SHADES OF SYDNEY(A Sydney West Novel #1)
Sydney West enjoys sampling summer boys, but this year, one refuses to be a one-night stand…
Twenty-one-year-old Sydney doesn’t believe in relationships. Her parents’ toxic divorce has taught her love is nothing but a sinister fairytale. So every summer she parties, hooks up, abandons her lover before dawn, and repeats.
That is until she meets gorgeous local surfer Jason King at the beach…
When Jason fails to flirt—or even give her a second glance—she decides something must be wrong with him, and it’s safer to stay away. But when Sydney and Jason’s best friends hook up and become Malibu’s hottest couple, they are forced to spend more time together than either of them cares for.
Armed with a sharp tongue, Sydney works to keep Jason at bay…
In a moment of weakness, Sydney lets her guard down and confides in Jason, realizing he’s more than just a hot guy—he’s also a friend. And when Sydney’s need for a summer boy results in her falling into bed with Jason, despite her better judgment, she runs away from him by morning.
The problem is, he won’t accept being another one-night stand, and will do anything to prove…
Love really does exist.
BREAKING DOWN SYDNEY (A Sydney West Novel #2)
Sydney West’s new relationship might have survived Malibu, but her transformation from party girl to girlfriend isn’t complete…
Sydney is back in Arizona, and with the fall semester at her doorstep, doubts about her so-called summer love start to plague her. A good girl can only stay good for so long. Jason King changed her and made her wonder if love was real. But now, far from his charm, and with the party scene on campus in full swing, the magic is fading…
Jason isn’t willing to let distance drive a wedge between them…
A surprise reunion and a romantic cabin getaway is enough to reignite their summertime spark, but Sydney isn’t convinced this whole monogamous, meeting-your-parents thing Jason wants is possible. No boy has ever met her mother. Then, when a sudden family tragedy strikes, it sends her spiraling into her old habits of booze and boys.
Sydney can only hide from her past for so long…
In the fog of drowning her sorrows, Sydney realizes her former party lifestyle won’t make her happy. Her one-night stands ended with Jason. As much as she wants to believe in that far-fetched fairytale ending, she’s afraid if Jason finds out about all her summer boys, he will abandon her just like her father did.
Jason refuses to settle for the superficial shell Sydney keeps between them, though, and is determined to…
Break Down Sydney once and for all.
SHADES OF SYDNEY (Book 1):
BREAKING DOWN SYDNEY (Book 2):
Excerpt 1:
We went for a hike in the woods. Amelia and Hunter were pros, putting a few yards between them and Jason and me. I didn’t mind. Amelia was like a drill sergeant. There was no need for that when you were trying to enjoy nature’s beauty.
“Come here,” Jason whispered into the shell of my ear. Before I could answer, he was pulling me off the trail.
“You know the trail is here for a reason. If we get lost, it’s on you.”
His teeth tugged on my earlobe. He said, “Will you stop? We’re not going far.”
The wind blew lightly through the trees and birds were singing. Internal flames ate away at my body. I gave into Jason and let him take me to the unknown.
He stopped in front of a fat pine tree. I gave him a curious look as he circled its trunk and brushed his hand along its bark.
“Should I leave the two of you alone?” I joked.
Jason smirked at me before pulling out a pocket knife. I felt my face go from being curious to alarmed.
“Wh—?”
“Watch.” Jason dug the blade into the bark, carving into the tree.
I stood at his side as he chipped away. After a few minutes, I could make out a heart shape. He then put our initials into the center of the heart.
“There,” he said, standing back to admire his handiwork. “Now we’ll forever live here.”
Something inside me pulled me toward the tree. It was like I had to run my fingers down the new carving to make sure it was real.
The tree would forever bear our initials, through the test of time. I stared at the “JK + SW” within the heart.
“I can honestly say no boy has ever done this for me.”
Jason smiled, putting away his knife. “No? Good to know I’m ahead of the game.”
We went for a hike in the woods. Amelia and Hunter were pros, putting a few yards between them and Jason and me. I didn’t mind. Amelia was like a drill sergeant. There was no need for that when you were trying to enjoy nature’s beauty.
“Come here,” Jason whispered into the shell of my ear. Before I could answer, he was pulling me off the trail.
“You know the trail is here for a reason. If we get lost, it’s on you.”
His teeth tugged on my earlobe. He said, “Will you stop? We’re not going far.”
The wind blew lightly through the trees and birds were singing. Internal flames ate away at my body. I gave into Jason and let him take me to the unknown.
He stopped in front of a fat pine tree. I gave him a curious look as he circled its trunk and brushed his hand along its bark.
“Should I leave the two of you alone?” I joked.
Jason smirked at me before pulling out a pocket knife. I felt my face go from being curious to alarmed.
“Wh—?”
“Watch.” Jason dug the blade into the bark, carving into the tree.
I stood at his side as he chipped away. After a few minutes, I could make out a heart shape. He then put our initials into the center of the heart.
“There,” he said, standing back to admire his handiwork. “Now we’ll forever live here.”
Something inside me pulled me toward the tree. It was like I had to run my fingers down the new carving to make sure it was real.
The tree would forever bear our initials, through the test of time. I stared at the “JK + SW” within the heart.
“I can honestly say no boy has ever done this for me.”
Jason smiled, putting away his knife. “No? Good to know I’m ahead of the game.”
Excerpt 2:
Jason set a warm cup of coffee in front of me. I blinked a few times before cradling the cup against my chest. I sipped it, letting the hot liquid scorch my throat.
“Don’t drink it too fast. You’ll burn off all your taste buds,” Jason warned.
With the cup back on the table, I glared at him. What does he see in me? Why would anyone want to help someone like me? I’m no good, just need to be thrown away.
“Why are you here?” I asked more to myself than to Jason.
“Excuse me?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Why are you so nice to me all the time? I don’t deserve it. I—” Tears fell down my cheeks. Would I never stop crying after all this?
I am broken.
Jason cupped my chin with his hand, forcing me to look at him. “I love you, Sydney. I love the good in you. I love your flaws. I love every piece of you. The sooner you realize what love means the sooner you can stop feeling broken.”
How does he know I feel broken?
Excerpt 3:
The moon was high and full. It shined into the open window and cast Jason in a heavenly light. His collarbones were perfection to kiss. Jason caught my chin with his fingertips and forced me to lift my head. His lips molded to mine, taking me in. I couldn’t help but giggle. I still couldn’t believe Jason was in my bed.
“So, how long do I get the pleasure of having you?” I purred.
Jason sat up against the pillows, moving his arm from around my shoulders to move his body a few inches higher. I felt lighter without his touch. To get comfortable again, I folded my arms across his chest and rested my chin on them.
“I’m here for a while…”
I tipped my head to the side. “What’s a while? I thought you came for a visit because the holidays seemed so far away.”
He rubbed his jaw, locking eyes with me. “It hurt too much to be without you so…I transferred.”
“Transferred?”
He couldn’t be serious. My heart did a flip, trying to get out of my ribcage.
“Mmm-hmm, I attend this university now, so you can’t get rid of me anytime soon.” He gave me the biggest grin I’d ever seen.
I backed away from him, sitting on the foot of the bed. “Are you telling me the truth?” It was too berserk to be real. Why would he move to Arizona for me? He loved me that much?
“When you left that day in California, I felt lost. After a while, I realized a piece of me was missing. I think you were right about the distance. It would’ve hurt us. Talking with you via texting and such was fun, but it only reminded me that I couldn’t touch you whenever I wanted. So I requested a transfer and didn’t want to tell you in case something didn’t work out. Plus I wanted to surprise you,” he said, reaching across the bed to toy with a strand of my long hair.
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