A Reunion of Rivals by Reese Ryan ~ a Review & Excerpt

by MK French

Quinn Basemore needs to rekindle her career and unfortunately needs help from Max Abbott, the marketing VP and her former lover. While they battle over a project in the office, Quinn is fighting her growing attraction.

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July 2020; Harlequin Desire; 978-1335209214
ebook, print (224 pages); romance

A Reunion of Rivals takes place in the fictional town of Magnolia Lake, Tennessee as part of the Bourbon Brothers series. As one of the Abbott brothers, Max is in charge of promoting the family distillery's latest offering, a peach brandy made from the fruit collected at Quinn's grandfather's farm. As with any second chance romance, the attraction is still there, enough that Max's siblings see behavior changes. The situation requires that the two work closely together, increasing the tension between them and testing their resolve to forget the summer fling they had thirteen years before.

Of course, there are opportunities for the physical attraction to flare, and for them to try to make a no strings attached deal for sex. I really enjoyed the interactions with Max's siblings Cole and Zora, and how they both subtly tried to push Max and Quinn together. The Abbott family is very close, and I enjoyed seeing everyone react in a real way to each others' foibles. They also band together when in trouble, a wonderful trait in every family.

I enjoyed reading this a lot, as much for the family relationships as for the romantic one between Max and Quinn. The rest of this series, which I hadn't read, is bound to be just as good, and I need to look them up.

Buy A Reunion of Rivals at Amazon

Read an excerpt

“Morning, Max.” A wide smile spread across Dixon Bazemore’s face as they both rose to their feet and shook hands. The old man had been the owner of Bazemore Orchards longer than Max had been alive. “Good to see you, young man.”

“You, too, Mr. B.” Molly’s instincts about the reason for the meeting had been right. Why else would Dixon Bazemore be here? Still, he asked, “What brings you to see us today?”

“We’ll go over everything during the meeting,” Max’s father interjected. “We’re waiting for one more person.”

Max glanced around the table. All of the members of the executive committee were present. His grandfather and father. His brothers Blake and Parker, the operations VP and CFO, respectively. Blake’s wife, Savannah—the company’s events manager. Zora, him and his father’s admin, Lianna, who was there to take notes.

“Who are we—”

“I’m sorry. I got a little turned around finding my way back here from the parking lot. But I’ve got your portfolio, Grandad.”

Max snapped his attention in the direction of the familiar voice. He hadn’t heard it in more than a decade, but he would never, ever forget it. His mouth went dry, and his heart thudded so loudly he was sure his sister could hear it.

“Peaches?” He scanned the brown eyes that stared back at him through narrowed slits.

“Quinn.” She was gorgeous, despite the slightly irritated flare of her nostrils and the stiff smile that barely revealed her dimples. “Hello, Max.”

The good to see you was notably absent. But what should he expect? It was his fault they hadn’t parted on the best of terms.

Quinn settled into the empty seat beside her grandfather. She handed the old man a worn leather portfolio, then squeezed his arm. The genuine smile that lit her brown eyes and activated those killer dimples was firmly in place again.

Max had been the cause of that magnificent smile nearly every day that summer between his junior and senior years of college when he’d interned at Bazemore Orchards.

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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