Seeking
Hope
Emerging from Darkness #3
By J.M. Maurer
Genre: contemporary romance 18+
Jessica and
Matthew’s captivating love story comes to an epic conclusion in the final
installment of J.M. Maurer’s Emerging From Darkness trilogy that began with the
novels Seeking Love and Seeking Redemption.
I’d been given
promises in the past, all of which were broken.
Inevitably, they
broke me.
I wouldn’t let
those broken promises stop me from believing in new ones, though.
I couldn’t.
Matthew Moi was
different.
His dimpled smile
and witty sexual banter has held me spellbound since day one.
Falling in love
with him came easy.
Marrying him—a
dream come true.
Now, he wants
something I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready for.
As I struggle, he
faithfully remains at my side.
Through it all, his
protective nature shields me from an evil I didn’t see coming.
Together, we have
it all—love, passion, trust.
Apart, the
possibilities are endless, even death.
Seeking Hope is the
final book in the Emerging From Darkness trilogy, and as such, is not intended
to be a standalone. The trilogy reads as: Seeking Love, Seeking Redemption,
& Seeking Hope.
Follow Jessica and
Matthew’s captivating and steamy love story from the beginning—start the
trilogy today!
Finally at ease
with his mother, Matthew laughed, realizing that she, too, must have had a hand
in teaching Jess how to cook.
“I was happy to
help. She’s going to be an excellent cook and mother, for that matter, one
day.”
Her words squeezed
at Matthew’s heart. He ran a hand through his curly hair, struggling with how
to reply. “I’m not sure we’ll have kids. Jess, she’s off. Something’s up.”
“Wedding planning
can be stressful,” Marise offered.
“No. It’s not that.
At first, I didn’t know what trigger was setting her off. But I finally
realized when I mention anything about children or babies, she checks out
completely.”
“Any idea why?”
Matthew wasn’t one
to speculate. Jess, not being ready to talk about it, wasn’t helping him
understand. But he knew history could be painful to overcome. He motioned
toward a bench, acting on a strong desire to sit down and reflect. Following
his mother, he sat and looked down at the sand, a pensive expression on his
face.
How could he tell
Marise that Jess had been pregnant when she found out Jake had cheated on her,
and that the day of the divorce hearing, she went into preterm labor? Or that a
discrepancy in Jess’s mind had her, in retrospect, believing she should have
done everything possible to save her baby, but didn’t, opting instead for
comfort care in her own arms?
Matthew knew the
truth of the matter. He’d seen the dates on the ultrasound, finding it one day
as it slipped out from between the pages of a book, and spliced together a
corrected timeframe. Jess had been barely twenty weeks along. And as she would
have known from nursing school that because the chances of survival were
thought to be impossible at twenty weeks, parents were advised to do exactly
what she had done.
Whether at
twenty-two weeks or twenty, she’d died inside that day. And to this day,
Matthew was fairly certain she still harbored a belief that she had made a
grave mistake and was endlessly blaming herself for the outcome. It was no
wonder she’d fallen into a deep depression. Matthew wanted nothing more than to
help her.
After a long moment
in thought, he shrugged, still uncertain what, if anything, to say to his mom.
Marise caressed his
back, then shifted on the bench to look at him. “Being psychiatrists makes it
challenging for us not to want to help, especially when we think we can. It’s
what we are trained to do. But sometimes, we are too close or simply aren’t the
best option for those we love. Even though they know we love them, they’re not
always ready to let us in.”
“You’re right. Jess
said she would open up when she’s ready.” Though it made Matthew feel she
wasn’t comfortable enough with him to tell him what was truly bothering her.
And that hurt him. “I want to talk with her about starting a family, but I
don’t think it’s something she wants.”
“Darling, there’s
no hurry. Enjoy making memories of the two of you first. In fact, you can start
with a trip home. This Christmas.”
Matthew stared out
to sea, mulling over his desires, Jess’s fears, and an impromptu trip to
France. Marise draped her arm over his shoulders, the sound of the waves the
only noise breaking their silence.
“I know it’s been a
long time since you’ve had Christmas at home with us, but we’d love to have
you. You could make a full holiday of it and take Jess to Paris. You certainly
don’t have to stay confined to the guest house.”
“The guest house?”
Matthew grimaced, uncertain as to why she hadn’t offered their house to them.
“You’re welcome to
stay anywhere you’d like. But if you’re in need of some privacy, I suggest the
guest house.”
Privacy. His eyes
darting from the ocean to Marise, Matthew pulled his mother to his chest. “You
may have just helped me.”
Marise laughed and
returned the embrace. “I’m more than happy to help, with anything. You need
only to ask.”
Matthew leaned
back, this time frowning. “There’s something else going on with Jess you should
know about.”
“Yes, dear.”
“Someone wants her
dead.”
J.M. started
working as a registered nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit where she
cared for critically ill children, transported them from outlying hospitals,
and even picked up overtime hours treating patients of all ages while inside a
hyperbaric chamber. Holding a Bachelor's degree in nursing, she loves to write
about strong characters and their struggles in life. Her books explore themes of
revenge, redemption, and hope along with the intrigue of true love, sex, and
marriage.
An incurable
romantic with a penchant for dark chocolate and red wine, no matter what trials
or tortures her characters face, love will always prevail . . . because, after
all, what's better than a happily-ever-after?
When not writing,
you can find her spending time with family and friends, exploring the outdoors,
or attempting most any sport. She resides in Chicago with her husband and son.
Thank you for hosting my cover reveal. I appreciate it! <3
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