Thursday, 28 June 2018

Blog Tour, Review & Excerpt ~ One Week by Roya Carmen


Title: One Week
Author: Roya Carmen
Genre: Steamy Contemporary Romance (standalone)
Publication Date: June 21, 2018 
Cover Design: Calico Images

Buy Links:




Book Description:

A troubled marriage. A one week hall pass. 

Gabriella Moore has it all; a beautiful husband, two adorable children, and a dream home. Yet, when, by chance, she befriends Eli online, she falls fast. And hard. She knows she must let him go, and saying goodbye is one of the hardest things she’s ever done, but she resolves to move on and forget about her beautiful stranger.

But then… she makes an unexpected discovery, and it shakes her perfect world to its core. Rules don’t apply anymore. An arrangement is made, and her husband gives her just one week with Eli. The rules are clear: One week. Sex only. No contact thereafter. Seems simple enough, but it’s never simple when it comes to love.


Praise for One Week:

“Roya Carmen's storytelling captures you and makes you want to be part of that world. This book hooked me from the beginning; I couldn't put it down and got to the end thinking "but I want more!" - A Book Lover's Emporium

“As soon as I saw the blurb I knew I needed to read thisbook. It's not an easy read, it might shake you a little, but it's worth it.” - The Bookery Review

"You are the Queen of theforbidden. I loved this story. It captivated me from the beginning..." - Geneva (reader)

Read the Prologue:

Prologue
Dear Eli,
First, I just want to tell you how much you mean to me. And that’s the problem… you mean more to me than you should. I keep telling myself that we’re just friends, but I think we both know we’re more than that. I’m not exactly sure what I am to you, but you are everything to me. I think about you all the time, every hour of every day. It’s a little ridiculous, to be honest. I am a happily married mother of two, and I should start acting like it.
I’ve really enjoyed our conversations about art and life, but it’s time for me to end this. For a bachelor like you, this is just a fun distraction I’m sure. But for me, it’s so much more, and it really shouldn’t be. What I’m doing with you is not right. I love my husband and my children, so it’s because of them that I need to say goodbye.
I’ll always remember you. : ) And I’ll smile every time I do.
Your friend,
Gabriella
It’s just one or two paragraphs, but I’ve second-guessed every word, have pored over every single sentence, debating whether the right sentiments were expressed. I’ve spent over an hour going over it. Over and over. I’ve read the message more times than I can count. The last thing I want to do is hurt him. He just doesn’t fit into the picture. My picture; John and me, and the kids, and the white picket fence, the perfect life. He should have never been in it. Some days, I wish I’d never met him. Others, I’m so glad I did. For the brief time that I knew him, he truly was one of the best things in my life.
My heart is hammering, threatening to burst as I swallow hard, and finally press on the ‘Send’ arrow. As soon as I do, I feel sick. A heavy weight presses down at the center of my chest, threatening to crush me. I’ve never felt so horrible, so lost.
But it had to be done. I tell myself I’ve done the right thing. For my family. For me. For him.
Our relationship flashes before my eyes — the laughs, the jokes, every single conversation, every wink, every little skip of my heart, his beautiful eyes, and his sweet smile. Damn… his smile.
It all started innocently enough, as these things often do…


Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 3.5 stars


“One week is not enough.”


This author always crosses lines, so going into this one I knew there would be cheating of some sort, whether it be complicit or not, and as ever, Roya Carmen didn’t disappoint. Cheating does not bother me at all, I’m not fazed by it in books, unfortunately it is a part of life for some and I love a real romance. Real relationships with real issues and Roya Carmen certainly puts her own spin on this one.


“The only flawed part of a perfect moment is its ending.”


Some parts of this book I loved, it was ticking every box. I had the warm and fuzzies at times and in others blasts of hot anger, but this is nothing new with a Roya Carmen read. Any emotion evoked from a reader is a good one and means that the author has done her job and done it well. The emotional side was definitely on point, the moral side…questionable. The one-week hall pass was my biggest peeve in this book, it was the way it was manipulated, used as a weapon and only caused more misery. I felt the torment and the agony and whether the person deserved it or not, the method of revenge could have been done with a lot more grace and finesse. However, it did make for entertaining reading.


“I’ve only ever loved two women in my life. The first one broke my heart, but the second one mended it, made me feel like I could put myself out there again, made me think that I could give myself to someone else again… And then she destroyed me too. She was even crueler than the first.”


Both the husband and wife in this relationship make ridiculous choices when the foundation to their marriage has already been knocked a few times with a ten-tonne wrecking ball. A tenuous connection to each other is effectively destroyed by the end and only showed the fragility of their marriage in the first place.


“In a perfect world, I’d never have to say goodbye…”


However, this was a book I couldn’t put down, certain parts didn’t flow as well as others hence the 3.5 stars, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I lapped up the angst, the chemistry and the wrong choices and while I was screaming at my kindle at times, I knew it would be worth it in the end. I loved the setting of Copenhagen for some of this book and after reading this, is a place I would love to visit.


“A real man with a heart of gold.”



About the Author:



Roya Carmen is a busy mom, romance writer, designer, bookworm, chocoholic, and hopeless romantic. There’s nothing she enjoys more than making up stories about love, and sharing them with her readers.

Social Media Links: 

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/2KANItJ
Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2KACXHN
Author Facebook Page: http://bit.ly/2wV0MrU


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