An Uphill Battle
A Southern Roots Standalone
Author: LK Farlow
Genre: New Adult
Release Date: January 18, 2018
Blurb
Azalea Barnes has hated Drake Collins since the day he broke
her teenaged heart.
Fast forward almost seven years later and her libido still hasn't gotten the memo.
Now they're frenemies... with benefits.
Which suits Azalea just fine. She gets what her body craves while keeping her heart safe. Kind of.
Mostly.
Drake has loved Azalea since the day they met. He knows that she's his forever. Too bad she only sees him as a good time. He wants more. Needs more.
If only he could convince her that it's real this time. He's more determined than ever to prove to Azalea that chemistry like theirs doesn't exist only in the bedroom.
The odds may be against Drake, but he's prepared for an uphill battle.
Fast forward almost seven years later and her libido still hasn't gotten the memo.
Now they're frenemies... with benefits.
Which suits Azalea just fine. She gets what her body craves while keeping her heart safe. Kind of.
Mostly.
Drake has loved Azalea since the day they met. He knows that she's his forever. Too bad she only sees him as a good time. He wants more. Needs more.
If only he could convince her that it's real this time. He's more determined than ever to prove to Azalea that chemistry like theirs doesn't exist only in the bedroom.
The odds may be against Drake, but he's prepared for an uphill battle.
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Excerpt
“Drake
Collins, I don’t see you on our appointment book today,” Seraphine says,
wagging her finger at me with a twinkle in her dark brown eyes.
“That’s
because I’m not. Does Azalea have time to fit me in?”
“Hmmm.
Magnolia could fit you in quicker than—”
“Nah, I
don’t mind the wait. How long’s it gonna be?”
“About
twenty minutes.”
I turn, and
make myself comfy in one of the waiting room chairs, “That’ll be just fine,
Seraphine.”
She rolls
her eyes at me, “I’ll let her know you’re here.”
“Totally
unnecessary. It’s a surprise visit.”
Seraphine
shakes her head at me, but goes back to whatever she was doing at the computer,
thank God. Because I’m counting on the element of surprise to work in my favor
here. If she knows I’m here, she’ll start working on getting her walls up, but
if I catch her off guard, I might just catch her unguarded, if you know what I
mean.
To pass the
time, I play around on my phone, checking social media and shooting the shit
with Simon and Cash in group text. I impress myself by only checking the time
every five minutes, but my God, it really does feel like an eternity waiting on
her.
I perk up
when I hear the sound her sweet voice coming closer. “You have a wonderful day
Mrs. Jones, and be sure to tell Seraphine to book extra time at your next
appointment so that we can do those lowlights.”
She doesn’t
walk far enough into the room to see me, so I stand and follow behind her to
her station. She grabs the broom and starts sweeping, but jumps and throws it
down when she sees me. “Holy guacamole, you scared the ba-jeezus outta me!”
I cover my
smile with my fist, “I can see that.”
“What’re
you doing here?”
“Need a
haircut,” I tell her, claiming her chair.
She scowls
her trademark scowl at me, her eyes drilling into me like lasers. “So, make an
appointment.” She turns of walk away, but I reach out and snag her wrist.
“Don’t need
one,” I tell her, knowing it will make her that much more irritated. I know
these games are stupid, but her mad gets me so hot.
“You most
certainly do,” Azalea replies, her cheeks red with anger.
“Pretty
sure there’s a sign in the window that reads ‘Walk-in’s welcome’. You’re
certainly not making me feel very welcome. Not at all. Which, as the owner of
this establishment, you should know is bad for business.” I tsk, wagging my
finger at her.
“Drake Ulysses Collins, you get your ass up
right now!” Azalea hisses through clenched teeth. Her eyes are so big, they
look like they might pop right on out of her head.
“Nah, don’t
think so. You get your cute ass over here, and buzz my hair down.”
“No!”
“Now.” It’s
a battle of wills and I’m playing to win. We remain frozen, staring one another
down, until she rolls her eyes and stomps back over to me, like I knew she
would. Drake, 1. Azalea, 0.
With a snap
of her wrists, she has the cape draped around me. She shoots me an evil gleam,
before pulling it as tight as it will go, damn near choking me. “Take it easy,
Bit,” I croak, only to be whopped upside the back of my head with her comb.
“What the hell?” I yell at her, but she just smiles and pops the guard she
knows I like onto her clippers.
With one
hand planted on the top of my head, she uses the other to move the clippers
through my hair, buzzing it down in fluid movements. Azalea takes her time,
dragging out my simple buzzcut because she thinks it’ll annoy me. She couldn’t
be more wrong. Hell, for half the haircut, her perky C cups are all up in my
face, and for the rest of it… her hands are on me, and there’s not a single
thing annoying about any of that. No, I fucking love it.
“There, all
done assface.”
“Assface,
huh? That an invitation?”
“God!
You’re so gross!”
Grasping
the front of the cape with both hands, I pull until it unsnaps. Rising from the
chair, I take two steps toward Azalea, effectively backing her into her station.
“Gross? You think I’m gross?” I gently
run my nose up her neck, lingering just below her ear. “Naw, you don’t mean
that, do you?” My voice is hoarse and low, the sound of it causes Azalea’s skin
to break out in goosebumps.
“Sure do,”
she fires back, but her tone—all soft with want— betrays her words.
I take a
step closer, leaving not even an inch between us, “We both know you’re lying
through your teeth, but that’s okay Bit. Best be glad we’re in your place of
business, or I’d call your bluff.” I cover her lips with mine and tunnel my
fingers into her long, blonde hair. “Or maybe I still will,” I speak the words
against her lips, delighting in the feel of her rapid breaths. “Right here.
Right now.” I punctuate the words with a kiss, hard and rough, before stepping
back.
Azalea
stands there, bracing herself against her station, almost as if she’d crumple
to the floor without its support, and damn if that doesn’t make me feel like
the king of the world. “Thanks for the haircut. You have a nice day, and when I
call you later… answer.”
Review
Azalea Barnes is a stubborn, hard headed woman that may make you pull out your hair.
Drake Collins is a man and therefor isn't able to articulate his emotions very well.
Misunderstandings and miscommunications take their relationship on a rollercoaster ride.
But if they can put their issues aside and work out their misconceptions, they will be able to take their relationship to the next level.
An Uphill Battle is a intriguing, hair pulling, swoon worthy, exciting read that takes the reader on a journey they will never forget.
I liked how Azalea and Drake have a past, albeit a topsy turvy one. And even though it's obvious they belong together, their struggle to make their relationship work is something the reader can relate to.
Not gonna lie, you may want to smack them upside their head from time to time, but I felt it made them more realistic and add depth to the read.
Although An Uphill Battle is a standalone, I would recommend you read the first book, Coming Up Roses, to get a better understand and background of this couple.
I found An Uphill Battle an intriguing read with it's captivating storyline, realistic characters, and dramatic passion.
So if you love romances where the hero and heroine make you want to scream, laugh, cry, and make you weak in the knees, then I suggest you pick up An Uphill Battle today.
Author Bio
LK Farlow (A.K.A Kate) is a small town girl with a love for
words. She’s been writing stories and poems for as long she can remember. A
Southern girl through and through, Kate resides in beautiful, sunny LA—that’s
Lower Alabama, y’all—with her amazing husband and three wonderful children.
When she’s not writing, you can find her snuggled up on the couch watching
nature documentaries while she crochets or with her nose in a book. All Kate
really wants in this life is her family happy, strong coffee, a good book and
more Happily Ever After’s.
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