A New Day

Rebound rules were made to be broken.

Haley Salsborough has had it with the pompous jerk she married. Catching him with her “best friend” rather crossed the line, to say the least. A relationship is lowest on her list of priorities when she moves home to Foothills, but a rebound…

Professional football player Finn Halseth’s life has gone to crap the last six months. He’s not looking for anything serious, but a summer fling…

Zoe looked from him to the massive box of condoms and back to him again. Evan raised an eyebrow at the mismatched socks and ripped up college shirt. Pops appeared behind them a moment later, his mouth opening and closing like a salmon gasping for its last breath.

“Uh,” Pops said. “Going somewhere?”

Biting his tongue, he grinned sheepishly at the trio. “I’ve got a date.”

Evan crossed his arms over his chest, nodding as he pretended to be okay with Finn’s sudden change in demeanor. “Kinda gathered that bit. No offense, but are you sure you’re ready for… that many condoms?”

“Well not all tonight. We’ll save some for tomorrow morning.” He picked up the box and juggled it in the air.

Yeah, she’d kill him. But she would absolutely never talk to him again if he lied to her.

But what, was he going to say? By the way, Haley, the woman I’m rebounding from is your oldest friend. But I’m sure she won’t mind.

That sounded so crass. Didn’t this whole twisted triangle break the rebound rules? But he wasn’t ready to give Haley up. Not yet.

Grady hung back and hiked alongside him. “So,” he said.

“So?” Finn shrugged, playing dumb. He didn’t need the lecture right now. Deserved it, but didn’t have the energy for it.

“So. You and my sister?”

“It’s not like that.”

“She falls down cliff, and you go diving after her before the rest of us can even figure out what happened? What is it not like, exactly?”

“She’s a friend. I… She’s just out of an epically terrible marriage, not looking for anything. My life’s been a cluster the last few months. We’re, well… we’re having a rebound thing.” Wow, there is no way he could explain it without sounding like a complete jerk.

Thunder shook the house as morning closed in around them. Haley breathed in one last taste of Finn.

Zoe was right. They were crossing lines they hadn’t intended. Last night, they’d broken all the rebound rules.

Still frozen in place, she about melted to the floor when he finally looked her way. “Hey,” he called over the customers he’d just finished serving. “Grab a seat wherever you’d like.”

Remembering he wasn’t a figment of her imagination, that she was hungry–and not just for those biceps–she snagged one of the last seats. He snagged a menu from the unattended hostess’ podium and met her across the bar.

“Thanks,” she whispered on a controlled exhale. Her pulse pounded through her limbs, straight down to her core as she accepted the menu and met his gaze.

What people are saying about A New Day

"Author Carrie Thorne once again tosses readers into a feel-good love story spiral with A New Day. The unabashedly honest narrative tone pulls readers into a small-town whirlwind romance with the potential for so much more. Loyal readers of this series will appreciate the occasional callbacks to old characters, and the ever-expanding charm of Foothills. Ideal for a long guilty pleasure of an afternoon, fans of full-blooded romance, football, and unexpected flings will all find something to smirk at in this well-penned installment." Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★½

I am a fan of the author’s and I loved how this book intertwined sports terminology, inspiration from the eyes of an interior designer, and the voice and mind of an independent woman finding her voice and place in the world. The author’s style of writing makes reading fun, easy, and creates a memorable experience. I have read most of her books in her backlist and I am so glad that I found her because she is becoming one of my go-to authors. I highly recommend this book, the Foothills series, and all the books in the author’s backlist.

Reader Review on BookBub

“Thanks,” she said, smoothing her dress. “So. Hungry?”
Biting his lip, Finn nodded. “Yes. But let’s have dinner first.”

Carrie Thorne Tweet