Exclusive Excerpt: SMALL CHANGE (SMALL CHANGE #1) by ROAN PARRISH

Small Change (Small Change #1) by Roan Parrish
Release Date: 6/1/2017
Publisher: Self-published
Pages: 429

We are thrilled to welcome Roan Parrish today with an exclusive excerpt from her new contemporary romance, SMALL CHANGE!

 

Synopsis:

 

Ginger Holtzman has fought for everything she’s ever had—the success of her tattoo shop, respect in the industry, her upcoming art show. Tough and independent, she has taking-no-crap down to an art form. Good thing too, since keeping her shop afloat, taking care of her friends, and scrambling to finish her paintings doesn’t leave time for anything else. Which … is for the best, because then she doesn’t notice how lonely she is. She’ll get through it all on her own, just like she always does.

Christopher Lucen opened a coffee and sandwich joint in South Philly because he wanted to be part of a community after years of running from place to place, searching for something he could never quite name. Now, he relishes the familiarity of knowing what his customers want, and giving it to them. But what he really wants now is love.

When they meet, Christopher is smitten, but Ginger … isn’t quite so sure. Christopher’s gorgeous, and kind, and their opposites-attract chemistry is off the charts. But hot sex is one thing—truly falling for someone? Terrifying. When her world starts to crumble around her, Ginger has to face the fact that this fight can only be won by being vulnerable—this fight, she can’t win on her own.

Small Change is the first book in a series that will include M/F and M/M romances.

 

Buy links:

Author site: https://www.roanparrish.com

 

Author Bio:

 

Roan Parrish lives in Philadelphia where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre.
When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.
She is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary Agency.

 

Connect with Roan:

 

Website: https://www.roanparrish.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoanParrish
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roanparrishbooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roanparrish/
Newsletter: Newsletter

Praise for Small Change:

“Small Change is a gem. A beautifully written, deeply emotional story with tons of life bursting out of it’s pages. I loved this story! Can’t wait for more.” –Molly O’Keefe, USA Today Bestselling Author

“I can always count on Roan Parrish to deliver emotional truths and gritty realism. Like many readers, I was waiting for Ginger’s story. And what a story it was!” — Sarina Bowen, USA Today Bestselling author of Goodbye Paradise

“It sounds anemic to say, ‘You will fall in love with Ginger,’ but you will! This tattoo artist heroine manages to be both a delight and a total badass at the same time. Parrish makes her characters work for their happily ever after, which means Small Change has it all: vulnerability and great big leaps of faith, broken hearts and patched-together hearts the stronger for that patching. (Also: smashing the patriarchy and amazing sandwiches.)” –Jenny Holiday, USA Today Bestselling author

 

Excerpt:

 

“Do you want me to go?” Christopher asked. “I was mostly kidding about bribing you with the coffee. You can keep it,” he said, laughing because I’d instinctively pulled the cup close to me like he might take it back.

His smile was quickly becoming one of my favorite things to see, his laugh one of my favorite to hear. Did I want him to go?

I was peopled-out, but I found myself really wanting him to stay. I shrugged and the neck of my T-shirt fell off one shoulder.

“I’m just…tired and I talked to my shithead sister before you got here, which means I’m maybe not the best company, so you might not want to hang out with me.”

“I think I can stand it if you can.” His voice was soft and he ran a hand over my hair, then let his warm palm rest on my exposed shoulder.

“I—okay. For a little bit?”

He nodded and I led him upstairs, stopping just inside the door.

“Want me to hug you?” Christopher asked from behind me.

“What?”

He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Well, sometimes I like a hug when I’m tired, or grumpy. So I thought maybe you would too.”

“You? Grumpy? Yeah, right.”

Christopher shot me a bright smile, proving my point.

“You like hugs, huh?” I scowled, wondering who got to hug Christopher when he was tired, or if he were ever grumpy, and felt a tiny twinge in my stomach at the idea of someone else’s arms wrapped around him.

“I do. Well, I like good ones.”

“And do you give good ones?”

“Well, I don’t know if you’ll think so. But if I were in the market for a hug I would definitely want a hug from me. Care to register an opinion?”

He dropped his arms at his sides, like he was making himself ready for any potential hugging. It was kind of silly, but the second he’d said it I realized that maybe I did want a damn hug. He did look like he’d give good ones. He was broad and strong but not hard with muscle. He smelled good and was wearing a soft fabric. He didn’t have any spiky jewelry that I could see…

I nodded and stepped into his arms, where I found myself wrapped up in probably the best hug I’d ever gotten. He held me to his chest tightly but didn’t squeeze the life out of me. He leaned into the hug like he was enjoying it, not doing me a favor. And he rested his chin on top of my head. I turned my face so my cheek was against the flat of his shoulder and let out a huge breath, relaxing into the shape of his body. I could feel the expansion of his stomach and chest as he breathed, the heat of his skin through that damn green T-shirt. The muscles of his back shifted slightly under my palms as he tipped his head forward and buried his face in my hair.

I’d hugged Daniel occasionally, but it was always quick and fierce. Morgan and Lindsey on their birthdays. Marcus when one of us’d had a hard day. But this kind of a hug? Where I just held someone and they held me? Where we breathed together as one unit? I couldn’t remember the last time it had happened.

Christopher smelled amazing, and the rhythm of his breath was lulling.

I let go reluctantly when it seemed like an inappropriately long time had gone by, and he looked a little disappointed. He trailed a hand down my arm like he was reluctant to break contact, and I leaned into it.

.