Lesbian fiction
Here’s my ultra-A-list fantasy casting for Ida and Faye in About That Kiss.
This book was born from nothing else but putting these two together in my head and everything just flowed from there. Needless to say, I had the time of my life writing this. 😉
About That Kiss is now available on all retailers:
➞ Direct from me
➞ Amazon US
➞ Amazon UK
➞ Amazon CA
➞ Amazon AU
➞ Amazon DE
➞ Other Amazon Stores
➞ Apple Books
➞ Kobo
➞ Barnes & Noble
➞ Google Play
Available as paperback from
➞ Amazon US
➞ Amazon UK
★★★★★ “Wow, what a story!” – Amazon Reviewer
Here’s the blurb:
What if the greatest role of your life is playing your true self?
Ida Burton used to be Hollywood’s sweetheart until the best roles started drying up in her forties.
When Ida lands one of the leads in a big-budget lesbian rom-com, it’s not only a chance at reviving her dwindling career. Maybe this movie can be an opportunity to finally burst out of the closet she’s forced herself into.
Faye Fleming has been at the top of her acting game and collecting awards for the past few years. When she’s cast in a huge blockbuster opposite the legendary Ida Burton, she’s over the moon.
Ida and Faye hit it off. The chemistry on set is through the roof… until their characters’ first kiss.
Grab your copy of the feel-good lesbian read of the summer now!
Don’t miss About That Kiss if you like any or all of these things:
💋 Super-glamorous lady-loving celebrities 😎
💋 A never-ending first kiss (hence the title!) 💋💋💋
💋 Off-the-charts chemistry 😋
💋 A feel-good story that will make you smile for days 😃
The first draft of this book sprouted from my fingers during an at-home writing retreat I experimented with in May and it was just So Much Fun. I had a massive party going on in my head every single day and it was utterly glorious.
The result is a glamorous feel-good celebrity romance chock-full of chemistry and kisses (hence the title).
While high on drama, this book is fairly low on angst. It’s not an age-gap romance, nor is it one of those books in which I’m trying to expel some of my own personal demons. It’s just a fun, breezy read (and did I mention all the kissing?) 💋
I’m rarely this pleased with a book and I can only hope you feel the same way!
Do let me know what you think. 😊
★★★★★ “Harper Bliss builds a story like no other. Layer upon layer gets added, the emotions build, until we have this exquisite story that leads you to such a beautiful place with a smile on your face…”
★★★★★ “A gorgeous feel-good story full of warmth, community, and star quality.”
★★★★★ “Fun and flirty! The only thing better than the banter between the MCs are the steamy love scenes.”
★★★★★ “I read it in less than a day, it was that good.”
About That Kiss is now available on all retailers:
➞ Direct from me
➞ Amazon US
➞ Amazon UK
➞ Amazon CA
➞ Amazon AU
➞ Amazon DE
➞ Other Amazon Stores
➞ Apple Books
➞ Kobo
➞ Barnes & Noble
➞ Google Play
Enjoy! ❤️
P.S. I’ll reveal the massive AAA-list fantasy casting I indulged in for Ida & Faye soon!
About That Kiss will be out on 27 July 2021.
Here’s a preview. Enjoy!
CHAPTER ONE
FAYE
“Tell me again why I’m doing this, darling?” I ask Brandon.
He flicks his long hair behind his shoulder and looks me straight in the eye. “You’re doing it for me, Faye.”
Why this man isn’t an A-list actor yet, I have no idea. He delivers the line with the authenticity of the best in the business.
“That’s right. It’s all for you.” I paint on a smile, which flees my face as the car comes to an abrupt halt.
Brandon waves it off with a flick of his wrist. “Los Angeles traffic.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket. It must be Leslie. She promised she’d call me on the way to the table read. I wonder which of her two top clients she called first—me or Ida Burton?
“Hi, Faye, you’re going to kill it in the read-through. I know it.”
“Thanks, Leslie.”
“I just got off the phone with Ida.” That answers my question then. “She’s looking forward to it a lot.”
“Is she?” Even if she wasn’t, she wouldn’t have told the agent we share. She’s probably as nervous as I am. Three Best Actor Oscars on my mantel don’t make any difference to my trepidation on the way to the very first table read, especially for a movie like this one. It doesn’t help that my co-star, Ida Burton, has four golden statuettes to her name.
“Of course, she is. Everyone’s excited about this. The whole of Hollywood is buzzing.”
“Christ, Leslie. What did you have for breakfast this morning?”
“My usual three espressos,” she says with a level tone.
“Okay.” I could barely stomach the nut-and-berry mix Brandon prepares for me every morning. “Good to know.”
“Call me if you need anything,” Leslie says. “I’m always here for you.”
Because there isn’t that much else to say, we end the conversation. I glance at Brandon for comfort. He isn’t just my personal assistant, but also one of the most entertaining people I know, which says a lot when you work in Hollywood. He’s very good at giving pep talks when I need them, but he also, instinctively, knows when it’s best to shut up.
He leans toward me and puts his hand on my knee. “Playing gay is all the rage these days. And the script is hilarious. For once, it’s not one of those bleak movies where the lesbians stomp through their lives looking like they’re never getting any.” He sends me a smile. “Hollywood has finally realized that lesbians can have a sense of humor too.” He follows up with a chuckle.
“It’s not playing a lesbian that’s got me so wound up. It’s playing one opposite Ida Burton.” In the first half of the movie, my character, Mindy, is straight as an arrow.
“Ida Burton hasn’t been in a hit movie in over a decade. If anything, she should be worried about starring in a movie with you.” He shrugs. “She’s practically B-list now.” He brings a hand in front of his mouth, as though suddenly realizing his utter sacrilege.
“We both know Ida Burton will never come close to being B-list, no matter how little her movies gross.”
“You never know,” Brandon says. “This town can be cruel.”
The car comes to a complete stop. We’ve arrived at the hotel where the A New Day table read is taking place. The driver opens the door for us. I take a deep breath and get out. A member of the production staff is waiting for me. I follow her inside, Brandon hot on my heels.
The first person I recognize is Charlie, who’s basically to blame for all of this. Not only did she co-write the script, but me being her wife’s maid of honor at their wedding last year would have made me look like a stone-cold hypocrite if I’d refused to take this part because it’s a lesbian movie.
Charlie’s basically jumping out of her skin with excitement. She hugs me tightly and the nervous tension shimmers in her muscles.
“You look like a million bucks, Faye,” she says.
Before I can thank her, the energy in the room changes. That can only mean one thing. The great Ida Burton has arrived. I turn around and am met with her famously blinding smile. Even I, not exactly a B-lister myself, am momentarily dazed by it. What is it with this woman and her smile?
Admittedly, in one of my lesser moments, I once tried to emulate it in front of the mirror, but a smile of such radiance and assurance is not something that can be taught, nor practiced. Ida Burton was born with it and she’s made a damn good career out of it. Add to that a luxurious mass of copper-colored curly hair, brown Bambi eyes, and a voice to melt the sturdiest of glaciers, and you have the marvelous Ida Burton. It’s hard not to feel as though I’m standing in her shadow.
After saying a few quick hellos, she walks straight toward me.
“Faye. Hiiii!” Ida sounds as though seeing me is the highlight of her year.
“Ida.” We exchange two featherlight cheek kisses. “I’ve been looking forward to this.” It’s not a lie. I have. Maybe not the feeling of having to play second fiddle to Ida, but working on this hot-as-hell movie.
“So have I.” She flashes me that smile again. How can her skin look so impossibly smooth? We’re about the same age, but Ida makes me feel like I’m at least ten years her senior.
“Ladies.” Tamara, the director, has joined us. “It’s so good to see you again. I’m raring to go. You have no idea.” She points at two chairs next to each other. “Those are your seats. We’ll start in fifteen minutes. Refreshments are over there.” She nods in the direction of the buffet. “I’m here if you have any questions.” She takes a step back. “I’ll let you acclimatize first.”
Behind me, Brandon is whispering with Ida’s assistant, Mark, whom he has told me all about because they had a thing once. Brandon likes to keep me apprised of his love life. Maybe he thinks it somehow makes up for the lack of romance I have in my own life.
For the past twenty years, I’ve always been the biggest star in the room at a table read, and it has fallen upon me to put my co-stars at ease. Today, I’m not sure this task is up to me.
“I’m a little nervous.” Ida surprises me. “I think this could be a great movie, but… well, I’ve seen things go horribly wrong before, no matter how promising the screenplay.”
She’s wearing a beige top that accentuates the fiery color of her hair. Even though she’s dressed quite casually in slacks and said top, a glow seems to emanate from her. An effortless star quality.
“This seems like the kind of project the studio would want to keep a tight grip on.”
“We can only do what’s required of us,” Ida says.
“Play gay,” I lamely joke.
Ida shuffles her weight around. “Correct.” She pins her gaze on me. “I was really thrilled to hear you were on board. Even though it really shouldn’t be, it’s still a risk to play a part like this. Especially for someone like you.”
“Not just me.” I emit a nervous chuckle. “For you as well, no doubt.”
“For both of us then,” she confirms and quirks up the corner of her mouth. “We should have dinner. Discuss our characters and their emotional arcs.”
“Uh, yeah. Sure. We should.”
“I’ll have my guy call your guy.” She eyes our PAs. “I assume you know they have history?”
I nod. “In the greatest detail.” My smile, though wide and generous, feels lacking compared to hers.
“Oh, God. Does he tell you everything as well? Mark does too. The latest is that he’s ready to settle down. Maybe he and his new man will start a family and he won’t have time to be my assistant anymore.”
The things we worry about, I think, although I recognize her attachment to her assistant. I’ve worked with Brandon for almost ten years, which is a lifetime in assistant years. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if he left, even though I would be the first to urge him to try for greater things than being at my beck and call.
“His life—” I say.
“I really—” she starts at the same time.
“You go first.” Despite all the glamour that surrounds her, Ida is refreshingly down-to-earth.
“I really enjoyed your performance in Day Break,” she says. “I see another Oscar in your future.”
I wave her off because that’s what you’re meant to do, even though ever since that movie premiered, all I’ve heard is chatter about winning an Oscar for it. If I could get an actual man called Oscar for it, that would be a million times better than another statue in my living room. A statue doesn’t give me affection, nor does it reply when I address it.
“What was it like working with Silke Meisner?”
“Amazing.” That’s Hollywood-speak for grueling but just rewarding enough in the end. I’m sure Ida has been through the same and if there’s one person in this room who will catch my drift, it’s her.
She nods thoughtfully. “Tell me all about it when you come to dinner.”
“Sure.”
She cocks her head. “Things are going to get quite intimate between us on set.” Her voice does a funny thing.
“Just a bit of mild kissing.” I try to sound casual. Apart from a girl I pecked on the lips decades ago, I have zero experience kissing women, although I can’t imagine it being much different from kissing a male co-star. But the first woman I’m ever going to kiss properly, albeit for the sake of make-believe, is Ida Burton.
She erupts into a chuckle. “Good to know you’re cool with that.”
“I wouldn’t be doing this movie if I weren’t.” And I would be a flaming homophobe, my friend Ava told me in no uncertain terms.
“Ladies,” the director approaches us again. “Ready when you are.”
CHAPTER TWO
IDA
Does anyone notice how I’m dying on the inside? How I’m regretting taking this part? How my dubious ulterior motive is already catching up with me big time?
Faye Fleming sits beside me in all her girl-next-door glory, although she’s hardly a girl anymore. Still, as she has aged, she’s managed to maintain the image of the all-American, wholesome, funny-but-serious-when-needed girl/woman. I guess of all the people gathered here, she and I might become the closest. How long will it take her to figure out my secret?
“Ida,” Tamara says, “would you like to give us your thoughts on your character? Or do you want to launch straight into the read?”
Ah, my character. An out-and-proud lesbian. If only I could express my true feelings about Veronica to the room.
“Sure.” I’ve prepared for this. I know exactly what to say so as not to cast any suspicion on myself. “I see Veronica as a successful but, ultimately, lonely woman who is starved of love.” At times, while I was reading the script, I wondered if the writers had been able to glimpse right into the center of my own lonesome heart. “Her brother’s fourth wedding sparks this unbridled rage in her, as though all the love in her family, and the world even, is reserved for him, just because he’s straight.” I pause. “She’s so consumed by anger and jealousy that she doesn’t even notice that her own chance at love is staring her right in the face. She needs to get over that, and some other things, of course. Crack a few jokes along the way.” I insert a chuckle. My inadequate synopsis does not do justice to the script, which is, apart from being a lesbian romantic comedy, also a sharply funny critique on the institution of marriage.
“Charlie? Liz?” Tamara says. “Does that sound about right to you?”
“Perfect,” a blond woman with huge round eyes says. The one sitting next to her, who was all over the news five years ago when she started an affair with Ava Castaneda, nods and sends me a nervous smile. I should be the one smiling timidly at her. For all my money, she has something I’ve never been able to afford.
“Great,” Tamara says. “We’ll come back to this later, if needed. Faye, shall we move on to your character?”
“My character doesn’t have a clue,” Faye says, eliciting her first and surely not her last round of easy laughs. Why Faye is playing the more uptight character in this movie, I have no idea. That’s why it’s called acting, I suppose.
* * *
The read-through of the first act is easy enough. Faye and I play off each other with a comfort I’ve rarely experienced this quickly, as if we’ve starred together countless times before.
During the break before we run through the second act, Tamara walks up to me.
“The chemistry between you and Faye is off the charts already,” she says, “and we haven’t even gotten to the good bits yet.”
There’s a moment in the second act that I’ve been dreading. My character, Veronica, needs to look Faye’s character in the eye and realize something significant that alters the course of events. It’s not something I would usually have an issue with conveying, nor is it required that I display all of that complex emotion at a table read, but still. It all hits a little too close to home. Today, I’ll be able to muddle through, but I don’t know how I’m going to approach it at rehearsals. But that’s exactly what rehearsals are for, I comfort myself. To figure out that kind of stuff.
“Thanks.” I take the opportunity to get a good look at Tamara. No doubt she’s one of the hottest directors I’ve worked with, what with ninety percent of the ones I’ve previously collaborated with having been male. But it’s not because the bar is low that Tamara isn’t, objectively speaking, highly attractive. On top of that, just like my character, she’s out and proud like nobody’s business. These days, that can get you a top job behind the camera in Hollywood. How things have changed.
Someone calls for her and as she walks away, I make a mental note to ask Mark whether Tamara’s love life is happier than my character’s—or mine.
When I sit next to Faye again, with her long dark hair and pale complexion, her eyes as blue as the midday sky outside, I try to center myself and remember the reasons why I said yes to this project.
There are many and I list them in my head. This movie is being touted as next summer’s big blockbuster and I haven’t been part of one of those in a long time. My name next to Faye Fleming’s should add up to more than the sum of its parts. Maybe, by playing an out character, I can finally force myself out of the closet. Maybe I won’t even have to. Maybe the buzz surrounding the movie will create some sort of magic momentum that will naturally propel me out and make it so that it has always just been plain obvious.
Fat chance of that.
I make quick work of having to look Faye in the eye—just a swift glance will have to do. Today isn’t about looks and gestures and emotions. It’s about making sure the words sound right as they come out of our mouths.
I already know Faye is an accomplished actor, but even more than that, she’s a calming presence by my side. She comes across as self-confident and easy-going and I have no way of knowing whether she’s acting or not, but in the end, it doesn’t matter. The overall vibe is that she will be easy to work with. No diva allures whatsoever. It must be the girl-next-door thing. Maybe she’s made it part of her real-life persona as well as her image. Imagine if Faye Fleming had to bust out of the closet. The thought appears to be too much for my brain.
“Sparks are flying,” Tamara says after we’ve finished. “Can’t wait for the actual shoot.”
* * *
“How was it?” Derek, my best friend and ex-husband asks when I call him on the way home.
“Good.” I sink into the leather car seat. “Although I forgot how utterly exhausting table reads are.”
“You go through the emotions of the entire movie in one day,” he says. “It’s to be expected.”
I asked Derek to read the script before I said yes to the movie.
“How was Faye Fleming?” he asks.
“Lovely, also as to be expected.” So far, I can’t say a bad word about my co-star. She was gracious and wonderful to be around all day long, even during the final exhausting hours. “I’ll have her over for dinner soon, so we can get to know each other better before we start rehearsals.”
“Before you kiss her, you mean,” my ex-husband says.
Derek is one of the only people on this planet who knows my secret. As I was once the only person who knew his.
“Very funny.”
“I’m just teasing, although you could have worse prospects.” He’s not one to let things go easily.
“The director’s quite hot, actually.” Derek’s the only person I can talk to about these things.
“Tell me more.” Although Derek and I were never in love, we have a deep fondness for one another and I know that what he wants for me more than anything else is to find true love the way he has with his boyfriend, Ben.
“I haven’t done my research yet and, well, you know…”
“I know this movie has the potential to change your life. What’s this director’s name again? I’ll do a quick search for you.”
“Tamara Williams, but no need. I’m perfectly capable of googling the details of her personal life myself.”
“But it’s more fun when I do it.” There’s a short pause, before Derek speaks again. “It says here she’s married. Sorry, sweetie.”
“Oh well, perhaps it’s for the best.”
“I see that differently, but we all need the time we need…”
We say our goodbyes and as my car glides up Mulholland, I vividly remember the statement I put out after Derek came out of the closet.
I wish Derek all the luck and love in the world. We had a wonderful marriage and we remain the best of friends. I know this new path he has chosen in life will make him very happy.
I got a lot of flak at the time for using the phrase ‘the new path he has chosen in life’, as though I meant to say that him being gay was a choice. If only it were—then I wouldn’t have had to hide in the corner of a stifling closet for the better part of my life.
What I meant was that he had chosen to end our marriage and no longer pretend he was straight. And no longer care about the repercussions on his career. The hoops I had to jump through to explain that. Yes, my choice of words was poor, and no, I did not mean all the things that the wave of social media outrage claimed I did.
Perhaps I should have taken the opportunity to come out there and then, but I didn’t. Because, unlike Derek, I do care about the effect it would have on my career—at least I used to. Seeing Derek blossom into the proud and confident man he is today with Ben by his side has made me aware of the possible error of my ways. How could it not while I’m the one who remains single in my golden cage of a Hollywood Hills mansion?
When this car drops me off, no one will be waiting for me. Mark has gone home for the day. In my absence, my house will have been scrubbed clean and my lawn will have been cut and my pool will have been cleaned, and for what?
That’s why I’ve chosen to do this movie. That’s why I’ve chosen to play an out character, hoping that it will become one of those cases of life imitating art.
This is Hollywood and far stranger things have happened.
<<End of preview>>
About That Kiss will be available on Tuesday 27 July 2021 from all retailers. (The audio, narrated by Abby Craden, will follow later this year.)
Remember when Laila Robins said she’d play Helen in the movie of A Lesson in Love?
That’s not what’s happening (although a girl can dream!) but my student-teacher age-gap romance A Lesson in Love, alongside the other two books in The Village Romance Series, is on sale until 21 July!
All 3 books in the series are discounted to $2.99/£2.99/€2.99 for the next 10 days!
Here’s what Book 1, A Shot at Love by T.B. Markinson, is all about:
Can the sassy American win the shy Brit?
Josie Adams had a brilliant speechwriting career in American politics—until a scandal destroyed everything. Unsure what to do with the rest of her life, she moves home with her mother in the Cotswolds.
Journalist Harriet Powell ditched London after getting sacked and divorced within six months of each other. She hopes to find peace in the village, but after meeting Josie, Harry’s world will never be the same.
While the two don’t see eye to eye on the professional front, it’s hard to deny their connection, even if Josie’s mum is determined to set Josie up with anyone who isn’t Harry.
Can the two conquer their personal and professional struggles to let the other in?
A Shot at Love is available from Amazon:
– Amazon US
– Amazon UK
– Amazon CA
– Amazon AUS
– Other Amazon Stores
Book 2 is A Taste of Love by Clare Lydon:
Can the city girl win the village sweetheart?
Single since forever, Natalie Hill has all but given up on love. She’s convinced herself and everyone else she wants a quiet life. But if a tall, dark and gorgeous stranger turned up on her doorstep, her plans might change…
Enter Ellie Knap, who’s jump-starting her life in the Cotswolds after bailing on her relationship and her career. Her plan? To open an ice cream shop and melt into the village.
When the two meet it’s far from love at first sight, but then slowly, they become friends. Then one night, on a moonlit bridge, everything changes… But can Ellie pack up her old life in time to embrace the new? And can Natalie hold on tight when her quiet life suddenly gets deafeningly loud?
A Taste of Love is available from Amazon:
– Amazon US
– Amazon UK
– Amazon CA
– Amazon AUS
– Other Amazon Stores
And finally, my own contribution to the series, A Lesson in Love:
Can the posh student win the uptight professor?
Helen Swift is almost fifty and tired of her day job as a professor at Oxford University. She prefers to write cozy mysteries under a well-hidden pen name in her Cotswolds cottage. She’s also far too busy to even consider romance.
Posh girl, Victoria ‘Rory’ Carlisle, is over the moon when she snags Helen as her DPhil supervisor, and not only because of Professor Swift’s academic prowess. Rory takes an instant shine to Helen, who is far from charmed by her advances.
Can Rory make a dent in the wall that Helen has built around herself? And does Helen even have the time for such an inappropriate dalliance?
A Lesson in Love is available from Amazon:
– Amazon US
– Amazon UK
– Amazon CA
– Amazon AU
– Other Amazon Stores
One English village, three charming romances, now temporarily available for less than 10 bucks!
Enjoy! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
Here are the cover and blurb for About That Kiss:
Ida Burton used to be Hollywood’s sweetheart until the best roles started drying up in her forties.
When Ida lands one of the leads in a big-budget lesbian rom-com, it’s not only a chance at reviving her dwindling career. Maybe this movie can be an opportunity to finally burst out of the closet she’s forced herself into.
Faye Fleming has been at the top of her acting game and collecting awards for the past few years. When she’s cast in a huge blockbuster opposite the legendary Ida Burton, she’s over the moon.
Ida and Faye hit it off. The chemistry on set is through the roof… until their characters’ first kiss.
Best-selling lesbian romance author Harper Bliss brings you a feel-good story about finding the courage to follow your heart.
Out in ebook and paperback on 27 July 2021.
The audio (narrated by Abby Craden) will follow later this year.
At the Water’s Edge first came out in November 2014, so six and a half years ago (time flies when you write highly dramatic lesbian romance!)
I know this books means a lot to many of you (to me as well) and you can now get it in a super swanky hardback edition with the sequel novella It Takes Two included.
Here’s the blurb:
Sometimes you need to go back to where you came from.
Ella returns to her lakeside Oregon town to escape the pain of recent trauma.
Love is the last thing on her mind — until she meets Kay, the kind and beautiful owner of a lake resort.
Ella thought she didn’t have time for love, but this extraordinary woman may just prove her wrong.
A deeply emotional read by best-selling lesbian romance author Harper Bliss.
What readers are saying about AT THE WATER’S EDGE:
“I found it to be a profound, heart-rending, and ultimately uplifting and powerful story. Highly recommended.”
“About overcoming your fears and inner demons to allow yourself to love, be loved and be happy.”
What reviewers are saying about AT THE WATER’S EDGE:
“A privilege to read, joining my all time best top ten titles.” – Lesbian Reading Room
“Refreshing and gripping.” – Planet London
This deluxe edition includes the sequel novella It Takes Two:
Ella and Kay are living happily ever after in Northville, but when Kay asks Ella to marry her, their happiness is threatened by Ella’s past.
Will Ella be able to overcome her fear of tying the knot and give Kay what she wants more than anything? Find out in this sequel to At the Water’s Edge.
Please note: This is NOT a new book. This is a special edition of a previously released novel and sequel novella, both of which have been published before and are now packaged into a gorgeous hardcover.
Available as ebook from
– Direct from author
Available as hardcover from
– Amazon US
– Amazon UK
– Barnes & Noble
– Bookshop.org US
Enjoy & take care! 🥰
Here’s my fantasy casting for Maya and Quinn in At Your Most Beautiful.
Admittedly, my choices are a bit more ‘obscure’ than usual, but it was all highly ‘effective’ for my writing! 😉
Next in Line For Love, my sexy office age-gap romance, is discounted for the first time ever!
Here’s the blurb:
After a decade abroad, Ali returns home to Los Angeles to take over her family’s brewing business. But longtime COO Jill is in no mood to mentor Ali, who she sees as privileged and inexperienced. As they’re forced to work together, could they both find love in the last place they expected?
Expect some serious family drama, a lot of emotions, and the usual steamy heat!
It’s available from:
– Direct from author
– Amazon US
– Amazon UK
– Amazon CA
– Amazon AU
– Amazon DE
– Amazon FR
– Other Amazon Stores
– Kobo
– Apple
– Google Play
– Barnes & Noble
Here’s your chance to snap it up for $0.99 instead of the regular price of $6.99! Please note that this sale ends soon.
Enjoy!
At Your Most Beautiful is now available on all retailers:
➞ Direct from Author
➞ Amazon US
➞ Amazon UK
➞ Amazon CA
➞ Amazon AU
➞ Amazon DE
➞ Other Amazon Stores
➞ Apple Books
➞ Kobo
➞ Barnes & Noble
➞ Google Play
Available as paperback from
➞ Amazon US
➞ Amazon UK
★★★★★ “I have come to expect something special from Ms Bliss, but this even transcends my expectations – another block-buster!” – Amazon Reviewer
Here’s the blurb:
Some nights are unforgettable…
Ten years ago, Quinn Hathaway and Maya Mercer shared a night of forbidden passion they vowed to keep secret forever.
When Quinn and Maya meet again, old sparks fly, but none of the reasons to hide their passion have changed.
Quinn is still much younger and Maya has never told her son that she’s attracted to women.
Can Maya overcome her fear of what her family might think of her?
And how will Quinn’s parents, who used to be Maya’s next-door neighbors, react to their daughter’s unconventional love affair?
Best-selling lesbian romance author Harper Bliss brings you a second-chance age-gap story about not being afraid of living life on your own terms.
Note: If you enjoy the heady feeling of spring being in the air, this book will be the perfect companion to that.
While writing, I very much had the summer-y vibe of Seasons of Love and the sultriness of If You Kiss Me Like That in mind. If those two books were to have a book baby, At Your Most Beautiful would be the result!
I wanted to give you a ‘vintage’ Harper Bliss age-gap romance with an extra sexy twist of second-chance, and I hope At Your Most Beautiful brings you the comfort (and heat!) I was aiming for. 🔥
I wrote this book much more deliberately and slowly, expecting to get tired of Quinn and Maya at some point (because I have the writerly attention span of a naughty kitten), but I never did. I loved every minute I spent bringing them to life on the page and I hope you enjoy the result of my efforts. Do let me know what you think. 😊
★★★★★ “I couldn’t put the book down.”
★★★★★ “A courageous and heart-warming age-gap tale.”
★★★★★ “Minimal angst, just a lovely story.”
At Your Most Beautiful is available on all retailers:
➞ Direct from Author
➞ Amazon US
➞ Amazon UK
➞ Amazon CA
➞ Amazon AU
➞ Amazon DE
➞ Other Amazon Stores
➞ Apple Books
➞ Kobo
➞ Barnes & Noble
➞ Google Play
Enjoy! ❤️
P.S. I’ll reveal my ‘fantasy casting’ for Quinn & Maya next week!
At Your Most Beautiful will be out on 6 April 2021.
Here’s a preview. Enjoy!
CHAPTER ONE
A drop of sweat slid down Maya’s neck. Then another. She pushed a strand of hair away from her face and expelled a deep sigh, but there was no one around to hear it. She could sigh as deeply and dramatically as she wanted, without Tommy responding with an exaggerated eye roll.
All was quiet in the garden. The surface of the pool was as unwrinkled as an untouched bed sheet. Only last weekend, Tommy and two of his friends had been splashing about loudly as eighteen-year-old boys do—bold and brash as though there’s no other way to be at that age.
Two days ago, Maya had driven her son to LaGuardia Airport, where he’d boarded a plane for Paris. He would spend two weeks in Provence with his father and Heidi, followed by five weeks of backpacking through Europe. Seven long weeks without seeing her son. And that was only the beginning of her time without him—her time of no longer being a full-time mother.
Maya had spent plenty of weekends on her own since the divorce, but time alone when Tommy was due to return three days later was very different from time alone when he had just embarked on a seven-week trip, before leaving home for good.
Was this what the infamous empty nest felt like? Had she gone from one cliché—divorcée—to another—empty nester—as seamlessly as the decades had passed by and left her alone in this too-big suburban house at the age of forty-five?
She could only reply with another deep sigh. Maybe it was time to add another cliché to all the others she seemed to have become without noticing. Maybe it was time to open that bottle of pinot gris. She squinted at the sun. It was still pretty high in the sky. Wine o’clock would have to wait until the sun had dipped a fraction lower. Maya had some standards left.
A rustle drew her attention back to the garden. She wasn’t expecting any company, so it probably came from next door. Maya’s neighbor, Brooke, would probably be up for sharing a glass of pinot later, when the time was more appropriate. The rustle sounded closer. Maya sat up and wiped the sweat from her brow.
“I hope you’re wearing sunscreen,” a female voice that was not Brooke Hathaway’s came from the garden next door.
Only then Maya remembered that the Hathaways had gone to their cabin in the Catskills for the weekend. She sat up straighter in order to see over the hedge that separated her property from the Hathaways’.
“Quinn?” Maya asked. Who else could it be but the Hathaways’ daughter?
“The one and only.” Quinn stepped into view. “Hi, Mrs. Mercer. Didn’t you get the memo? Sunbathing is so last century, it’s not even funny.”
The girl next door was still as forward as ever, then. “I truly appreciate your concern for my skin, but I don’t leave the house without a full coat of SPF 50.”
Quinn shot her a bright smile. As far as Maya could see, she wasn’t wearing much more than a pair of flip-flops and an oversized tank top.
“I haven’t seen you in such a long time.” Maya walked over to the hedge. “How have you been?”
“I’m in-between apartments, so I’m staying here for a few weeks while I get my bearings.” She pulled her top away from her skin. “The city’s too hot right now, anyway.” Had she just cast a longing gaze at Maya’s pool? “I hear Little Tommy has flown the nest.”
Tommy used to hate it when Quinn called him ‘Little’. Maya nodded. “He’s in Europe. Starting Stanford in the fall.”
“No surprise there. I always knew Tommy would go to one of the big schools.”
There are good schools on this coast as well, Maya thought. “What are you up to now?” Maya wanted to deflect the attention away from Tommy. He’d only been gone a few days. His bedroom looked as though he was still in high school and he’d be coming back any day. Although it had been a long time coming and Maya had had ample time to prepare emotionally for her son’s departure, it all felt surprisingly raw and unnatural.
“This and that,” Quinn said, just as her mother did whenever Maya inquired after Quinn’s job. “Mainly photography these days, but, um, yeah…” She ran a hand through her curly hair. “The temperature might be more bearable here than in the city, but it’s still damn hot.”
Maya was getting the message loud and clear. Years ago, when Quinn still lived at home, and another brutal summer day had descended on Milbury, she would stand exactly where she was standing now, and cast longing gazes at the pool. Usually, Tommy was quick to invite her over for a swim, but Tommy wasn’t here any longer.
“Come on.” Maya nodded in the direction of the pool. “I can’t bear to see you sweat like that any longer.”
“Thank you so much, Mrs. Mercer.”
“I think you’re a little too old to still be calling me that. It’s Maya.”
Quinn deftly wriggled her body through the bushes, which were much denser now than when Quinn had last made her way through.
“You have my infinite gratitude, Maya.” Quinn was already stripping off her tank top. Underneath, she wore the skimpiest bikini Maya had ever laid eyes on. “Seeing as my main career of late has been tending bar, I can make you a mean cocktail later to thank you.” Quinn tossed her tank top to the side of the pool and shook off her flip-flops. Before diving in, she looked back and treated Maya to a glittering, sun-drenched smile.
Maya went back to her chair and watched Quinn swim a few slow laps. The mere fact of having someone to share her pool with, even if it was only for a short time, offered a potent distraction from her loneliness. The promise of that ‘mean cocktail’ was helping as well.
Maya tried to remember the latest news Brooke had given her about Quinn. No Ivy League for the neighbors’ daughter, she knew that much. She’d also known Quinn was gay as she’d always been out. How old was Quinn now? Truth be told, Maya hadn’t given Quinn Hathaway much thought at all. The girl barely came home. Brooke complained about it often enough, while Bill said she was just finding her way because she was still so young and what were we like at that age?
Now Quinn was swimming in her pool. If Maya partly closed her eyes and squinted, she could pretend it was her son enjoying himself in the cool water.
“Aren’t you hot?” Quinn had swum to the side of the pool closest to Maya, and rested her elbows on the ledge. Drops of water pearled on the skin of her arms.
“I’m fine. I’ll go for a dip later.”
“How are you holding up now that Tommy’s gone?”
“Fine.” It was nice of her to ask.
“It must be hard, though.” Quinn tilted her head. “Tommy’s always been such a mommy’s boy.” She grinned broadly.
“I don’t think that’s correct.” If anything, Tommy was able to appreciate qualities in his father that Maya had never known the man possessed.
“That’s because you can’t see it. Because you’re his mom.” Still grinning, Quinn winked at Maya before her head disappeared under the water again.
Maya followed her with her gaze. She came up for air at the other side of the pool, where she leaned her head back and smoothed the water out of her hair with her hands. If Tommy was a mommy’s boy, Quinn Hathaway was definitely a daddy’s girl.
“Do you still have your dance school?” Quinn pushed herself out of the water effortlessly and sat on the edge, looking at Maya.
“I do.” Thank goodness for that, Maya thought.
“Pity you didn’t have it when I was younger. I regret not being able to dance properly.” Did she just give Maya a once-over with that piercing blue gaze of hers?
“It’s never too late to learn. I teach a seniors class, ages sixty-five and up.”
“It must work wonders for your figure. You look amazing for a woman your a—” Quinn paused, and briefly drew her lips into a half-smile. “You really look amazing, Mrs.—um, Maya.”
Heat rose to Maya’s cheeks, and she was pretty sure it wasn’t caused by the sun. “Thank you,” she mumbled. When was Quinn going to mix her that ‘mean cocktail’?
Quinn stood and walked to the sitting area, leaving a trail of water behind her.
“Here. Use this.” Maya tossed her the towel that was hanging off the chair next to her.
Quinn toweled off her hair, then wrapped the towel around her waist. For some reason, it drew Maya’s gaze to her chest—maybe by way of her naked belly. As soon as she realized what she was staring at, Maya averted her gaze.
“Are you sure I’m not interrupting anything?” Quinn sat next to Maya. “With Mom and Dad gone, I was getting bored at the house. It’s so quiet here. It’s uncanny.”
Maya didn’t think it was quiet at all. There were birds. There was the dog from two houses down that yapped at the smallest noise. There was the hum of cars in the distance. But she guessed that compared to New York City, Milbury was very quiet. “Truth be told, I’m happy with some company.”
Quinn nodded as though she fully understood what Maya was going through. She folded her hands behind her neck and let her head fall back, her chest jutting out so the sight of it captured Maya’s attention again. If Maya didn’t know any better, she’d think Quinn was doing it on purpose. On second thought, what did she know about Quinn? Not nearly enough to know if she was toying with her.
“When are you going back to the city?” Maya was suddenly very keen to know all about Quinn’s life.
“End of the month.” Quinn played with her wet hair. “I’m moving in with a friend.” She shook her head. “Rent in NYC is murder.”
“Where did you live before?”
Quinn expelled a deep breath of air. A shadow crossed her face. “With my girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend now. She kicked me out.” She paused to paint on a wry smile. “Thank goodness for hotel Hathaway in good old Milbury.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Well, it was her place, so…” She ruffled her hair and a few drops of water fell onto her shoulders.
“Were you and…” For the life of her, Maya couldn’t remember Brooke mentioning Quinn’s girlfriend’s name—or that they had recently split up. “Were you together a long time?”
“Coming up to a year.”
Quinn had been with her girlfriend for almost a year and Brooke had never even brought it up in conversation with Maya, even though they had shared plenty of bottles of wine in that time.
“Did you ever bring her home?”
With her bottom lip jutted out, Quinn shook her head slowly. “Mom, um, didn’t really approve of the relationship. Rach was older than me. She was my photography teacher. Too many red flags for Brooke to deal with.” She shrugged. “Anyway, it’s over now, so Mom doesn’t have to worry about inviting her over for Thanksgiving.”
“How much older?” It made sense now that Brooke hadn’t mentioned Quinn’s girlfriend.
“Rach is in her fifties. Big deal.” Quinn pulled her feet up onto the chair. “She’s also the fucking hottest woman I’ve ever met.”
Maya bit her tongue to avoid telling Quinn off for swearing, and frantically tried to remember how old Quinn was. When had she graduated high school? She couldn’t pinpoint the year, but surely Quinn was no older than twenty-five. Maya fully sympathized with Brooke on this, although this was not the time to let that be known.
“Did she break your heart?”
Quinn gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I don’t know. We spent the last two months in this draining cycle of endless fighting and make up sex. I’m honestly glad it’s over so I can focus my energy on something else.”
Maya didn’t know what to say to that. She was curious about this Rach, though. She was probably around the same age as Brooke, hence her disapproval of the relationship.
“It wasn’t the age difference that caused the break-up?” Maya was probably pushing it, but she was curious.
“When the woman you love is thirty years older than you, it’s going to have some consequences, I guess.”
Maya tried to imagine Tommy bringing home a woman thirty years older than him—a woman older than Maya. Purely on instinct, the thought was almost unbearable. She didn’t just understand Brooke’s reluctance to acknowledge Quinn’s former relationship; she fully agreed with it.
“Hey, it will only hurt for a while.” Above all else, Maya was a mother herself and soothing words came naturally to her. “It may not feel like that right now, but it’s reality.” Young people hardly ever took older and wiser people’s word for it. It was impossible. Some experiences had to be lived through before they could be accepted, let alone believed. “You’re still so young. How old are you now?”
“Twenty-four,” Quinn said. She dropped her legs, squared her shoulders, and took a deep breath. “My problem is that I just really, really, really like older women.” She looked straight into Maya’s eyes.
Again, Maya was at a loss for words. Not only because there simply was no quick response to this particular utterance from Quinn, but even more so because of the look Quinn was giving her.
Quinn chuckled. Maya wondered why she didn’t find her more obnoxious, but she didn’t. Even though Quinn made her feel a little uncomfortable, she didn’t mind. At least she was feeling something other than the self-pity she’d been about to drown in before Quinn had caught her attention.
“How about that cocktail I promised you?” Quinn jumped out of her chair. “May I invite you to the Hathaway house?” She pointed to the bush she’d earlier made her way through. “Unless you want it pool-side. Then I’ll just get the ingredients and I’ll be right back.”
“That would be nice.” Something held Maya back from following Quinn to her house. “I shall wait here with growing anticipation.”
CHAPTER TWO
Quinn carefully placed the cocktail in front of Maya. Even though the glass was filled to the brim she managed not to spill a drop. It surprised her because Mrs. Mercer—Maya—was a real fox. How had she never noticed this before? It was also fairly easy to make her blush, although this drink would also help with that.
“Enjoy your paloma, milady,” Quinn said. “It was all the rage at my previous place of employ.”
“Looks delicious.” Maya leaned forward to take a sip from the glass on the table and, while doing so, exposed a touch more of her cleavage. Quinn had to stop herself from ogling. She didn’t want to embarrass Maya too much. Quinn would be out of here soon enough, but her parents would still be Maya’s neighbors. She would still come back here every few weeks, or months, probably depending on who she ended up with next and whether her mother approved or not. “Hm. Yum.” The guttural sound Maya produced pleased Quinn.
She sat and sipped from her own cocktail. It was damn good. And maybe it would help simmer down the restlessness in her blood. But this time of year, mid-July, when the days were hot and the nights hardly cooler, had always made Quinn frisky. Everyone, foxy neighbors included, dressed in barely-there clothes and showed off so much silky-smooth skin. The sun was everywhere and Quinn could still smell it on her skin when she lay in bed at night, too warm to sleep. And she no longer had Rachel to take care of things for her. She had herself, though. She knew what she would be getting up to after she had finished this cocktail. But not before she’d teased Maya a bit more.
Maya had flinched when Quinn had revealed Rachel’s age. A lot of people had the same reaction—even some of the women Quinn hit on. But not the one who had just booted her out of her apartment.
“Glad you like it,” Quinn said. “Because I sure would like another dip in your pool.” When she put her mind to it, Quinn could make everything sound at least a little dirty.
“Any time.” Maya looked relaxed as she leaned back against her chair.
“You might regret saying that.”
“It’s just me here. I told you, I’m glad of the company.”
“When did you and Mr. Mercer get divorced?” Her mom must have told her, but Quinn had long forgotten. All she knew was that when she had left home for a failed stint in college six years ago, Drew Mercer still lived next door.
“About five years ago.” Quinn couldn’t detect any bitterness in Maya’s tone.
“Was it a mutual decision?”
“Sure.” Maya’s voice was flat as could be.
Quinn chuckled in response. “Okay. You don’t want to talk about it. That’s fine.”
“What are we doing talking about our exes on such a lovely summer day, anyway?” Maya took another sip. “Over such a delicious cocktail.”
“You’re right.” Quinn relaxed in her seat. “To hell with them.” She couldn’t help but wonder what Rachel was up to now. Before she had started rustling around in the bushes, hustling for a swim, she’d been scrolling through Rachel’s Facebook profile, an unfulfilling habit she’d developed since arriving home. Unperturbed by her age, Rachel would be out clubbing tonight. It was a given. Quinn made a mental note to avoid Rachel’s social media tomorrow—as if she’d even remember when the time came.
“What’s it like living in the city?” Maya asked.
“Expensive,” Quinn said, because, apart from Rachel, money had been preoccupying her the most.
“I bet.”
“But fun. I love the energy. The possibility. As if anything can happen with every corner you turn.”
“You’re not too bored spending time in good old Milbury?” Maya grabbed her cocktail and held it just above her chest. A drop of condensation fell onto the swell of her breast. This time, Quinn couldn’t look away.
“It’s good to take a breather once in a while.” Quinn took another sip to lubricate the dryness in her throat more than anything.
“Gosh, to be twenty-four again,” Maya mused, apparently impervious to Quinn’s locked gaze on her chest.
“Weren’t you a hot-shot dancer in your twenties?”
“Oh, yes. And I loved every second of it.” Maya’s voice grew more powerful, as though the memory stirred something in her. “Despite all the hours of training, all the sacrifice… to go out on the dance floor was always just pure ecstasy.”
“Do you still dance?” Because that had also been the thing about Rachel, and the thought of her out in the clubs tonight, being watched by a myriad of other women stirred jealousy within Quinn. Rachel always had the smoothest moves, the coolest sway to her hips. She might be the oldest, but that never stopped her from being the hippest person in any joint she entered—baby dyke parties included. Quinn had loved to watch Rachel dance.
“Of course. I will only stop when I lose the use of my legs.”
“Did you teach Tommy how to dance?” Quinn’s gaze had traveled back up to Maya’s face. The late afternoon light caught in her eyes, making them glitter.
“Of course. He might end up an accountant like his father, but at least he’ll be an accountant who knows how to waltz.”
“I’d love to see you dance,” Quinn blurted out. It was true. Even when she simply reached for her cocktail, there was such elegance to the stretch of Maya’s arm. But it might not be the best thing to say to her neighbor with whom she was having a chill and lovely time.
“Come to the studio some time. I’ll teach you some moves.”
Quinn hadn’t expected that. “All right. I’ll be there.”
Over the rim of her glass, Maya eyed her. “What did you put in this, anyway?”
“Grapefruit juice, soda water, and some syrup. And a healthy dose of tequila, of course.”
“It tastes deceptively light, but I can definitely feel it after only a few sips.” Maya put her cocktail down, as though to make a statement.
“It’s how we make them in New York City.” Quinn couldn’t stop a grin from spreading on her lips.
“So… why do you prefer being with older women? What’s wrong with girls your age? I know it’s none of my business, but blame this.” She pointed at the contents of her glass.
Quinn chuckled. “I don’t know. Maybe I have mommy issues, but I don’t have the money to pay for therapy to find out.”
Maya’s eyes widened a fraction. “Before Rach, did you also date older women?”
“Before Rach, I didn’t really have a clue about anything. I dated but… I don’t know. It was different. It all seems so meaningless now.”
“Are you okay, Quinn?” The sudden worry in Maya’s tone made Quinn feel even hotter. “Did she hurt you really badly?” Maya canted her body toward her.
Quinn huffed out some air. “The situation wasn’t ideal, but neither was breaking up. I guess these things always hurt. Although, according to Mom, it’s all for the best and, in the long run, I’ll be all the happier for it.”
“And according to yourself?”
“I’ll be fine. I just need some time.” Quinn had always much preferred some light flirting to baring her soul.
“What is it that you’d like to do with your life? What’s your passion?”
“Photography,” Quinn said on a sigh. “In between bartending at night and waitressing during the day, I took a photography course. Guess who my teacher was?”
Maya shot her a warm smile. “Does their name start with an R?”
Quinn nodded. “As a result, when I’m lining up a shot, I still hear Rachel’s voice in my head. I’m waiting for the day when I no longer associate taking pictures with being with her. That’s what makes it so damn annoying. It’s like the two are inextricably linked or something.”
“Look at it this way, though. It’s good that you have a passion. So many people never find the one thing they can’t live without. Like I will never be without dance. I hope you will never be without a camera.” Maya reached for her cocktail and took a sip. “In a few months, you’ll be back at it, and you won’t give Rachel a second thought.” She narrowed her eyes. “Do you know how many dance partners I’ve had in my life?”
Quinn shook her head.
“Neither do I, that’s how many. I’ve lost count. Save a few, people will come and go in your life. But what’s in here.” She put a hand on her stomach. “The thing you love, that will stay with you forever and guide you through the ups and downs of your life.”
“Wow. I wasn’t expecting a swim and life lessons today.” Quinn’s gaze was drawn to where Maya’s hand rested on her stomach. She wore a see-through cotton dress over her swimsuit and seeing her hand pressed against her belly did something funny to Quinn’s own stomach.
“Well, there you go. Sometimes life hands you something utterly unexpected. All you have to do is enjoy it.”
“I will.” Quinn figured that Maya most likely had no idea what life was offering her right now. “I am enjoying it.” Quinn watched how Maya moved her hand from her belly to her hair, which she brushed away from her face with such gracefulness, it made Quinn a little more audacious. “I do have a more specific answer to your earlier question.”
Maya responded with a slight lift of her eyebrows.
“Women in their forties and fifties, to me, are at their most beautiful.” She tried to lock her gaze on Maya’s. It was only hard for a fraction of a second. She needed eye contact for what she was going to say next. “Like you are, tonight.”
The slightest puff of air emanated from Maya’s lips, as though she was a touch perplexed but didn’t want to show it. “I was going to ask you whether Rach had seduced you, but I think I know the answer to that question already.”
“She was my teacher. Making the first move wasn’t really an option for her, although she had little trouble with the second move.” Quinn knew she sounded a touch conceited, but it was all part of the game. And wasn’t that what this had turned into now? A flirting game with her neighbor? Quinn didn’t have anything to lose. Maya hadn’t chased her from her garden just yet.
Maya chuckled. “How did you go about it?” She reached for her cocktail again. Before knocking back the last of it, she peered deep into Quinn’s eyes.
“Lingering after class. Asking some photography questions, followed by some non-photography questions. Inviting her for a drink with the group, then without the group. Things like that.”
Maya nodded slowly, but didn’t say anything. With a soft thud, she deposited her empty glass on the table.
“Can I fix you another?” Quinn asked.
“I think I’ve had enough.” Maya looked as though she was thinking very deeply about what to say next. “But thank you.”
“My absolute pleasure.”
Maya blinked slowly, then gave the slightest shake of the head. “I’m going to get started on dinner. Feel free to have another swim before you go.”
Before you go? Ouch. But what had Quinn expected? A dinner invitation? “Thank you for having me over, Maya. It was really lovely to get to know you all over again.”
“It’s been enlightening to say the least.” Maya pushed her chair back. “See you around.”
“I sure hope so.”
Maya collected the glasses from the table and, without looking back, headed inside the house.
Quinn stared at the open door. There was always tomorrow. It was only Friday. Her parents wouldn’t be back until late on Sunday. Quinn had all weekend for another dip in Maya’s pool.
<<End of preview>>
At Your Most Beautiful will be available on Tuesday 6 April 2021 from all retailers.
