This unlikely getaway driver never expected to help the mayor escapeโฆ
After a six-year absence, Addison Potts is back in Charleston to stir things up. And what better place to make her villainous return than her estranged cousinโs wedding? Only, the nuptials hit a snag when the bride doesnโt show, leaving Addison to play getaway driver for the jilted groom. A groom whose heartbreaking smile and deep, southern drawl she should not be noticingโฆ
Elijah Montgomery Du Pont is the future mayor of Charleston. From his military career to city hall, every detail of his life has been meticulously planned. Until now. His only respite from lifeโs sudden upheaval is Addison, his new, improbable best friend. She makes him happy. Grounds him. And public disapproval be damned, heโs not willing to give her up. But with an election on the line and public pressure rising, Addisonโand the cruel hand of fateโmight not give him a choice.
Charlestonโs next mayor is left at the altar, picked up by a girl whoโs come back home after six years. Heโs the face of the elite, sheโs the girl with the scandalous last name, and together, chemistry burns up the pages of Tessa Baileyโs GETAWAY GIRL.
This was such a fun, fast-paced book to read. Full of wit and heart, as well as a whole lot of sexiness, I devoured the unlikely story of Addison and Elijah. I relished in their banter, in their easy friendship, in the longing for and rightness of each other.
Addison Potts returns to Charleston and her first stop is her cousinโs wedding. Murmurs start to rise at her arrival but quickly get replaced with shocked awes when the bride leaves the groom at the altar. Elijahโthe now jilted groomโis the future mayor of the city, his life meticulously planned to the minute. Walking out of the church, he didnโt expect a girl to offer him a way out of the situation heโs found himself in, open car door and bottle of liquor in hand.
Addison gives Elijah unexpected respite from the craziness of his life and they soon become best friendsโฆ in secret. Sheโs exactly what Elijah needsโsomeone to hold him accountable, who doesnโt care about his status or last name, who simply wants to spend time with him.
As his election nears, their friendship wades into less familiar territory, emotions and desires deepening into something barely contained. Addison (and her family history) would surely stir public opinion, potentially costing him the election and the very real dreams he has for the city he loves. But once Elijah realizes just how much he needs her, heโs not willing to keep her hidden any longer, politics be damned. Trouble is, fate and family can often play a cruel hand and it may be too late for them both.
This delightful friends-to-lovers story is a great one to get lost in, to relish in and quickly devour. The banter was one of my favorite parts, making their chemistry and charm come to life on the page. Pack this one in your pool bag, youโll be smiling brightly in the sun.
Who has Elijah been kidding? He preferred my dusty, cluttered Christmas-themed apartment to this place? Thisโฆmillionaire family manโs respite on the water?
No. No, heโs been avoiding his life. Back in his office, I had the fleeting realization that Elijah had been staying with meโin year-round Christmasโto avoid reality. And what happened with Naomi. That theory cements itself now. Hard. Heโs been hiding away with me. Iโve been giving him an excuse to hide. A place to do it.
This is where he belongs. Not with me.
Iโm holding him back.
My vision blurs as I close the door behind me. With the click still hanging in the air, I slump into a cross-legged position on the floor. Beneath my fingertips, the floor is smooth and rich, even through a layer of dust. This place is unfamiliar to me, yet I donโt feel like a stranger. Because itโs so Elijah, right down to the masculine class and robust ceiling beams. Itโs a false sense of comfort, though, because he canโt have this place and me as a friend. It was easy to pretend in my out-of-the-way two-bedroom, but this? This is a life to be embraced.
There will be a wife and kids in this place one day. There might even be a chance for Elijah to win back Naomi. But not as long as Iโm spending time with him. Causing people to whisper about us and speculate. Allowing him to avoid his future.
Iโm hurting him. I have to let him go.
But not before I fix everything.