It's Always Been You

Room for Rent #2

by Debbie D. Ellis

What is a woman to do when she’s introduced to the man who didn’t remember taking her virginity four years earlier and had left her pregnant? Certainly not rent out a room to him. Don’t let him back into your bed. Definitely not fall in love with him again. Nuh uh, don’t do that. At least, not right away… I mean, it has been four years. Not only was Ame going to be working for him, but she was going to be his temporary landlord. Did Ame really want to open her home to the only man she’d ever been attracted to; the man she still hated to love?

101 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 14, 2012

About the author

Born and raised in Florida, Debbie Ellis had spent her early years reading books usually about horses. Some of her favorites were written by Walter Farley. Debbie spent her summers taking care of her younger siblings, using imagination to keep them busy. She vividly remembers listening to the radio and thinking of stories to write about that would go with the songs she listened to. Ever since her earliest days, she loved story telling.

Debbie left Florida in 1992 to move to Washington State. She studied business, humanities, herbal medicine and Italian at a local college. However, she could not escape the allure of storytelling and quickly began studying to become a novelist. She began by reading every chance she had. From classical literature to contemporary novels, Debbie's love of storytelling was irrepressible. Debbie bought a typewriter. She wrote for a short time but life seemed to constantly get in the way. She continued to dream of other stories in hopes to someday to publish them.

Debbie left Washington before earning her degree but did eventually complete her CNHP certification at Trinity University and earned a degree at Northern Oklahoma College in Radiologic Science. She works as a Radiologic Technologist by day, but is continuing on the path to publishing her novels and screenplays.

Through her various experiences and through years of observing others "I became a student of life", she recalls. She currently lives in Edmond, OK with her husband and two children. Debbie then began writing short stories. Her first piece copyrighted back in 2003 and with the advancement of technology, allowed her to self-publish her works on SteamyBooks.com and Amazon.com.

Reviews

[Dahlia (yadkny) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since Ame's first sighting of Michael in college, she had fallen in love with him. Her insecurities stemming from her geekish looks and extreme shyness prove her to be a lost cause in grabbing the attention of the hottest guy on campus. However, Ame's two best friends take on the challenge of making her over in the hopes of boosting her confidence and giving her the opportunity to make her presence known to him in a major way. The desired effect is achieved, but not without consequences. Although Ame's life is forever changed, her heart remains Michael's – even if he doesn’t know it.

There was no way Michael didn't notice Ame and with each covert glance her way she became more and more interesting to him. While others only saw Ame's baggy clothes and thick glasses, Michael saw the real and beautiful woman underneath. Yet every time he tried to approach her she would literally avoid him. Her affect on him has him a little shaken, but he can't ignore the strong attraction. That is until Amelia walks in the door. Torn between moments of recognition and the building lust of this woman he's never met, Michael spends an incredible night of memorable connection with Amelia. Yet Amelia's disappearance and Ame's beautifully innocent face haunt him.

In the years that follow, confusion and unanswered questions are all that is left as they each move forward in their careers. Until it all comes to a life changing halt as Michael and Ame are reunited under professional circumstances. Underneath all the high-stakes businesses transactions, attraction instantly flares like no time has passed and soon it all becomes too much to deny any longer, but the secrets still stand between them.

This story is immediately captivating as the reader gets thrown into a story of two people from two different walks of life trying and several times failing in coming together despite the fierceness of their attraction. The prologue takes us through their college time together, so we get a sense of how their relationship ended before it even got a chance to begin. Despite their inherent character flaws, Michael and Ame bring some serious heat to the pages that is indeed intense and all consuming. It's frenzied, tender, romantic, and frustrating just like their developing relationship.

Although I enjoyed a great majority of the story, there were a few issues that I couldn't get passed. The constant switching of POV's between Michael and Ame without warning created a stop/start effect that was hard at times to navigate. Same with the rough editing that hindered the flow of the story. Those frustrations aside, the storyline left quite a few questions unanswered, but had me thinking about all of it long after I was finished. The characters are very well described and it was easy to lose myself in their dilemmas. Even the secondary characters aren't left dormant in the background as they add to the drama of Michael and Ame's emotional and sometimes humorous misunderstandings.

This is the second story in the Room for Rent series and although I have not read the first, this story stands on its own. If there were to be a sequel, I would be thrilled to see the updates on Michael and Ame as well as any follow-up to the other characters. All in all the writing and editing is a bit rough around the edges, but there is definite potential since the storyline and characters are so memorable.

Review soon-to-be posted @ Night Owl Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started out strong and I was thoroughly in to it... But it seemed to trickle off... I lost interest and had a hard time finishing.