Raindrops on Roses: Book One of the Favorite Things Trilogy
Read Raindrops on Roses: Book One of the Favorite Things Trilogy Online
Authors: Millenia Black
Tags: #romance, #cliffhanger, #betrayal, #love triangle, #trilogy, #new adult, #new adult romance, #new adult fiction, #trilogy book 1
PRAISE FOR THE PAGE-TURNING
NOVELS OF MILLENIA BLACK
Acclaim for
The Great
Pretender
“
An original and deftly
written novel…warmly recommended as an emotionally charged,
superbly presented saga of human failings and frailties—and the
need to measure up and transcend the habit-forming lies of the
past.”
–
Midwest
Book Review
“
What a story! It made me
wonder if I can install a LoJack on my husband before his next
business trip. Do they make one for men?” –Lisa Earle McLeod,
author of
The Triangle of Truth
“
Millenia Black’s first
novel is a compelling, fast-paced story with intriguing, believable
characters. It’s a real page-turner! I was involved from beginning
to end. ” –Judith Henry Wall, author of
The
Surrogate
“
Millenia Black is a great
storyteller…
The Great Pretender
is realistic; its characters are fully complex and
their dialogue is authentic. With the use of small, inconsequential
interruptions in complex situations, Millenia Black paints a scene
that is so genuine, it flows like true life. Someone call
HBO!
The Great Pretender
could easily be
The
Sopranos
of South Florida.”
–
The Sunpiper
Press
Acclaim for
The Great
Betrayal
“Intensely intriguing and
deeply riveting, Black's latest is a first-rate page-turner that
will draw you in from the very beginning and never let go. This is
women's fiction at its best, with a twist of psychological thriller
and a touch of romance. Leslie is an enigmatic and deeply developed
protagonist…”
–
Sheri Melnick, Top Pick - Romantic Times
Book Review
“Millenia Black is a
mistress at neatly laying out each part of the story…She clearly
and succinctly draws verbal pictures of each character and their
interrelationships with each other. It is masterful…A thought
provoking, extremely well-written book, this one will haunt your
thoughts long after you’ve finished the novel.”
–Jeri Neal, The Romance
Readers Connection
“On a scale from 1-10, I
definitely give this book 10. Ms. Black is a talented writer, and I
can’t wait to read many more of her books like
The Great Pretender
and her next
book,
The Great
Mastermind
. If you like a book with
romance, family obstacles and scandals,
The
Great Betrayal
by Millenia Black is a
must-read for you.”
–Carol Ann Culbert Johnson,
MyShelf.com
“Leslie is one of the best
protagonists of the year…Fans of deep psychological character
studies will want to read Millenia Black's strong tale.”
–Harriet Klausner,
Amazon.com
RAINDROPS ON
ROSES
A Novella
Favorite Things
Trilogy
Millenia Black
***~***
The characters and events in this book are
fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is
coincidental and not intended by the author.
Copyright © 2014 Millenia Black, Inc.
Smashwords Edition
This book is also available in print at most
major retailers.
Discover Other Titles by
Millenia Black:
NOVELS
(Sneak peek at the end of
this book!)
NONFICTION
7 Smoke Signals Your Man is Living a Double
Life
***~***
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This e-book is
licensed
for your personal enjoyment only.
This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you
would like to share this book with another person, please purchase
an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book
and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only,
then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.
Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
***~***
All rights reserved.
The characters and events portrayed in this novel
are the sole property of Millenia Black, Inc. and no other person
alive or dead. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in
a review.
The jealous are
troublesome to others, but a torment to
themselves
.
—William Penn
He that is jealous is not in love.
—Saint Augustine
•
CONTENTS •
EXCLUSIVE
PREVIEW of THE GREAT BETRAYAL!
•
PROLOGUE •
T
he photographers were everywhere. Everyone
wanted
the
perfect shot of the glistening, ivory white
casket. Its sparkling silver accents marked an elegance befitting
the final resting place of a well-beloved and timeless Hollywood
leading lady.
Judy Garland's beautiful rendition of "Danny
Boy" soared throughout the courtyard as people left the church
heading for their vehicles, with most declining to be interviewed
by the barrage of reporters.
"...and her family members and close
friends—including rarely seen show business icons like Maria
Lansbury, Heather de Bray and Liza Bertoff—are all gathered here
behind me at the First Presbyterian Church on Florida's Mayfair
Island. They've come from all over the world to say goodbye and to
honor the life of a true Hollywood legend, the incomparable
Veronica Bauer, who died suddenly of an apparent heart attack last
Sunday at the age of seventy-four.
"A double Academy Award winner, Bauer
retired from Hollywood at the height of her career nearly fifty
years ago, and together with her late husband, the legendary film
producer George Bauer, she went on in the late 1960s to launch one
of the world's most successful ultra-luxury hotel chains, the now
world famous and exclusive Favorite Things boutique hotels.
"Bauer, who'd been notoriously reclusive
over the years, is survived by her two grandchildren: Douglas and
Priscilla. And all eyes are on them right now as public interest in
Veronica Bauer's life and legacy continues to grow.
"This is Diane O’Dell reporting live from
Mayfair, Florida, WSTN news."
•
CHAPTER ONE •
T
he day was dreary and upsetting, and just what you'd expect
for a funeral.
Michael Frost looked up at the sky, and
breathed the somber atmosphere. He could feel the old lady's
presence, rich and palpable in the fresh evening air.
A noisy mob of reporters and paparazzi were
camped outside the church. Like a pack of wild vultures, they were
obnoxiously pushing and shouting with invasive cameras and
microphones. Legal or not, Michael thought their presence there was
terribly rude and disrespectful, and he felt badly for the Bauer
family.
"Mr. Eastwood! Mr.
Eastwood!" a young reporter shouted from behind the guardrail. "You
starred with Veronica Bauer in
Dear
Justice
—any comment on her sudden
passing?"
"Douglas!" another yelled,
"Douglas, one question! Will there be a
public
memorial service?"
Yet another, with a dated
mullet, flashed his press pass and shouted: "Mr. Bauer! Is it true
she left the
bulk
of her estate to a secret love child?"
Oh, my God,
thought Michael.
This is
awful
.
How can
these creeps be allowed to disrupt a funeral service this
way?
As they all continued
shouting unchecked, Michael became increasingly uncomfortable and
even
more
sorry
he'd agreed to come here in the first place. Disgusted by the
press, he pushed his way through the crowd, made it through
security and got inside as quickly as possible.