The Boyfriend Whisperer
by Linda Budzinski
Published by: Swoon Romance
Publication date: November 15th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
As President and CEO of Boyfriend Whisperer Enterprises, Lexi Malloy is Grand View High School’s undercover Cupid. One problem: She’s stuck in the friend zone when it comes to her own crush, Chris Broder. She and Chris have been best friends since the third grade, and he doesn’t even seem to realize she’s is a member of the opposite sex.
When pretty and popular cheerleader Lindsay LaRouche hires Lexi to whisper Chris, she has to decide whether to place her commitment to her company—and Chris’s happiness—before herself.
—
EXCERPT:
I stare at the phone. My heart rate is out of control. I’ve never called a boy before. Well, actually, I’ve called lots of boys—Chris, Briggs, Massey. But not like this. Not to ask a guy on a date. What do I say? What if he says no? Or, what if it goes to voice mail? What then?Come on, Lexi. You can do this. You’re the Boyfriend Whisperer for crying out loud.
I pace my bedroom and remind myself that I don’t actually even like Jerod. I mean, he’s nice enough. And cute. And it’s possible that I could like him after a date or two. He’s just … not Chris. But Chris doesn’t like me. He’s with Lindsay. As in, with her.
Is that why I’m doing this? To get back at Chris? I don’t let myself think about that. Instead, I take a deep breath and dial Jerod’s number. I think a million thoughts as the phone rings. What if he wasn’t flirting in Virginia Beach? He probably wasn’t. I mean, there were a dozen cheerleaders there, all prettier than me. I must have looked like a big, awkward idiot next to all of them. Just because he smiled at me and complimented my hair, all of a sudden I think he’s in love with me? Maybe he was merely trying to make one of those cheerleaders jeal—
“Hello?”
Ack! Why couldn’t it have gone to voice mail?
“Jerod? Hey.” My voice comes out as a squeak, so I clear my throat. “This is Lexi. Lexi Malloy.”
“Well, hello, Lexi Malloy.”
“How’s it going?”
“Good. Awesome. Especially now. To what do I owe this pleasure?”
I take a deep breath. So far, so good. He hasn’t hung up on me. I haven’t puked. I’m speaking in complete sentences. Mostly. “Um. Well. I was wondering. So there’s this party Saturday night.” My voice shakes. My whole body shakes. Man, I don’t give my clients enough credit for putting themselves out there. Coming up with a plan for whispering a boy is the easy part. Actually carrying it out is torturous.
Author Bio:My young adult novels, EM & EM (2015) and THE FUNERAL SINGER (2013), were both published by Swoon Romance YA. My upcoming novel, THE BOYFRIEND WHISPERER, scheduled for publication in fall of 2016 by Swoon, received the Romance Writers of America Young Adult Chapter’s 2015 Rosemary Award and the Virginia Chapter’s 2015 Fool for Love Award.
I live in Northern Virginia with my husband, Joe, and our feisty chihuahua, Demitria (also known as Dee Dee, The Puppy, and Killer). I’m a sucker for romance and reality TV and have been known to turn off my phone’s ringer when watching “The Bachelor.” My favorite flower is the daisy, my favorite food is chocolate, and my favorite song is “Amazing Grace.”
When I’m not writing, I work in nonprofit management. I’m represented by the amazing Andrea Somberg of Harvey Klinger Inc.
(This post contains affiliate links).
Sounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteWhat is your favorite book that is not yours?
ReplyDelete