Romance month: A Heart So Familiar

A Friday focus from the upcoming novel by bestseller

Raine Thomas

Paige was proud of how level her voice sounded considering the thunderous beat of her heart. She had assumed she’d find Shane on the other side of the door. He had promised to drop by after dinner with Christian to let her know how things had gone. Instead, she found herself face-to-face with the guy she had hoped she’d never see again.

And Shane had best believe he was going to hear about it later.

“Hello, Paige,” Christian said.

She hated how calm and casual he sounded. She hated how good he looked in his jeans, soft gray sweater, and black leather jacket. She hated how his intense blue eyes still sent erotic thrills through her … hated that the sensation was even more intense now that he was no longer the awkward teenage boy she had lost her heart to all those years ago. And she hated that she cared about any of those things, as it told her she had completely failed to put the past behind her like she had convinced herself she had.

Annoyance infused her tone when she replied, “Hello? That’s hardly a greeting that’s going to win me over to do whatever it is you want.”

“Why would you assume I’m here to ask you for something?”

“That’s the only reason you’d be standing here right now.” When his jaw worked and he didn’t respond, she knew she had been right. “Here’s a tip for you, Reinhardt. Start with a compliment if you want something from someone.” She wanted to add, “Especially someone you hurt as much as you hurt me,” but wasn’t about to give him that satisfaction.

He started to speak, then shook his head. “Look,” he said at last, “I didn’t want to leave without stopping by. Now that I’ve reconnected with Shane, it’s inevitable that you and I are going to see each other now and again. I had hoped we could—”

He stopped short when a large drop of water fell from the sky and hit him squarely on his nose. The sight of him blinking in bemusement almost made her laugh. He looked at her as though she had spat at him.

Seconds later, the skies opened up. Icy rain cascaded in sheets beyond the small, covered doorway in which Paige stood.

Christian cursed. Before she read his intent, he abruptly moved to within mere inches of her, cramming himself under the narrow overhang above her door. She gaped at him, her head tilted back so she could meet his gaze.

“What the hell are you doing?” she asked.

“Trying to get out of the rain.”

He issued another curse and somehow managed to get even closer. She realized the rain was still hitting the back of his head and likely sliding inside the collar of his jacket.

“You should go get into your car and head home,” she insisted.

He gave her adry look. “Are you really going to make me hobble back to my car on these crutches in this weather?”

The shields around her heart urged her to say yes. She needed to put as much distance between them as possible.

The desire to know what he was going to say before it started raining won out.

“Fine.”

A Heart So Familiar: A Hockey Romance (The Atlanta Siege Book 2)

He’s the NHL’s Golden Boy, the Atlanta Siege’s All-Star goalie, and the crusher of hearts … at least when it comes to one woman from his past.

Hockey has been Christian Reinhardt’s focus since he was nine years old. When an injury threatens to take that from him, he’s forced to start planning a future off the ice. Now the gaming app he’s been coding on the side is priority number one.

The kicker? The woman who can get him access to the beta testers he needs is the one whose heart he once shattered.

She’s a woman on a mission, determined to do whatever it takes to achieve her dreams … until that means aligning with the one guy she hoped never to see again.

Getting rejected by her first love taught Paige O’Connell to focus on her career rather than romance. Now a registered dietician and private chef, she’s met all her goals except getting her food on retail shelves, and it’s looking like it’s going to take a miracle to make that happen.

Go figure that her miracle shows up in the form of Christian Reinhardt. With his squeaky-clean image, huge fan base, and finely-honed physique, he’s exactly the spokesperson she needs.

It starts as a tentative truce that quickly ignites a familiar spark. How it all ends will depend on whether Christian can convince Paige to give him one more chance at protecting her heart.

Game on.

A Heart So Famliar will be available on your favorite e-tailer on March 4, 2022.

About the author

Raine Thomas is a multiple award-winning author of bestselling romance. Known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination, Raine has signed with multiple award-winning Back Fence Productions to bring her popular Daughters of Saraqael trilogy to the big screen. She’s a proud indie author who is living the dream.

Raine is a hopeless romantic with a background in the fields of mental health and wedding planning…two areas that intersect far more than one would think. Her years working with children and young adults with emotional and behavioral challenges inspired her to create protagonists who overcome their own conflicts.

When she isn’t writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites, Raine can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.

Raine loves to hear from readers! You can connect with her here: