SWORN TO COLLIDE
by Maria Imbalzano
GENRE: Women’s Fiction
Blurb:
After devoting eleven years of marriage to Ben, her high school sweetheart, and stepping off the corporate ladder to raise their three children, Denise is ready to seize the reins of the career she always dreamed of. But as soon as she commits to step back into the professional world, Ben drops a bombshell that disrupts everything. Suddenly, this once rock-solid couple finds themselves in a battle over ambition, identity, and whose turn it is to shine. As personal choices draw them further and further apart, they must confront their widening rift—a threat to the love they thought was unshakeable. Can they rediscover the passion they once shared, or will their divergent paths pull them apart for good?
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Excerpt:
As Ben headed into the living room, the two younger kids shrieked and ran downstairs to greet him before jumping into his arms and giving him huge hugs. Bobby followed at a more reserved pace, but he joined in a hug as well. The noise was raucous as Ben tickled Jennifer and Johnny, riling them up, which was never a good thing when it came to Johnny. He was a cyclone all on his own.
I looked at my happy family while holding a basket of laundry. I couldn’t help but smile at this familiar scene from the past. A lifetime ago.
“Hi,” I said as I passed, heading for the laundry room. No kiss, no hug. Just hi. We had become adversaries who now each had an attorney to help us navigate through the issues inherent in the breakup of a marriage.
He stopped roughhousing with Johnny for a second and caught my eye. “I thought we could all go to the park. Feed the ducks, kick the soccer ball around. It’s a great day.”
Was he extending the proverbial olive branch or just trying to act normal in front of the kids, hoping I would follow his lead? But I couldn’t possibly carry on as if he hadn’t slapped me with his attorney’s letter.
“I can’t. I have laundry to do, and I’m meeting Alyssa for lunch.”
Disappointment curved his shoulders, but I was hurting too. I didn’t want to be reminded about our family life and how happy we’d been. It just made my heart ache more.
My Review:
Ben and Denise have shared eleven years of marriage, having fallen in love during their high school days. Throughout their relationship, Ben has consistently made life decisions without consulting Denise. Meanwhile, Denise has dedicated herself to being a stay-at-home wife and mother, all the while dreaming of returning to work someday.
That moment has finally come, but before she can discuss her plans with Ben, he surprises her with news of a new job that requires them to relocate. He never considers the impact this will have on Denise or their three children, especially Bobby, their eldest, who is on the brink of graduating high school and will have to leave his girlfriend behind.
Denise empathizes with Bobby’s feelings because if her parents had attempted to separate her from Ben during their high school years, she would have resisted fiercely. She recognizes that such a situation could feel like having one’s heart torn out. Can Ben and Denise resolve their issues? Or is this the conclusion of their life together?
Sworn to Collide is an incredibly engaging story that I found impossible to put down, even when life interrupted. I was eager to continue reading until I reached the final page. I could hardly turn the pages quickly enough, driven by the desire to discover the choices Ben and Denise would make.
I wholeheartedly recommend Sworn to Collide to all fans of romance! Be sure to grab your copy of Sworn to Collide today!
Maria Imbalzano is an award-winning contemporary author who writes about strong, independent women and the men who fall in love with them. She recently retired from the practice of law, but legal issues have a way of showing up in many of her novels. When not writing, she loves to travel both abroad and in the states. Maria lives in central New Jersey with her husband--not far from her two daughters. For more information about her books, please visit her website at http://mariaimbalzano.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter.
Awards
Maria is a member of New Jersey Romance Writers and has received many honors and awards for her work including the ACRA Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence Award, the Wisconsin Romance Writers Write Touch Readers Award, The NEST (National Excellence In Story Telling) Award, the Carolyn Award, Book Buyers Best Award, The Stiletto Reader’s Choice Award, Long & Short Reviews Book of the Month Award (3rd Place for Book of the Year), and Still Moments Magazine Reader’s Choice Award.
Connect with Maria Imbalzano
Giveaway:
$10 Amazon/BN GC
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