To my editor, Madeleine Colavita at Forever Romance, for wanting this series and believing in this rather tricky concept of writing four complete love stories over the course of one road trip, thank you. I’m sorry that sometimes you are talking directly at my face, I’m nodding, and nothing is going in. To my husband, Patrick, and daughter, Mackenzie, for being my foundation, my happiness, the loves of my life, thank you for celebrating my triumphs and comforting me in defeat. I don’t think Poppy would want you in a kissing book. I hope I did (and continue to do) the names Belmont, Peggy, and Rita proud, as they belonged to your siblings.

Your timeless grace and class will stay with me forever. To my grandmother, Violet, for the stories you’ve told our family over the years, thank you. I hope you’ll hitch a ride with the Clarksons as they move across the map toward New York, falling in love, changing lives, and resolving their shared history-which has only begun to reveal itself-along the way.

But sometimes all it takes is seeing their reflections, standing at our backs in that same mirror, to realize we’re worthy. It’s a common belief that we need to love ourselves before we can love another-and family can often bully, shove, and argue us into recognizing our true selves in the mirror, whether we like what we see or not. Too Hot to Handle is a love story between Jasper and Rita, but it’s also very much a love story among four siblings. Too Hot to Handle (Romancing the Clarksons #1)

Tessa bailey too hot to handle series