The Boyfriend Bracket
Kate Evangelista
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: June 19th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
The only way to get over a hopeless crush is to find someone new…Enter: The Boyfriend Bracket!
Putting a new spin on a classic trope, Kate Evangelista explores family bonds, changing relationships, and senior year as our heroine tries to get over her brother’s best friend.
Stella has had a hopeless crush on Will, her older brother’s best friend FOREVER, but now that Cam and Will have graduated and are going off to college, this year is her chance to really strike out on her own. Without her overprotective brother and his sidekick around to distract her, she can focus on having all the typical high school experiences that she’s always dreamed of―starting with finding a boyfriend! With the help of her best friend, Franklin, she comes up with the perfect plan to have a boyfriend by Christmas: The Boyfriend Bracket.
Or it seems like the perfect plan . . . right up until Will starts showing up again. How is she supposed to find the perfect boyfriend when none of her dates measure up to the one boy she can never have?
The Boyfriend Bracket puts a new spin on a classic genre in a fun, unforgettable way.
EXCERPT:
After unlocking the front door, she returned the key to its hiding place, picked up the groceries, and pushed into the house. She called out, “Nana, I’m here. I got those tangerines you like.”She pushed the door closed with her hip, then went straight to the kitchen. Its cheerful yellow tiles never failed to make her smile. More flowers and potted herbs sat above the porcelain sink on the windowsill. Setting the bags on the table, she began unpacking.
“Nana, you won’t believe what happened—”
A crash startled her into dropping the canned peaches. It fell to the floor with a thick thunk before rolling away.
“Nana?” Stella called again. Her shoulders were up to her
ears.
Usually, Will’s grandmother would have responded by now. Then Stella’s gaze flicked to the stove. The kettle was there, but no flames were beneath it.
Another crash made Stella jump. She grabbed the closest weapon. A rolling pin. It would have to do. A knife seemed more menacing, but really? What was she planning to do? Hack the intruder to death? She wasn’t that brutal.
So, rolling pin in hand, she held it like a bat, the way Cam had taught her. At the back of her mind, a small voice told her to call 911. And run. But what if Nana was hurt? Stella wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if she didn’t somehow help.
She inched her way toward the laundry room, which also doubled as a storage area. It was located to the left of the kitchen, close to the back door that led into the yard. She swal-
24
lowed. The door was ajar. She debated whether to call to Nana again or just charge in.
Eventually, she saw no point in delaying. Maybe it was an animal of some sort. Yeah. It could be a raccoon. Or a bear. Did they have raccoons in Oak Hills? And a bear would be worse, right? She had seen The Revenant.
She pushed away the grisly possibilities. Pun intended.
Counting to three, Stella let out a fierce battle cry as she charged into the laundry room. A figure taller than her and less hairy than a bear yelled and slammed backward into one of the stain- less steel shelves. Baking pans clattered to the floor. The crash was deafening.
In the racket, Stella raised the rolling pin. “Slappy!” the figure yelled, arms stretched out.
Stella’s pulse rocketed more than it already had, for an entirely different reason. She blinked twice, making sure she wasn’t hallucinating the man standing in the cramped space. He was in nothing but his boxers. Blue boxers. Blue boxers with white stripes. Or was it white boxers with blue stripes? Her throat closed, allowing only a keening sound to escape. All the blood rushed to her head as her eyes roamed greedily over bare shoulders, abs made for superhero movies, and . . . and . . . Brain.exe ceased functioning.
Her fingers went slack, dropping the rolling pin. The tip of which landed on her big toe. The pain brought everything back online. She stifled a scream as she turned around, sure her face was strawberry red.
“Slappy?” Will asked, concerned. “You okay?”
Author Bio:
When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn’t going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is a graduate of De La Salle University – Manila with an Bachelor of Arts in Literature. She taught high school English for three years and was an essay consultant for two. Currently she writes full time and is based in the Philippines. To learn more about Kate, please visit her website at www.kateevangelista.com or follow her on Twitter @KateEvangelista
This sounds like a great read!
ReplyDeleteSound amazing! I'm so excited to read it.
ReplyDelete