Next to You

· Phlox Beauty Series Book 1 · Serif Books
4.7
95 reviews
Ebook
276
Pages
Eligible
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About this ebook

He’s hiding from the world. She’s the face of a billion dollar beauty brand. Can their secret love survive when her very public life is everything he’s spent years trying to escape?

A Romantic Times Top Pick Romance

Phlox Miller was never the pretty girl—and no magic mascara or miracle serum, not even one created by her own company, was ever going to change that. Now she’s the brilliant (and still slightly nerdy) CEO of one of the hottest beauty brands in the country. But after a devastating accident, she escapes to her country home in Connecticut to heal in peace and figure out what comes next.

What she doesn’t expect is Jared Connor, her estate’s prickly new caretaker. He’s rugged, standoffish, and clearly determined to keep his distance. But Phlox didn’t get where she is by backing down, and soon her attempts at friendship start to break through his armor. What begins as a slow burn connection quickly turns into something far more intense—and far more dangerous to his carefully guarded secrets. 

Because Phlox has no idea who he really is.

And when his past catches up with them both, the only way forward may destroy the fragile trust they’ve built. 

Next to You is a steamy standalone grumpy x sunshine romance featuring a scarred, reclusive billionaire, a brilliant but wounded heroine, and a love that just might be worth stepping into the light for. No cliffhanger. All the heat. And a guaranteed happily ever after.


Ratings and reviews

4.7
95 reviews
Dianne Burton
June 3, 2019
I'm pretty sure no one has ever written a book that made less sense than this. Some how having plastic surgery makes her chest smaller. That is never explained. And if your face is destroyed by fire you can't just have plastic surgery to look more beautiful than you did before your face was burned off
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Marilyn Coates
April 28, 2019
This tale has all the angst of heartbreaking pain and horror, loss and broken lives. Jake Connors carries horrific scars after saving himself and his younger brother from a house fire, while Phlox Miller is recovering from numerous surgeries to repair her burns from a fat and water explosion on her kitchen stove. They learn acceptance of their wounds, emotional and physical, together.
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Gwendolyn Smith
March 3, 2019
Phlox and Jared were the perfect couple. Both had suffered 3rd degree burns. Sharing this bit of bad luck, (although Jared's story was sadder) allowed them to relate on a deeper level. She understood Jared and his insecurities. A lot of times with this type of story, one of the persons become whiney and you cannot sympathize. Not so with this book. Great writing! I couldn't put the book down!
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About the author

Julia Gabriel writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction filled with emotional depth, relatable characters, and satisfying happily-ever-afters. Her books have been selected as Top Picks by RT Book Reviews, and praised by critics at RT, Kirkus, and others as “nuanced,” “heart-wrenching and emotional,” “well-crafted contemporary romance,” and “deeply moving storytelling.”

When she’s not writing, Julia is either teaching in the MFA in Popular Fiction program at Emerson College or getting lost in her latest quilting project—an obsession that sometimes finds its way into her stories. She lives in New England with too much fabric and just the right amount of coffee.

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