When Fates Collide
Author: Isabelle Richards
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Release Date: 28 January 2015
Life can change in the blink of an eye. One moment, Lily is trapped in a loveless marriage. In a split second she is free, but at what cost? Her mundane life is set into a freefall of tragedy and terror. Her husband may be out of her life, but he left a storm of collateral damage behind and the burden is on Lily to sort it out.
Fate connects Lily with Gavin, a charmingly handsome British gentleman that has been drawn into her tangled circumstance. Gavin is everything Lily’s husband wasn’t and gives her hope that love really does exist. Gavin wants nothing more than to sweep Lily up and carry her off into the sunset, far away from the devastation left behind by her husband. Gavin has been the first breath of fresh air in her life, but she isn’t looking to be saved. She needs to clean up her husband’s mess and find a way to save herself in the process.
Does she throw caution to the wind and open her heart? Or listen to her head that tells her and go it alone until she’s found herself again?
“No matter how little I’ve cared about money, it’s always ended up controlling me. The only time I was truly free was when I walked away from it all, but I was too young and rebellious to appreciate the freedom for what it was.”
It’s interesting that the thing that had always made me feel stuck on the outside looking in as a girl is the same thing that has imprisoned him. I try to picture him growing up, poor rich boy that can’t trust if anyone really likes him for him or his moneybags. Then it occurs to me. “Oh god, are you a lord? I’m not calling you Lord Gavin. No way in hell.”
Finally a smile. “I’m technically a lord, and yes, I think Lord Gavin will do just nicely.”
I laugh, and it hurts like hell, so I punch him in the gut. “No more making me laugh!”
He grabs his stomach and rolls to the side. “Yes, Lady Lily,” he groans. He collects our trays and takes them to the kitchen, returning soon with his laptop in tow.
I lay back and close my eyes, losing track of times as he sits on the bed beside me and works. Rethinking everything he’s just said, I begin to wonder.
“Have you ever worried that I’m only after your money?” I look over at him.
He glances up from his laptop. “Of anyone I’ve ever met, you’ve been the least interested in my wealth. You might be the only woman I’ve been with that didn’t look at me with pound signs in her eyes.”
“I can’t remember, is that better or worse than dollar signs? The whole conversion thing throws me off,” I say jokingly.
He rolls his eyes and goes back to work. The subject isn’t entirely settled for me though. “Not because it matters, but I’m curious,” I say. “Exactly how high up in the economic stratosphere are you?”
He stops typing. “High. So please stop fretting about me paying for things.”
I pull the blanket further up around me. “My concern isn’t really about the money. It’s about me taking care of myself.”
He continues to type as he speaks. “It’s ironic. My whole life people have only wanted me for money. The first person I actually want to share my money with wants nothing to do with it.”
“Don’t know what to tell you, Oxford. You can’t always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need.”
He kisses the tip of my nose. “Thank you, Mick Jagger. But I think you’re both.”
“You’d best remember that.”
Isabelle Richards
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Isabelle Richards spent years as a speech writer before tackling fiction. An avid reader of all genres, Isabelle is drawn to romance novels as they provide an escape from daily life. Through her complex cast of characters, Isabelle creates a sanctuary for readers to dive into for a break from reality.When she is not writing, Isabelle works as an advocate for persons with disabilities in Washington, DC. Her two yellow labs are her writing partners, although they frequently sleep on the job.
