To celebrate my two-week countdown to the release of Their Nine-Month Surprise, I was going to write a list of the top-three things I love about it. Then I looked at the title, and was all <face palm> it needs to be nine! So let’s see if I can do this spoiler-free.
9) Getting to return to Sutter Creek! I’ve written enough books in the series that I can picture the surroundings in my head – the lawn-covered town square; the architecture that’s a little bit Aspen, a little bit Winthrop, Washington; the Peak Beans coffee shop that I wish existed in real life. (I’d say the Aussie pie place, but it actually DOES exist, in Whistler, BC.) Falling for a town is a big reason why I come back to trilogies and quartets as a writer and a reader, every time – I love returning to a place that feels like home. But even more, I love returning to…
8) …characters I already love. And in Marisol’s story, one of her secondary reasons for moving to Sutter Creek is to be closer to Zach (her brother) and Cadie and their son. So you’ll get some delightful Cardenas sibling back-and-forth. Of course, it’s even more fun to…
7) …meet new characters! There are townsfolk, of course – Evan, Lachlan’s receptionist, and Mrs. Rafferty, the sheriff’s grandma, both famous for causing trouble. But the more important new characters are Marisol and Lachlan themselves. And I fell HARD for these two. Especially…
6) …Lachlan’s super-sexy mix of vet tech work and his search-and-rescue volunteering. Which leads me to:
5) Fudge. Enough said.
With all seriousness, German Shorthaired Pointers are my favourite breed. I grew up with a feisty, loyal one. I loved the sweet, doggy soul my dad and step-mom had while I was in my twenties. And now my kids love the newest Tigger-like guy in the family. Pointers are energetic. They’ll fetch until they fall over. They refuse to eat popcorn without butter on it. And though Labradors are more common for Search and Rescue, I just KNEW Lachlan had a pointer.
4) Without dogs, Marisol and Lachlan might not have noticed each other. Getting to write in the ways they both connect with canines was a joy.
Ha! Who am I kidding?
Of course they would have noticed each other. Because:
3) He’s a cinnamon roll to end all cinnamon rolls, which is exactly what she needs to help her break down her walls. But getting to the…
2) …well-earned HEA…
1) Takes work. And watching Marisol and Lachlan learn to love and be vulnerable, learn to be a family, learn how to do forever… That’s the best part.
Except for the epilogue.
That might ACTUALLY be the best part. And I’m antsy to tell you why. But I won’t.
I can’t decide – the last chapter, or the epilogue. Let me know which one you prefer.
Happy reading!
Laurel
Want to pre-order (prior to May 19, 2020 for print or June 1, 2020 for digital) or purchase THEIR NINE-MONTH SURPRISE? Ask your local indie bookstore if they can bring it in for you, or follow the link to your preferred retailer: