Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway:
Love Practice by A.F. Zoelle
A Good Bad Idea Story, Book 7
Wren is kinda sorta super in love with his best friend. Asking Izzy to go on practice dates as his dating tutor probably isn’t the best idea to keep those feelings hidden. But a bad idea has never stopped Wren before.
Does anyone know how to make Prince Charming fall in love with you? I’m asking for a friend.
…yeah, that friend is me. I’m secretly a little in love with my best friend and roommate. Okay, I’m a lot in love with him. Like, truly, madly, deeply in love with him. But it’s not my fault! He’s hot, French, and laughs at all my stupid jokes. He’s the prince of my dreams, minus the part where he isn’t actual royalty and not in love with me. Determined to change that, I come up with a brilliant plan to challenge Monsieur Know-it-all to be my dating tutor. I’m hoping that’ll tempt him into acting on our flirtatious banter.
If it doesn’t, maybe I’ll push my luck by suggesting some kissing practice?
Isidore “Izzy” Devereaux
Wren is flirty, quirky, très cute—and completely oblivious about how much I love him. His wild ideas usually make me laugh, but his request to go on practice dates to give him pointers? Yeah, that pushes all my buttons. Agreeing to his outlandish request means risking him discovering my secret. But, it also presents a tempting opportunity. This is my one chance to make him see me as more than just his best friend. It could be my only shot at making him my boyfriend for real.
I may not be a real prince like he teases me about, but can’t we still have a happily ever after?
Love Practice is the seventh and final book in the Good Bad Idea series and part of the Sunnyside universe. This novel features a friends to lovers, roommates, fake dating romance. Full of cute sweetness and sexy fun, every story ends with a satisfying HEA and no cliffhangers. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in order.
Special Release Excerpt:
Chapter 1: Wren Ferres
Izzy shook his head at my ridiculousness. “I’ll never comprehend how your mind works.”
“Wow, Monsieur Know-it-all admitting he doesn’t understand something?” I gasped in mock astonishment. “Why, I never!”
“Très cute, Wren.”
“Yes, I am. How kind of you to notice.” I laughed at my joke as he snorted in amusement. “You’d think it would help me land more second dates. Considering how many first dates I go on, I should statistically do better than this. Of course, knowing you, I’m sure you have a list of reasons why I keep striking out.”
Izzy didn’t disappoint me. “For starters, you have a tendency to come on too strong.” He gestured at me, sitting on his lap in a loose embrace as evidence.
Instead of being offended by his accuracy, it inspired me. “That just gave me an idea!”
“Oh no,” he groaned.
I shoved at his shoulder. “No, this one is good!”
He didn’t look convinced. “Define ‘good.’”
“I’ve come up with a genius plan to use your brilliance to help me!”
“Your definition of ‘good’ and mine are very different.”
My plan excited me the more I thought about it. “No, this is perfect. You should be my dating tutor!”
“Your what?”
“Since you always have an answer for everything and love telling me what I’m doing wrong, this is genius! You can coach me on how to get better at it!”
It was a surprise not to receive a flat-out rejection. “Are you saying that you want me to go on practice dates with you and critique you?”
“Yeah!”
“And what’s in it for moi?”
I tried to come up with something that would sway him. “The pleasure of my company?”
“I get enough of that as your roommate.”
“Come on, is telling me I’m wrong not enough of a draw for you? If you help me practice, I’ll get better. Then, I’ll have a boyfriend to give me all the sex I want without ending up in your lap, unsuccessfully begging to be fucked.”
He scoffed. “I find that hard to believe when being with Joon didn’t prevent you from flirting with me.”
“I’ll never quit doing that because it’s too much fun. If we stopped flirting, I’d think you weren’t my friend anymore.” The mere thought of it hurt my heart.
“Nothing would ever make me stop being your friend.”
It was hard not to coo at the rare showing of Izzy’s softer side. “There’s only one reason I can come up with that would make you refuse to be my dating teacher.”
“And what’s that?”
“You’re scared of falling in love with me for real.”
His sexy haughtiness was on full display as he tilted his head. “Don’t be absurd.”
“So you’ll do it?”
“Would you listen to my advice if I did?”
It seemed like I was making some progress. “As long as it isn’t something impossible like ‘don’t be you,’ then yeah.”
He continued mulling it over. “And we would go on fake dates so you could practice being better at them in the future?”
I shifted in his lap as I leaned closer. “I’ll even be a gentleman and buy you dinner as a thank-you.”
He was silent for a long pause, making me wonder if he would turn me down. To my great relief, he caved. “Fine. I’m willing to try your little experiment for at least one date.”
“Thank you!” I hugged him tight, melting into his hold when he returned the embrace.
Izzy sighed like I annoyed him, but I could hear the amusement in his voice as he asked, “You’re not going to move, are you?”
I clung to him tighter. “Not until you make me or I’m in danger of getting a boner.”
He laughed, which gratified my ego. “You are hopeless, mon ami.”
“The word you’re looking for is ‘incorrigible,’ actually.”
“That, too.”
Izzy shook his head at my ridiculousness. “I’ll never comprehend how your mind works.”
“Wow, Monsieur Know-it-all admitting he doesn’t understand something?” I gasped in mock astonishment. “Why, I never!”
“Très cute, Wren.”
“Yes, I am. How kind of you to notice.” I laughed at my joke as he snorted in amusement. “You’d think it would help me land more second dates. Considering how many first dates I go on, I should statistically do better than this. Of course, knowing you, I’m sure you have a list of reasons why I keep striking out.”
Izzy didn’t disappoint me. “For starters, you have a tendency to come on too strong.” He gestured at me, sitting on his lap in a loose embrace as evidence.
Instead of being offended by his accuracy, it inspired me. “That just gave me an idea!”
“Oh no,” he groaned.
I shoved at his shoulder. “No, this one is good!”
He didn’t look convinced. “Define ‘good.’”
“I’ve come up with a genius plan to use your brilliance to help me!”
“Your definition of ‘good’ and mine are very different.”
My plan excited me the more I thought about it. “No, this is perfect. You should be my dating tutor!”
“Your what?”
“Since you always have an answer for everything and love telling me what I’m doing wrong, this is genius! You can coach me on how to get better at it!”
It was a surprise not to receive a flat-out rejection. “Are you saying that you want me to go on practice dates with you and critique you?”
“Yeah!”
“And what’s in it for moi?”
I tried to come up with something that would sway him. “The pleasure of my company?”
“I get enough of that as your roommate.”
“Come on, is telling me I’m wrong not enough of a draw for you? If you help me practice, I’ll get better. Then, I’ll have a boyfriend to give me all the sex I want without ending up in your lap, unsuccessfully begging to be fucked.”
He scoffed. “I find that hard to believe when being with Joon didn’t prevent you from flirting with me.”
“I’ll never quit doing that because it’s too much fun. If we stopped flirting, I’d think you weren’t my friend anymore.” The mere thought of it hurt my heart.
“Nothing would ever make me stop being your friend.”
It was hard not to coo at the rare showing of Izzy’s softer side. “There’s only one reason I can come up with that would make you refuse to be my dating teacher.”
“And what’s that?”
“You’re scared of falling in love with me for real.”
His sexy haughtiness was on full display as he tilted his head. “Don’t be absurd.”
“So you’ll do it?”
“Would you listen to my advice if I did?”
It seemed like I was making some progress. “As long as it isn’t something impossible like ‘don’t be you,’ then yeah.”
He continued mulling it over. “And we would go on fake dates so you could practice being better at them in the future?”
I shifted in his lap as I leaned closer. “I’ll even be a gentleman and buy you dinner as a thank-you.”
He was silent for a long pause, making me wonder if he would turn me down. To my great relief, he caved. “Fine. I’m willing to try your little experiment for at least one date.”
“Thank you!” I hugged him tight, melting into his hold when he returned the embrace.
Izzy sighed like I annoyed him, but I could hear the amusement in his voice as he asked, “You’re not going to move, are you?”
I clung to him tighter. “Not until you make me or I’m in danger of getting a boner.”
He laughed, which gratified my ego. “You are hopeless, mon ami.”
“The word you’re looking for is ‘incorrigible,’ actually.”
“That, too.”
Enter the Giveaway:
To celebrate the exciting cover reveal of A. F. Zoelle's upcoming Love Practice, we are giving away 2 advanced e-copies before its release!
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
Check out the rest of the
A Good Bad Idea Stories
Book 1: Bet On Love
Rhys Huntington
After my bachelor party, I expected to wake up with a hangover. I never imagined I’d wake up in bed with a husband two days before my actual wedding. Realizing I’m straight and married to my best man sobers me up real fast. But nothing could have prepared me for discovering I desperately want to consummate my marriage with my best friend and spend the rest of my life with him.
What are the odds that my bad idea ends up being the best thing to ever happen to us?
Lucien “Luci" St. Amour
Rhys may legally be my husband now, but that doesn’t mean he’s mine to love and cherish for the rest of our lives. We’ll get an annulment, then go back to being just best friends. But all those feelings I’ve suppressed since we shared our first kiss as teenagers have been stirred up, forcing me to confront the fact that I wish our marriage was more than a mistake.
How do I tell my best friend I want a second chance to be his husband for real?
Bet on Love is the first book in the Good Bad Idea series. This novella features a friends to lovers, second chance, bisexual awakening romance. Full of cute sweetness and sexy fun, every story ends with a satisfying HEA and no cliffhangers. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in order.
Book 2: Love Means More
I’ve dropped at least 1,846,957 hints that I want to be more than Augie’s best friend. Despite my best efforts, my reputation as a straight playboy means he’s not picking up what I’m putting down. If I’m going to win his heart, I’ve got to get creative.
Maybe if I show him what an awesome fake boyfriend I am, he’ll want me to be his real one?
August “Augie" Murphy
Secretly being in love with your straight friend sucks. Secretly being in love with your straight friend who won’t quit flirting with you really sucks. When Ambrose suggests we go on a fake double date as boyfriends, the temptation is too much to resist. Even if we’re only pretending for one night, I want to know what it’s like to be loved by him.
Is it possible to turn my fake boyfriend for a night into my real one forever?
Love Means More is the second book in the Good Bad Idea series. This novel features a friends to lovers, fake boyfriends, bisexual awakening romance. Full of cute sweetness and sexy fun, every story ends with a satisfying HEA and no cliffhangers. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in order.
Book 3: Love Means More
Callum O’Rourke
A twenty-year-old like me doesn’t stand a chance with an older playboy like Rune. Yet despite being total opposites, I’m lucky enough to call him my friend. Anything more than that would be greedy, but that doesn’t stop me from wishing he would teach me how to satisfy the passionate desire I feel for him. All of my fantasies are about experiencing my first time with him.
Could I be lucky enough that it happens for real?
Rune Tourneau
The only relationships I used to be interested in were meaningless hookups with no strings attached. But Callum’s kindness touched a part of my heart I didn't know existed, changing me forever. I desperately want him, but he deserves to be cherished by someone who thinks true love is real and isn’t a jaded thirty-year-old like me.
Can he really turn a sceptic like me into someone who believes we could have a romantic happy ever after together?
Fancy Love is the third book in the Good Bad Idea series. This novel features a grumpy/sunshine, age gap, first time, opposites attract romance. Full of cute sweetness and sexy fun, every story ends with a satisfying HEA and no cliffhangers. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in order.
Book 4: Love Fool
Xander Dandridge
Everybody thinks my best friend is in love with me, including my cheating ex-boyfriend. When I have to see that jerk at my boss’s wedding, bringing Jules as my fake date is the perfect revenge. But why stop there? After all, if everyone is going to accuse Jules and I of being together, why shouldn’t we enjoy ourselves as friends-with-benefits?
Ohhhh, it’s because our arrangement makes me fall in love with him for real. Oops?
Jules Tourneau
I’ve ignored my feelings for Xander so many years that I’m convinced I only love him as a friend. It’s totally a coincidence that thinking of him with his awful ex-boyfriend makes me burn with raging hellfire, right? When we’re fake dating, I’m obviously going to have fun teasing him with obnoxiously cutesy nicknames, like calling him my pookie—crap, I’m actually in love with Xander, aren’t I?
How do you tell your best friend, “Surprise! I just figured out I’ve been stupid in love with you forever,” without sounding like the world’s biggest idiot?
Love Fool is the fourth book in the Good Bad Idea series. This novel features a friends to lovers, fake boyfriends, banter-filled romance. Full of cute sweetness and sexy fun, every story ends with a satisfying HEA and no cliffhangers. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in order.
Book 5: Love Directions
Horoscopes always seemed a bit woo-woo to me, but I don't know how else to explain why it feels like supernatural influences brought the mysterious North Easton into my life at just the right time. We’re nothing alike, but for the first time since my mom passed away, life is finally fun again thanks to him.
Even though we just met, it would be stupid to run away from love when all signs point to him being the one, right?
North Easton
I’ve always been a lust at first sight kind of a guy, but Elias makes me rethink everything I know about love. It seems like our romance was written in the stars, especially since his horoscope predicted I would become the greatest love of his life.
There’s just one tiny problem: he doesn't know that I actually write the horoscopes he believes brought us together. Do I tell him the truth or let him keep being a believer?
Love Directions is the fifth book in the Good Bad Idea series. This novel features a love at first sight, mistaken identity, opposites attract romance with some amusing cosmic coincidences from the great beyond. Full of cute sweetness and sexy fun, every story ends with a satisfying HEA and no cliffhangers. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in order.
Book 6: Picture Love
My friend’s hot older brother agrees to play tour guide for me in Paris, so I know I’m in for the trip of a lifetime. The best part is that Arsène is a shameless flirt who gives my vivid imagination all kinds of naughty ideas. My lack of a filter always gets me into trouble, but at least this time it’s the fun kind.
Going home alone with a broken heart as a souvenir would suck. I’d rather return to America with a gorgeous French boyfriend instead.
Arsène Devereaux
When I agreed to babysit my younger brother’s American friend, he warned me not to break Felix’s heart. I never expected to be the one in danger of falling in love. But Felix is a cute and charming smart-ass, which is an irresistible combination to me.
If he offers to play tour guide next, I just might follow him across the ocean in search of a happily ever after.
Picture Love is the sixth book in the Good Bad Idea series. This novel features a brother’s best friend, age gap, instalove romance. Full of cute sweetness and sexy fun, every story ends with a satisfying HEA and no cliffhangers. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in order.
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