Blurb:
Widowed photographer Ivy Langdon avoids people in general after her
husband’s death. She ventures out days before Christmas for last
minute gifts and stumbles into the middle of a terrorist attack in
London. Will her luck ever change?
Steven Samuels and his partner Gareth Richardson are called in with
their company, Blackbird Security Firm, to rescue the hostages.
They never expected to find their perfect mate while saving the
world. The more the two wolves learn about Ivy, the more that
they want to make her theirs.
Love is never simple or straight-forward and life is often stranger
than fiction.
Ivy finds herself drawn into a strange world of shifters and human
traffickers.
Can love’s true bite find her before trouble does?
Excerpt:
With
Christmas right around the corner, Ivy reluctantly ventured out to
pick up presents for her family and friends. She would have
preferred to stay in her flat to watch re-runs of the Vicar of
Dibley. She had been half-way through the holiday’s specials.
Squeezing
between a group gathered outside Harvey Nichols, Ivy made her way
into the store and rode the escalator to the second floor. She tuned
out the couple in front of her who were arguing about what to
purchase for their son. She tried to map out her shopping plans in
her mind, hoping to save time and get her away from the happy
shoppers as quickly as bloody possible.
As
she stepped off the escalator, an explosion on the first floor rocked
the entire building to its foundation. The lights overhead flickered
several times as ceiling tiles fell and shattered on the ground in
front of her. Ivy ducked her head quickly to avoid the dust and
debris in the air.
Gunfire
followed the explosion and sent everyone into a mass of swirling
panic. A passing stranger in the fray knocked Ivy to the floor.
Crawling through the swarming chaos to hide behind a nearby perfume
counter, she noticed a cabinet large enough for her to squeeze her
petite frame inside. She dove in and slid the door shut.
The
shouts and screams seemed to continue forever, though her watch told
her it had been ten minutes at most. Ivy turned her phone on silent
and sent a quick text to a friend who had been in Alec’s unit. She
didn’t dare place a call, but someone had to let the authorities
know there were survivors in the store.
For
now.
After
several tense moments of waiting, Ivy pulled her phone back out to
frantically check the news. It was impossible to know how long the
cabinet would remain safe though moving didn’t seem like that good
of an idea either. Her friend texted a response to say the police
were on their way, and she should do her best to avoid detection.
Avoid
detection.
Very
bloody helpful.
She
already knew that much. Alec had been a military man. They’d known
each other long before University. He proposed during their second
year there. Over four happy years of marriage. He had made
sure to teach her the basics of self-defence and security awareness.
Not for the first time in two years, Ivy missed him so much her heart
ached.
Ivy
sat in the cramped cupboard for close to an hour when she realised
that she desperately needed the loo. Bugger. She couldn’t
risk it, could she? The restrooms were directly across from where she
was hiding.
Another
ten minutes passed.
It
was time to try to either run for the loo or piss herself. Deciding
she didn’t relish sitting in her own urine (not very pleasant),
she cautiously eased the door open and waited for any signs of
the armed men. She didn’t know if the silence was comforting or
terrifying.
Keeping
low to the ground, Ivy crawled along the floor. It brought back
memories of watching her husband when he had been training young
recruits. She could hear his deep voice in her head describing the
best and quietest way to low-crawl. She made it into the loo without
being seen.
She
finished her business as her mother liked to call it. The
difficult decision now was whether to stay in the toilets or make her
way back to the little cubbyhole. She glanced around the room with
an assessing eye. If the terrorist bastards decided to come inside,
there was nowhere to hide effectively from them.
Back
to the cupboard.
Definitely.
Retracing
her route across the floor seemed somehow more daunting as Ivy
started to make her move. She was halfway to her cupboard when a
strong hand grabbed the back of her coat and lifted her off the
ground. His other hand clamped around her mouth to muffle the scream
she’d been about to utter. He dragged her backwards into what
appeared to be a staff locker room.
Bugger.
Oh,
bloody hell.
The
second he had her backed into the staff room, Ivy went from passive
captive to violently struggling to escape. She had no intention of
going without some sort of a fight. His hands pinned her arms to her
side and crushed her back against his body.
She
closed her eyes and waited for the knife or gunshot she knew was
bound to come; the irony of dying two days before Christmas was not
lost on her. She tried desperately not to fidget. She realized
after a moment that she hadn’t actually felt a weapon at any point.
In fact, the hands holding her while firm were also very gentle.
Taking
a deep breath to calm herself, Ivy was surprised at how good the man
smelled; he reminded her of dark chocolate and something exotically
spicy. She told her mind and body to behave themselves. She would
not lust over a perfect stranger who was probably about to
murder her.
Why
the hell hasn’t he done something yet?
Review by Guest Blogger Angela:
In Ivy, Donovan tells a
wonderful story that automatically draws you in. The characters are well
thought out and lovable. She brings a different twist to the alpha wolf
world and it works. I loved all of the characters, and want to see more
of them. Ivy isn't a helpless woman who constantly needs rescuing. She
is smart, and isn't one to cover up when she is in danger from those who
care about her. That in itself is refreshing!
IVY is about a
young woman living in London who lost her husband three years ago to
cancer. Ivy has shut herself off from the world, somewhat, and only
takes a photography assignment when she needs the money. She ventures
out right before Christmas to get the obligatory family presents when
the store she is shopping in is attacked.
Enter two very
attractive and capable men, Steven and Gareth, who are securing the
building and find Ivy hiding in the building. Little does Ivy know that
the two men are Alpha Wolves, and they have found her as their mate. Ivy
has a strange sense of calm whenever they are near. With everything
going on around them, she dismisses it as simply her being distraught
with the attack.
Over the next few says, Ivy, Steven, and Gareth
form a friendship that Ivy can not explain. She feels completely at
home with both men, and they seem to be fine with that. Events relating
to the security business Steven and Gareth run take place that have both
men in overprotective mode over Ivy's safety. I don't want to tell you
too much about the book, because you really need to read it for
yourself. The only thing I would change is the length. I want MORE of
Steven, Gareth, and Ivy! I hope there are more books with these
characters!
Can Ivy come to terms with her place in Gareth and
Steven's world? Can they make Ivy see that her place is with them? Will
Ivy finally move on from the past and move forward with Gareth and
Steven? As you know... I'll never tell! ;) ~A
5Amazeballs Stars!!!
About
the Author:
Dahlia is a bit of a
hermit. She’s happiest with a large mug of coffee or tea (two
sugars and drop or two of milk) and a good book. She lives for
comfortable jeans and over-sized sweaters. Ivy is her first
novel and it started life as an attempt to complete National Novel
Writing Month.
Find Ivy online:
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/432322
Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ivy-dahlia-donovan/1119370357?ean=2940045856201
Amazon:
GoodReads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22028497-ivy
Giveaway for 3 key chains(US only), 3 Copies of Ivy - .pdf (Int) and a grand prize of a $30.00 Amazon Giftcard (also Int):
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5ffd4d1/
