Book: Paradise Hops
Author: Liz Crowe
Heroine: Lorelei Elsbeth Brockton
Lorelei Elsbeth Brockton has been through hell and back.
By the time she is being prepped to take the reigns of her
family’s famous craft brewery, she has lost her mother to cancer and been the
victim of a brutal attack.
Her father, who was a single, heavy-handed parent through
her teenage years has determined that the best way for her to finally get past
the horror is to learn every aspect of the Brockton Brewing Company. So by the start of PARADISE HOPS, she has
spent eight to nine months in three different departments of the brewing company,
including the popular brewpub, ordering/scheduling and accounting. Her next rotation is on the actual brewery
floor, with the newly hired Eli Buchanan, hot shot, creative diva brewer. Who is also 6 foot 5 inch walking sex on a
stick.
In the meantime however, she has met Garrett Hunter, the new
general manager her father has hired.
And is slowly but surely falling for him. Garrett is handsome, stable, organized,
steady and very much in love with her.
He hears the story of her attack and gets even more determined to fix
her, to make her happy.
Paradise Hops is ultimately the story of personal growth—for
Lori, but also for the men in her life.
It is NOT a ménage. I have written those, don’t get me wrong—they are a
fun fantasy. But with this book I wanted to explore the real life conundrum
faced by a woman who honestly believed she would never, ever feel loved
again. Only to find herself torn between
two amazing men—one who is perfect, and the other who is most definitely not.
She emerges from the shell of her former self thanks to the
nurturing love of one man, and the white hot attraction to another.
To quote a key character, Mrs. Anderson, who is the longest
running employee of the Brockton Brewing Company, when she is talking to
Garrett trying to convince him to be patient with Lori:
"After that
terrible incident, she literally became a different person. She wouldn't leave
her dad's house, stayed in her old room for months. Made her dad get rid of the
piano she loved. We all tiptoed around here for almost a year. Mr. B would blow
up at the slightest provocation, but we all let him do it. We understood."
She shook her head, and wiped her eyes. Garrett frowned but didn't know what to
say so he kept his mouth shut.
"Finally, one day
she appeared, a shrunken, scared version of herself. Her father declared her
'well' and 'ready to work' and that's when the rotations began. She started in
distribution, worked the warehouse for about nine months. Then went to the pub,
doing everything from food prep, to bartending. I was so worried about her. She
lost more weight, hardly talked to anyone. We all said we'd give anything to
witness a good knock down drag out between her and her father, like the old
days."
Garrett looked out the
window, realizing where this was headed. He closed his eyes and fought the need
to get up and pace.
"Then, Mr. B. tells
us he's hired a manager. A general business manager. Someone who will take over
most likely, and here you are." Mrs. Anderson stared at him, making him
squirm. "The old Lori is back, Garrett, and we have you to thank. But that
means you have to understand her, stop trying to be so controlling because that Lori won't be controlled.
Thinking you can, will only lead to your unhappiness."
She stood. "I've
watched you and her. I see what's happening, and I can't think of a better
thing than for you two to be together. You balance each other, but only if you
are willing to let go a little. Otherwise, it will never work."
He frowned. "So,
who's giving her the little pep talk about how swell I am?" He couldn't
help himself.
The woman smiled and
patted his shoulder. "Oh, hon, Lori has twenty or so moms and big sisters,
and even a few big brothers, in this building. I'm pretty sure somebody has, or
is right now."
"I hate this."
"But you love
her."
He nodded, not speaking.
She smiled at him.
"Well then, that's really all you need. Trust me. That and patience.
She'll see the light."
She turned to go as
her desk phone started ringing. Then threw out something that Garrett would
remember for a long time. "You know, as much as I hate to admit it, it's
as if between you and that horrible man Eli, you brought our Lori back."
PARADISE HOPS does not boast traditional heroes or heroines.
There are no firefighters, cops, CEO’s, cowboys, vampires, demons or black-ops
specialists. There are, however, people.
And if the early reviews are to be believed, they are people whose story is
compelling, difficult, and in the end, a joy to behold.
Paradise Hops Blurb:
A
brutal
attack left
Lori Brockton convinced she
was damaged goods. By the time she emerges from hiding two years later, ready to run her family's
famous brewery, she's determined to be independent--never rely on anyone ever
again.
Nearly a
year
of working in every corner
of Brockton Brewing Company, from warehouse to pub, front office to kitchen, teaches her all she needs
to know about the business. Then, she comes face-to-face with
masculine perfection in a suit and her world is rocked in more ways than one.
Garrett Hunter is the new Brockton business manager who takes one look at
the beautiful, sad young woman and his entire existence coalesces around
winning her heart.
But
standing between Garrett and what
he believes is his true love, is a six-feet six-inch blond-haired bad boy brewer.
Eli Buchannan is a craft beer rock star, recently hired by Brockton to drag the
company into the 21st century. He brings innovation and attitude plus a
prima donna ladies man reputation. But he's sworn off anything
resembling commitment, personal or professional, after getting burned at his last job on both
fronts.
Garrett Hunter is “The Perfect Man” -- handsome, successful,
stable, eager to settle down. Eli Buchannan... is not. Compelling, smoking hot, creative
and elusive, he represents everything Lori Brockton should avoid. But
just as she makes a difficult choice, a drastic life-changing shift occurs, and
nothing is ever the same again.
Buy links:
Liz bio:
Microbrewery owner,
best-selling author, beer blogger and journalist, mom of three teenagers, and
soccer fan, Liz lives in the great Midwest, in a major college town. Years of experience in sales and fund
raising, plus an eight-year stint as an ex-pat trailing spouse, plus making her
way in a world of men (i.e. the beer industry), has prepped her for life as
erotic romance author.
When she isn't sweating inventory and sales figures for the
brewery, she can be found writing, editing or sweating promotional efforts for
her latest publications.
Her groundbreaking romance subgenre, “Romance for Real
Life,” has gained thousands of fans and followers who are interested less in
the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”)
Her beer blog a2beerwench.com is nationally recognized for
its insider yet outsider views on the craft beer industry. Her books are set in
the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch and in high-powered
real estate offices. Don’t ask her for
anything “like” a Budweiser or risk painful injury.
