Book Crazy: Book Blitz & Giveaway: Molly [Pendleton Promises 02] by Shanna Hatfield!

Excerpt!

Nervous and unsettled, Friday almost remained on the train rather than step off to greet Molly. He might have done exactly that if Harley John hadn’t given him a nudge forward and forced him to get off the passenger car.

Friday glowered over his shoulder at his friend as he moved down the steps to the platform.

“It’ll be fine, Fitz. Molly has been so wound up to see you, she probably won’t even care that you smell weird and are hopping with cooties,” Harley John taunted.

The glower deepened to a dark scowl as Friday removed his new hat and ran a hand over his head. Despite the fact that he was and had been cootie-free for months, he could still imagine them crawling all over him. It might take years before he got over the paranoia.

“I don’t stink any more than you do,” Friday tossed at Harley John as they made their way across the platform.

They’d both taken baths the previous evening, dressed with care in new uniforms, and polished their boots until they shined.

Despite their spiffy appearances, Friday felt anxiety getting the best of him. What if Molly didn’t like him after spending time with him in person? After all, they’d only seen each other that one day months ago just before all the fighting got underway. What if he saw her and realized all their letters and harmless flirting was just a way to pass the time? To give him something to think about other than the war?

Assailed by a barrage of questions to which he had no answers, he had no further time for introspection or doubts. They’d just stepped off the platform when two women waved to them.

Immediately, Friday recognized Molly. She looked even prettier than he’d remembered. The uniform she wore appeared fresh and crisp on her slender frame. Her beautiful brown hair was in the same soft style she’d fashioned it in last year. But it was her smile, full of welcome and affection, that made his heart begin to pound in his chest.

Whatever worries might have plagued him the past few days instantly disappeared as he and Harley John rushed over to Molly and Sadie. Before they reached the two women, Sadie launched herself into Harley John’s arms and he swung her around with such exuberance her hat ended up over one eye. She laughed, shoved the hat up, and covered her husband’s face with kisses without a care to propriety.

Friday took a step closer to Molly, uncertain if he should politely tip his hat, give her a hug, or kiss her like he’d dreamed of doing for the past seven months.

Molly quirked an eyebrow and grinned, as though in challenge. Friday forgot about everything except the amazing woman he’d waited so long to set his eyes on again. Before he could think better of it, he wrapped Molly in a tight hug, breathing in the lovely fragrance of her, marveling at how perfectly she fit into his arms. Despite his longing to kiss her, he didn’t intend for their first one to be in such a public place.

She was a dream of the very best kind, and one from which he never wanted to awaken. When she pulled away from him, he let her go, but noisily smacked both of her cheeks, making her blush.

“You’re a regular Frenchman now,” she teased and Friday relaxed. This was the Molly he knew so well from the letters they’d exchanged. The woman he’d fallen in love with months ago, the first time she’d looked his way.

Inspired by the Hello Girls, America’s first women soldiers who helped win World War I.

She longs to make a difference.

He yearns to claim her heart.

After years of managing the Pendleton telephone office, Molly Thorsen answers the call for women to serve as telephone operators during World War I. Upon her arrival in France, she navigates the challenges of working near the front lines and battles the prejudices and skepticism of the men around her. Determined to prove her worth and skill, Molly faces adversity head-on while unexpectedly falling in love with a charming soldier.

Friday Fitzpatrick may not have been eager to engage in combat, but when he is drafted into the American Expeditionary Forces, he embraces the role of a soldier with unwavering determination. While fighting to survive the harrowing battlefield experiences, he clings to his sanity by dreaming about the captivating Hello Girl who has captured his heart. Though his opportunities to see her are limited, she serves as a beacon of hope in the midst of his darkest days.

Through their shared experiences and the trials they endure, Molly and Friday find comfort and encouragement in each other’s company, forging a connection that defies the chaos of a world in conflict. As the war draws to a close and they return home, will civilian life bring them together or pull them apart?

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Author bio:

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.

Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.

To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield