day.
I hope you love Zane and Jocelyn's enemies to lovers, fake fiancé, Christmas romance! It was originally published in Soldier's Christmas Hope Collection but that collection has been discontinued and The Holiday Hoax is only available as a single release and part of the bestselling, multi-author Seaside Cove series. Find The Holiday Hoax on Amazon. Scroll down for a fun excerpt.
Hugs and many thanks,
Cami
Excerpt: The Holiday Hoax:
Zane approached, and her stomach flip-flopped at the sight of him. Her only brother was handsome, fit, commanding, accomplished, kind, had a great personality, and the billions in his bank account would be a plus to any woman, but personally she didn’t know that any man could compete with Zane. Not that she’d admit that to Reef. She could understand why he had felt competitive and annoyed with Zane going after Emery.
A huge smile broke across Zane’s face as he neared. It wasn’t smart, but Jocelyn coasted her bike to have more time to gawk at him. His teeth were so white they twinkled, and his bright blue eyes reflected the evening sunlight better than the ocean. He was so perfect he looked almost fake. Reef had compared him to Metroman, the hero from the movie Megamind. The character could have been based on Zane. Zane was the real deal, and Metroman was simply a play on his perfection.
Please help me stay strong, she prayed.
Zane grinned at her. “Well, if you aren’t the bike-riding billboard for the most exotically beautiful woman ever created by heaven above, I don’t know who is.”
Jocelyn laughed at his over-exaggeration. In the grocery store, she’d been defensive and warned him to stay away. Since then, she’d kept her distance or laughed at his empty flirtations. She couldn’t ingest his compliments, even if they made her body feel lighter than riding the bike had done.
“Captain Browning.” She nodded to him and forced herself to pedal right past. He’d learned her name, but she never called him Zane.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” he called.
She glanced over her shoulder to see him pivot and speed up to keep pace with her riding slowly on the bike.
“I won’t have it,” he insisted. “There will be no pedaling away from me, Miss Jocelyn Blackwell. I’ve been pining for you since the last time we saw each other. What was it, a month ago?”
“Less than a week,” she teased back. They’d seen each other at some Black Friday sales and then at church before she’d flown back home for work. He’d flirted with her brazenly and she could’ve sworn he hadn’t so much as glanced at the other women vying for his attention, but she was probably reading too much into that. Loyal would never be Zane’s middle name.
“Longest week of my life.” He was running at a quick pace, but he flung his hand over his chest dramatically. “Do you know how harrowing it’s been to wait that long to tangle with your superior wit and feast my gaze on your exquisite face again?”
Jocelyn kept pedaling, smiling and shaking her head. These interactions should be a joke, but somehow they felt meaningful. It was good she was heading home Sunday night. Too much time around him and she might unwisely let down her guard. “You are what we call in Chicago a schmoozer.”
Zane laughed. “I think it’s called that everywhere, beautiful Jocelyn. But I’m not a schmoozer, not with you. With any other woman, meaningless compliments flow from my honeyed tongue. With you, my beautiful angel descended from above to have pity on us mere mortals, I am one hundred percent genuine. One hundred percent interested and invested in you.”
She looked at him, and their gazes entangled for a brief moment. His blue eyes were … sincere.
No. She couldn’t let herself fall for that, or for his lines.
“Do you even believe the garbage you spout?” She shook her head and pedaled faster.
Zane raced to keep up, finally starting to get winded. “Please, please, have mercy on me. Just stop and talk for a moment. Please, give my wounded heart a chance.”
“Wounded?” There was no way this man’s heart was wounded. He had so many women cooing over his breathtaking smile he could discard them at will. If a lady turned him down like Emery had, he’d just laugh about it and turn to the crowd of beauties waiting for one look, smile, or cheesy line.
Could it be possible Zane had been through something tragic? Was that why he’d become such a flirt and player? Everyone had a story, and she found herself wanting to know his.
Jocelyn slammed on both hand brakes, skidded to a stop, and placed her feet on the sand. She turned to look at him. His glory shone so brightly he seemed to sparkle in the sun, giving the ocean competition for beauty. At the moment, he wasn’t giving her that massive smile and his eyes weren’t glinting. He appeared … serious, and that scared her.
“Wounded?” she repeated, her gaze drilling into him.
His blue eyes flashed with a deep pain, but it was gone so fast she might have imagined it. “Wounded if you won’t love me like I love you,” he said, all smooth charm and huge smiles. “Please have mercy on me and give me a chance.”
Keep Reading The Holiday Hoax on Amazon.
One fake engagement. Two wounded hearts. Zero chance of keeping things simple.
Captain Zane Browning can charm just about any woman on the South Carolina coast. With his movie-star smile, outrageous flirtations, and impeccable reputation, he’s earned the nickname Captain Perfect. But behind the cocky grin lies a heart he hasn’t let anyone touch in twelve years.
Until Jocelyn Blackwell.
The sharp-witted ER nurse has secrets of her own—and a heart her unfaithful ex-husband left in pieces. She’s not about to fall for another handsome charmer, no matter how determined he is to make her laugh. Especially when his silver tongue is matched only by his talent for hiding the truth.
Then Christmas throws Zane a curveball he never saw coming, and he needs a fiancée fast. Jocelyn agrees to play the part, convincing herself she can survive a few holiday festivities, a little pretend romance, and a handful of fake kisses.
What could possibly go wrong?
As family celebrations heat up and their sham engagement begins to feel dangerously real, Zane and Jocelyn discover that keeping up appearances is easy. Trusting someone with the truth is another matter entirely. Both have spent years protecting their hearts, but the secrets they carry could cost them the one thing neither expected to find: a second chance at love.
This Christmas, their biggest hoax might be pretending they don’t belong together.
Don't miss this new heartwarming and suspenseful Christian holiday romance by USA Today Bestselling Author and Kindle All Star Cami Checketts.
Seaside Cove Series
The Perfect Pact by Kimberly Krey
The Beachside Bet by Taylor Hart
The Dangerous Deal by Cami Checketts
The Cliffside Cottage by Jennifer Youngblood
The Seaside Secret by Sarah Gay
The Christmas Connection by Cami Checketts
The Holiday Hoax is an inspiring later-in-life, holiday beach romance with suspense and humor that will appeal to romance readers of all ages looking for deep themes, a women's fiction feel, heartwarming family interactions, and a fast-pace.
Originally published in the discontinued Soldier's Christmas Hope Collection, The Holiday Hoax is now available as a single release!
