What’s a girl to do when the one person she’s been forewarned about is the only one that her heart desires?

Leah Valdez is a sassy, intelligent, hard-working woman whose beauty shines from both inside and out. Friends and family have always come first, but it’s time for her to start thinking about her own future.

Stefen Hunter is a rich, charming, sexy playboy. With seemingly no effort on his part, countless women flock to him. That is, until he meets Leah. He can’t understand why it’s so difficult to win her over or what it is about her that intrigues him so much.

When an unfortunate event intertwines their lives, Leah finds herself in a war between her thoughts and desires. To forgive, and ultimately trust, Stefen, she will have to put her heart on the line. After what he’s put her through, she’s not sure she’s willing to do that.

As compassion meets resistance, will Stefen be able to step out of his comfort zone and accept that he can become the redeemed man worthy of Leah’s love? Is Stefen and Leah’s connection strong enough to withstand An Exceptional Twist?

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Leah begin to shake.

Looking over, he saw the tears streaming down her eyes.

Dammit. Pulling off the road, Stefen got out and yanked

opened her door. He leaned in, leaving her nowhere to escape.

“What’s really going on?” He lifted her chin with his fingertips,

hoping she didn’t pull away this time.

Her lip trembled as she spoke. “What is it about girls like that?

Is it because they put out without any effort?” She stared at him

through her thick black mascara tears. “Why do you like girls like

that?”

This was a loaded question. Pausing a minute, he inhaled a

deep breath without removing his eyes from hers. He wanted her

to really hear what he had to say. “I can’t speak for all guys, but

right now, I need a distraction. I want someone who doesn’t want

me, and I’m losing my fucking mind every damn day. I have to do

something.”

Leah’s eyes were wide as she stood, forcing him to back up a

little. “You love someone? Does she know?”

Looking down at the gravel under his feet, he admitted

solemnly, “No, and I’m not telling her, either.” He laced his fingers

with hers, bringing their joined hands up to his chest. His blood

pumped vigorously under her touch.

She squeezed tight, moving in closer. The hope in her eyes

was evident. “Why can’t you tell her? Maybe she loves you, too.”

She held her breath.

Only if it’s you. That was just wishful thinking.

Before he did something he’d regret, he pulled away. “Leah,

I dug my hole a long time ago. I’m not getting out anytime soon.”

Looking deep into her waiting eyes, he felt his heart constrict.

Again, his mouth moved quicker than his brain. “I’m not the guy

for her. We could pretend for a while, but ultimately, I don’t have

what it takes to be her perfect guy.” He used the phrase she had

when they’d first met, and he wondered if she’d notice.

She didn’t.

“Who is she?” Leah asked, the hurt clear on her face.

“Anyone I know?”

He kicked a rock at his feet. “Doesn’t matter. I won’t let it go

anywhere. For now, I just need a diversion to get my mind off of

her.” The pain in his chest was overwhelming. He pulled her into

a hug and kissed the top of her head. If only this could work, but

he wasn’t going to be that selfish jerk when it came to her.

Kimi grew up in the San Gabriel Valley (mostly Alhambra) and still lives in Southern California. She’s been married to her high-school sweetheart and prom date for 21 years and they have two hilarious boys.

When she’s not reading or writing, Kimi spends her time in the kitchen trying to come up with vegan meals that don’t taste like cardboard. Her family might disagree with this however.

Although she doesn’t loyally follow or have favorite teams/athletes, Kimi loves a good hockey game or motorcross/x-treme sports event.

Volunteering is extremely important to her and she and her family work with several local non-profit organizations. A portion of her sales will always go to charity.

She’s planning on publishing the last two books in this series by the end of the year. Book 3, Grafted Vines, is Dani & Zachary’s story and book 4, Tangled Paths, is Bri & Josh’s journey. And because every character has a story to tell, there’s a possibility of a novella about Stefen and Bri’s mother’s life. There’s a reason she acts the way she does and she may bug Kimi enough to have it written out.