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Not What I Expected Special Edition Signed Paperback + Free Swag

Not What I Expected Special Edition Signed Paperback + Free Swag

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1,312+ 5-Star Reviews

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This special edition includes:

  • A special edition holiday cover
  • Not What I Expected (original book)
  • A bonus holiday novella, Christmas in Birdville

 

USA Today and Wall Street Journal best-selling author Jewel E. Ann redefines modern romance with this unforgettable enemies-to-lovers story.

Are humans meant to mate for life?

After four kids and an unfortunate but fateful end to her 22-year marriage, Elsie Smith meets the new guy in town.

Kael Hendricks is...a little younger, a lot sexy, and too confident for his own good. He also doesn’t believe in marriage and all that goes with it.

And...he’s just opened a new business that threatens the livelihood of Elsie’s family’s store - just in time for the holidays.

The problem?

There’s an undeniable attraction that leads to out of control situations, a loss of inhibitions, and a lot of small-town gossip.

As Elsie tries to redefine herself and convince her family she isn’t having a midlife crisis, she’s forced to answer the biggest question of all....

Can she love an enemy who will never surrender?

Chapter One Look Inside

“I miss him, but I don’t miss the pick, roll, and flick.

Everything in moderation.

Those were my husband’s words, not mine.

“Don’t give me that look, Elle. It’s low-fat turkey bacon.”

My absentminded gaze remained affixed to his plate—toaster waffles smothered in butter, drowned in syrup, topped with three blueberries (so he could say he had fruit), and four pieces of bacon on the side.

Orange juice from concentrate.

Coffee with creamer and sugar.

The stench of bacon hung in the air since he refused to turn on the exhaust fan over the stove when he cooked it.

The noise made it hard for him to hear the news on the TV in the corner of the kitchen.

“Elsie,” I murmured, blinking at his plate as I lifted my quart Mason jar filled with warm lemon water to my lips.

“What?” he mumbled over a mouthful of fat, salt, and sugar.

“My name is Elsie, not Elle.”

“I’ve called you Elle for twenty-some years.” He concentrated on his phone next to his plate.

Every inch of me melted into a paralyzed state. I’d succumbed to the depths of my fate, unable to peel my back from the stainless steel fridge door. After twenty-two years, three months, and six days of marriage … I couldn’t do it anymore. So there I stood—an idle statue deciding whether or not I had enough life to stand up. Really stand up.

“I know, Craig. And I’ve gone from tolerating it to hating it.”

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