We love a love story

Author

Bethany Monaco Smith
January 11, 2023

In this email...

  • A note from me

  • A real life romance

  • Running Back to You teaser!

  • What's up next

  • From some author friends...

  • Behind the scenes

2023: The year without burn out

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself by declaring it that, but after running myself ragged in 2022, I've set much more realistic goals. This week, I sent Together Like This to my editor, and for once I was completely calm. No stress. No wondering what I forgot. No time crunch. Is this what sanity feels like? Anyway, I hope you will join me in adopting the mantra of "no burn out" for 2023. We all need to be taking care of our health.

How has 2023 been going for your so far?

Real life, meet epic romance

I promised I was going to be sharing some real life romances this year, and here is the first! I've got a few on the back burner, but I'm going to need more. If you'd like your story to be included (it can be anonymous with names changed if you prefer) please fill in the form below!

Grace & Ryan*

The tropes: Single mom/single dad, immediate connection, insta-love

The quick version: They were set up by a sneaky friend who knew they'd perfect... and she was right.

The long version: Several years after her divorce and coming down off another rough relationship, single mom Grace was NOT looking to get into another relationship. Her new BFF was not interested in those concerns, and before her other relationship had even ended, randomly took Grace to a party and introduced her to a family friend, Ryan. Conveniently, Ryan was still in a relationship as well.

Several months later, both Grace and Ryan were single, and Grace was still not interested in dating someone else, but her BFF decided she needed to go out on a date anyway. And who was the date? Sweet, hard-working single dad, Ryan.

Their first date went perfectly and the two hit it off immediately. Before long they were building a home together, intertwining their families, and creating a life together.

But the story doesn't end there.

Instead of a third act break up, there was a terrifying health scare for Grace. Weeks of hospitalizations were followed by months of recovery, with Ryan by her side, sleeping in his car in hospital parking lots, taking care of the kids, and all the while continuing to build their dream home. Though at times the outcome was unknown, Ryan was steadfast, helping Grace through her roughest moments while Grace learned to let her walls down and allow Ryan to help.

Though life continued to throw twists and turns at them, Grace began to heal, and several months later, to celebrate both of their birthdays, he gave Grace a very special present--an engagement ring.

Nearly two years after that first date, they are currently living in their new home and planning a wedding while continuing to raise their family together.

*Note-names have been changed*

We love a happy ending, right?? Want your love story to be featured? Fill out the form below.

Running Back to You is ALMOST HERE

Mike & Steph's story will be available next Friday!! Have you added it to your TBR or grabbed your discounted pre-order yet? Keep reading for a little teaser...

This little one-bedroom apartment was the first place I ever called my home. It wasn’t a house where I felt like a footnote. It wasn’t a college dorm or a spare bedroom at Kaila’s mom’s farmhouse. It was all mine, and I loved it. Probably why I never moved, even when I could afford someplace bigger. Even when I got married.

“Hey,” Mike says, his deep voice cutting through my thoughts as his hand wraps around my back. “I know this is a big change, but I’ll do everything I can to make our house feel like home.”

“I know,” I say, voice choked with emotion. “This place just means a lot to me. In a lot of ways, it’s where I grew into myself.”

Mike surprises me by wrapping his arms around my waist from behind and resting his chin on my shoulder. “And you’re leaving a piece of yourself here, no doubt. But what’s special is that now we go to our house. That’s where we grow into us.”

What's next?

After Running Back to You comes out, I have a cute short story (featuring Ivy from the Ida Romance series) as part of the Love and Other Kerfuffles anthology. All proceeds from this anthology go to breast cancer research, so please consider pre-ordering that one! Ivy's story is a quick 20 minute read as part of this fun collection featuring lots of authors including my pal Kimberly Ann.

Finally, some goodies from my author friends!

Asa:Jade Kanoska is a puzzle I want to figure out. Not only because she’s beautiful, smart, and sharp-tongued, but because she’s hiding something, and I want to know what it is. The problem is, the more time I spend with my new temporary assistant, the more I’m seeing her in an unprofessional light, and the more I realize I want her permanently. Only not as my assistant. Now I just need to figure out what she’s hiding and show her why she shouldn’t resist me. But something tells me that will be easier said than done. Good thing I love a challenge.Jade:I thought my life would be different by now, but I guess it’s not in the cards yet. Instead, I’m still living at home with my father, and working to pay off a debt that my brother owes. Now, to add to it, I’ve been asked to work with Asa Lincoln temporarily until he finds a new assistant. I’d be fine if he didn’t constantly get under my skin and call me ridiculous nicknames like Sunshine. Or make comments about his ass. It’s okay though, I know I can do it. It’s only temporary. Except, I’m not as careful about hiding that something is wrong, and Asa is determined to figure it out. But while I’m trying to keep him in the dark, he’s getting under my skin in a way that is far from professional. I just need to resist his charming smile, and the way he makes me want things I can’t have. It shouldn’t be too hard right?

The final book in Angel’s story

Behind the scenes with me

Want to know what I'm working on right now? Listening to? Reading? What's rumbling around in my head? Well, I'm going to tell you anyway!

  • Currently working on: Final RBTY formatting and writing a fun secret project coming in February! ;)

  • Currently distracting me from those things: Making graphics for Together Like This & looking for the perfect stock photos to represent my characters

  • Currently reading: I recently finished Taste by Melanie Harlow & am going to start something new--maybe some college stuff from Alley Ciz or I might finally dig into some Kandi Steiner.

  • Currently listening to: Still Jordan Davis & rotating between the RBTY and Together Like This playlists :)

If you want more fun behind the scenes info, make sure you join my FB reader group! It's where we talk about books, romance, my characters & their love stories, and where I share random unedited snippets of what I'm working on and other fun teases! And this year there might be an exclusive giveaway or two as well!

I hope everyone's 2023 is going great so far! What are you excited for this month? Any upcoming releases you can't wait for? Feel free to reply to this email and tell me all about them! And until next time, take care and happy reading!