She Gets What She Wants by Denise N. Wheatley

A Fearless Fairytale Book 1

Tule Publishing (March 9, 2021)

Women’s Friendship Fiction/Multicultural Romances

The first rule of conquering Hollywood? Get there.

Newspaper columnist Devon Jacobs is hiding more secrets than just the chocolate bars and half-finished screenplays stuffed in her desk. Kind-hearted and insecure, she dreams of escaping her stifling hometown of Berman, Indiana, and moving to Hollywood to write for television. When she drunkenly confesses her feelings to her best friend, Jason, his painful snub finally spurs Devon to action. She quits her job, packs up and flies to Los Angeles to begin the rest of her life.

Devon’s newfound drive lands her a production assistant role on a hit television sitcom. As she transforms into a confident and talented professional, she gains the attention of the show’s handsome and charming leading man, Ryan Roberts. But just as Devon’s star is in full ascent, Jason resurfaces. Used to being an extra in the background instead of the lead, Devon must decide whether her long-standing feelings for Jason are worth a second risk, or if she should pursue her developing attraction and friendship with Ryan.

Who ever said nice girls can’t win?

 

AMAZON

 

REVIEW

New beginnings, second chances, and dreams come true

A fairytale retelling of the Ugly Duckling. The main character, Devon, is not living to her full potential in her hometown and dreams of escaping to move to Hollywood to write for television. An opportunity arises and she takes the chance. I enjoyed the story, the characters, and especially seeing the growth of the main character. The varying relationships between the characters and the drama involved kept the story moving and intriguing.

Reviewed by Comfy Chair Books/Lisa Reigel (March 17, 2021)

eBook copy provided by author via FB giveaway

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Denise N. Wheatley is a lover of happily-ever-afters and the art of storytelling. She has written (and ghostwritten) numerous novels and novellas that run the romance gamut, from contemporary to paranormal, sweet to steamy. Denise strives to pen entertaining stories that embody matters of the heart, while creating strong characters who are colorful and relatable.

She is an RWA member and received a B.A. in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago, the city where she was born and raised. When Denise isn’t sitting behind a computer, you can find her at home reading a great romance novel, on a tennis court, watching true crime television or chatting on social media.

 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denise_wheatley_writer/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/denisewheatley?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeniseNWheatley/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/denise-n-wheatley

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3118421.Denise_Wheatley

Writer’s Blog: https://www.denisenwheatley.com/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KHBZ7E

 

EXCERPT

This excerpt was one of the more challenging scenes for me to write. My main character, Devon, finally gets up the nerve to tell her longtime crush, Jason, how she feels about him. Jason’s reaction isn’t what she’d expected. Even though these are fictional characters, my heart couldn’t help but break for Devon!

Devon smiled brightly, gingerly stretching her arms up over her head and glancing at the clock. It was just after four in the morning.

She sat up, ready to suggest a great new brunch spot to Jason they could try later. That’s when she noticed him furiously texting away on his phone.

“Hey, everything okay?” she asked, pulling her rumpled dress down over her thighs.

“Yeah,” he mumbled, his face buried in his cell.

Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Devon noticed that Jason was fully dressed.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Nothing. Why don’t you go back to sleep? I’ve got a car coming to pick me up.”

“Wait, you’re leaving?”

Jason grabbed his blazer off the back of the couch. “Yeah. I uh…I need to go into the office and get some things done. The world of pharmaceutical sales never sleeps.”

Devon felt a heavy thumping pound inside her chest. Cold beads of sweat popped up along her hairline. Her mouth opened and closed a good three times before she was able to speak.

“What about my car?” she asked, cringing at the timid wavering in her voice. “I thought you were taking me back to The Platinum Room to pick it up.”

He finally looked up from his phone, the bright screen revealing his sullen expression. “Oh yeah…my bad. I’ve got so much work I need to catch up on. Can I just call a car to take you?”

The excitement that had been churning inside of Devon since the night before melted into a pool of disappointment. “You know what? No. Don’t worry about it. I’ll have Lisa take me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive,” she choked as a dash of anger seasoned her hurt feelings.

“Okay. Oh, before I go, wasn’t there something you wanted to talk to me about?”

Devon debated whether she should still come clean to Jason and admit her feelings for him. After thinking back on the intimate kiss they’d shared the night before, she took a deep breath and decided to go for it.

“Well, I just wanted to—to tell you how I feel about you. How I’ve been feeling for quite some time.”

“How you feel about me?” he asked right before his phone buzzed. He looked down and tapped the screen, once again turning his attention away from Devon.

Jason’s dismissiveness sent a wave of determination through her. She abruptly jumped up from the couch and cleared her throat. When he glanced over at her, she just let it all out.

“I love you, Jason,” Devon uttered, her voice trembling as intensely as her hands. “I’ve loved you for years. I never said anything because I didn’t think I was your type, and you seemed to only see me as a friend. But now, I was hoping we could be more than that.”

Silence filled the air. Jason stared back at her blankly. She wished she could fall through the floor.

When he failed to respond, she continued.

“Do um…Do you have anything you’d like to say?” she whispered, almost breaking skin as she dug her gel fingernails into her palms.

Jason shook his head and turned toward the window, seemingly unable to look her in the eye. “Wow. I didn’t see that coming. I mean, you know I care about you, Dev. And I agree with part of what you said.”

She blinked rapidly, her eyes scanning the room in confusion. “What do you mean, part of what I said?”

“What I mean is, I’ve never really seen you as more than a friend. But don’t get me wrong,” he quickly added, throwing his hands up defensively. “You’re a phenomenal woman. Just not the woman for me.”

A strong bout of nausea hit Devon square in the stomach. She tried to take a deep breath but felt as though her throat were closing up.

End of Excerpt