Title: Anything More Than Now

Author: Rebecca Paula
Series: Sutton College #2
Publishing: January 26th, 2016
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads blurb:

Reagan Landry is months away from college graduation, but instead of excitement, she's frozen by the fear of letting go — of her ex-boyfriend, of the comfortable life she created for herself in Portland, of the years-long search for her older sister who abandoned her as a homeless teen. When she’s finally forced to decide what's next, Reagan is met with another complication — her ex’s best friend, Noah Burke, who seems determined that she embraces what could be instead of what has been. 

Drunkenly hooking up with his best friend’s ex, Reagan, is a mistake, but being secretly in love with her is so much worse when things seem one-sided. A disenchanted frat boy about to fail out of college, Noah has been living out someone else’s dream after a horrible accident five years earlier. Just when he thinks he's lost any chance he has with Reagan, she surprises him by agreeing to spend the summer together at his family's ranch in Montana. 

And suddenly what started out as a complication between them becomes serious...until the past starts ripping apart their future.

[Two guys walk through the doors of Zola bookstore in downtown Portland on a rainy afternoon, laughing. One’s wearing a leather coat and motorcycle boots, his brown hair tussled like he just rolled out of bed. He grabs his cell phone from his pocket, frowning, then stuffs it back in his jacket, looking over to the taller guy with a tattoo of a British crown across his neck. He’s about to say something when a girl with long brown hair walks up, her hip popped to the side, and skirt swishing at her knees. The pair exchange a few words bringing a grin to the guy’s lips before they break off and kiss against a bookcase. The other guy laughs, then spots Sil and Mana, and waves, walking over to sit down at the table.] 

Beau: We might need to give them a few minutes. [He gestures behind him.] They do that a lot now that they’re a thing. 




[A few minutes later, Noah and Reagan joins every, pushing at each other’s chairs playfully until Noah reaches out and hauls Reagan onto this lap, giving her another heated kiss.] 

Noah: Couldn’t help myself. [He winks at Reagan.] Thanks for agreeing to interview us, Sil and Mana.

The Book Voyagers: Hi guys! It's so nice for you to be here on the blog on this perfect day. 

 [A girl dressed in neon yellow bursts through the door, her hands smudged in a rainbow of paints. She all but skips to the table, a large coffee in hand. She ducks down and kisses Beau. He tugs her closer as she tries to let go, and the two struggle, laughing.] 

Reagan: Get a room, you two. 

[Beau raises his hand and flips her off until all four are laughing.] 

Mati: Sorry I’m late! 

The Book Voyagers: What have you guys been up to since the last time we saw you? Any new pets... fun trips you've taken.... *coughs* engagements... *coughs more*? 

Mati: Well, Beau’s my roommate again. Unfortunately. 

[Beau glances over to her and smiles.] 

Mati: And he’s back to playing hockey in between grad school classes. 

Beau: Well, I’m coaching. I play when I can. And Mati’s about to open up a storefront for her wedding invitations business because she’s awesome and I knew she’s conquer the world. 

[It’s Mati’s turn to smile, right before she frowns when he swipes her coffee and takes a sip.] 

Beau: We have a puppy too. I surprised her. I’m a good roommate like that. 

Mati: Yep, we named him Bailey. We have no idea what he’s supposed to be, he’s a total mutt. But he’s wicked cute. Even if he did gnawed up my favorite paint brush. 

Beau: Yeah, he’ll just about eat anything. And— 

Mati: We’re married. 

[The table goes silent and everyone’s attention spins to Beau and Mati who are both laughing.] 

[Mati glances to Beau, then shrugs.] 

Mati: Oops. 

Beau: Yeah, so no engagement. Just an elopement… 

Noah: Well, shit…I thought that. 

[He stops himself, glancing over to Reagan.] 

Reagan: Congratulations. 

[Sil jumps up and fishes for her phone from her purse.] 

The Book Voyagers: Oh, we forgot! Everly’s going to call us to chat. [On cue, her phone rings and Everly and Beckett pop up on Facetime.] 

Everly: Hiya. 

[Beckett grumbles in the background, then settles down beside her in a small café chair. From the looks of it, they’re by some crystal blue water, far from cloudy England. Both are suntanned and sporting matching aviators.] 

Everly: We can’t chat long. We have a boat to catch. 

Beckett: And then a plane, and train…  [Everly rolls her eyes, then pats his cheek, smiling back at him.]  

Everly: We don’t get to see each other often, but adventure calls. 

[She throws up her arms and tosses back her head with a laugh.]   

Everly: We broke out of England and snuck away for a quick break in the sun. I’ve never taken a holiday with boyfriend before. Anyway, I’m almost finished with my master’s. I’m supposed to be spending the summer in Turkey at a refugee camp this summer. And Beckett— 

Beckett: Sure as fu** isn’t letting her out of my sight. I’m going to do some freelance work while I’m there with her and the rest of her class. I’ll be on break from classes anyway.

[Noah and Reagan keep quiet. If anyone bothers to look closer, you'd notice they're holding hands as their attention shifts from Everly and Beckett, back to Mana and Sil.]

The Book Voyagers: This is the first time for Reagan and Noah to experience the emotions of their story being out into the world. Everly, Beckett, Matisse and Beau, did you give them some advice?

Everly: Expect some people to hate you. Especially if you're a hot mess.

Beau: Well, I wasn't going to be that harsh. Readers like me just fine.

[Mati reaches over and pinches his cheek, wrinkling her nose at him.]

Mati: That's because you could seduce a nun.

[Beau grins.]

Beau: It's the motorcycle. Girls dig it. And I'm a hockey player. Or because I've got some killer tats. Or my hair.

Mati: Or because you're so humble.

[She turns her attention to Noah and Reagan. even as everyone is laughing.]

Mati: Be prepared for people to fall in love with your love story. Be prepared for readers yelling at you because you make them cry.

Beau: Be prepared for everyone to understand why you're so in love with your girl.

Noah: You just can't help yourself, can you?

The Book Voyagers: What's your favorite poem? And what does it mean to you?

Beckett: "If" by Rudyard Kipling.

[He stand, revealing more of a rocky coast being battered with crystalline waves. Everly jumps on his back, looping her around his neck, and bringing the phone around so the two of them are back in frame.]

Everly: You're such a Brit. I'd say mine is "Mad Girl's Love Song" by Sylvia Plath. For reasons.

[She ruffles Beckett's hair, then reaches around and kisses his temple. It's quick, but Beckett smiles, then looks back down as they start climbing a stone stairway up a cliff.]

Beckett: It's a good fu**ing poem. And you didn't dream me up, I'm right here, pet.

Noah: Kipling's alright.

[Everyone's attentions turns to him. He's been pretty quiet since sitting down.]

Noah: I like this guy, Tyler Knott Gregson. He's good. His stuff reminds me of -

Reagan: Oh, me?

[There's a teasing light to her eyes, but it fades when he looks at her as if he'll get lost in her eyes forever. He clears his throat.]

Noah: When you're not being a pain in the ass, sure.

The Book Voyagers: If you could be any place in the world right this second, where would you be?

Everly: We're in Ibiza right now. It's not so bad. But you know how I feel about Paris...

Beau and Mati: Blackcomb Mountain.

[Both laugh and wink at each other as if it's an inside joke.]

Reagan [looks from the table, her voice quiet as she says]: Montana.

[Noah tugs her closer.]

The Book Voyagers: Finally one last question: Describe your perfect day!

Beckett: Waking up to Everly. I don't care about the rest of the details.

Beau: Well, shit. How am I supposed to compete with that?

Noah: I can, but that's for Reagan know and for everyone else to find out.

The Book Voyagers: Thank you so much for being here!! We've enjoyed this interview so much and hopefully we'll see each other again soon ;)


~Want to read about Beau and Mati and their crazy romantic elopement? Rebecca will be releasing it exclusively to her newsletter subscribers for Valentine's Day 2016. You can sign up here.

She will also be sharing a short story featuring Everly and Beckett soon as part of Valentine's Rewind, a romance author blog hop. If you can't wait until 2/11, she will be posting it early exclusively for members of her reader group here. ~