Cruel and Beautiful (Cruel & Beautiful #1)

I lean over and kiss her, careful not to wake our children.

Then I see it. Her face forms a frown. “It’s time.”

I nod, grateful Shannon has been staying with us. She wanted to be here to help. She doesn’t have classes the next few days and offered to come and stay for this very reason. I pick up the kids and carry them to bed. I tuck them in and kiss their foreheads. On the way, I knock on Shannon’s door and tell her what’s going on.

Then I walk back down and gather my formidable wife in my arms remembering how messed up I’d been when she left me the first time. I’d assumed after that I’d never find love. But fate brought us back together and I knew I had to win her over. Even if we did have to fight to overcome the cruel, we hung on to the beautiful and it was damn worth it.





A Final Word



Life is strange in that you often believe it is a compilation of events that mold you into the person you eventually turn out to be. In my case, however, I believe Drew McKnight (not his real name) impacted me in such a way, everything else paled in comparison. My Drew rearranged my priorities and turned me into the person I am today. The Drew in this novel is as close to the real man as I could make him. He was kind and generous, and never had a bad thing to say about anyone. I wrote it in the pages of this book, and I'll say it again here-only the good die young. AMH



A Thank You



We'd like to thank you for taking the time out of your busy life to read our novel. Above all we hope you loved it. If you did, we would love it back if you could spare just a few more minutes to leave a review on your favorite e-tailer. If you do, could you be so kind and not leave any spoilers about the big twist in the story? Thanks so much!





About the Authors

A.M. Hargrove

Reader, Writer, Dark Chocolate Lover, Ice Cream Worshipper, Coffee Drinker, Lover of Grey Goose (and an extra dirty martini), Puppy Lover, and if you’re ever around me for more than five minutes, you’ll find out I’m a talker.

A.M. Hargrove divides her time between the mountains of North Carolina and the upstate of South Carolina where she pursues her dream career of writing. If she could change anything in the world, she would make chocolate and ice cream a part of the USDA food groups. Annie writes romance in several genres, including adult, new adult, and young adult. Her books usually include lots of suspense and thrills and she sometimes ventures into the paranormal, sci-fi and fantasy blend.



Terri E. Laine

Wife and mother of three, I’ve always been an avid reader. In my early years, my best friend and I would tell each other stories over the phone when we were bored. We called them our “soap operas” and generally revolved around whatever boy we liked at the time.

Over five years ago, I got this crazy idea to write a novel and try to publish it. And the rest is history. This journey has been a blessing, and a dream realized. I look forward to many more memories to come.

A.M. Hargrove & Terri E. Laine's books