Hello, friends! I’m thrilled to welcome Cat Andrews to my blog today to celebrate the release of Sanctuary: Volume 2, a contemporary romance inspired by Pride and Prejudice. I love modern P&P novels and I love Maine, so I definitely need to read these! Cat is here to share a little about the book and an excerpt, which I hope you all enjoy as much as I did. Please give her a warm welcome!
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Much of Volume 1 of Sanctuary focuses on Will Darcy’s and Elizabeth Bennet’s respective backgrounds, and the slow growth of their relationship, from strangers to friends to something more. While their relationship is still the primary focus of Volumes 2 and 3, the relationship between Will and his son Jack and Jack’s growing relationship with Elizabeth, also feature prominently throughout the story.
Will is a single father, and he decides to leave his home in New York City and move to a small island off the coast of Maine—to regroup, but also to spend the summer with his son and devote every minute to him. They’ve had a difficult couple of years, and they need the time together to heal. After Will meets Elizabeth, his attachment to her continues to deepen, and as such, so does Jack’s. Jack first sees Elizabeth as a friend, and then sees her as his father’s girlfriend, but now, in Volume 2, he’s beginning to see her as a permanent fixture in his life.
Please enjoy this short excerpt from Chapter 13 of Volume 2, which shows Jack discussing his very first day of Kindergarten, and has both Will and Elizabeth reflecting on a few other things regarding Jack…and then shows Elizabeth flirtatiously teasing Will out of a funk.
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“An’ my class has nineteen kids, ten boys an’ nine girls, which is good ’cause there’s more boys. An’ we have a turtle, his name’s Mr. Slowski, he’s neat but he doesn’t do anythin’ but sit there an’ eat grass. An’ they put new stuff in the playground, there’s a new climbin’ thing that’s all different colors.”
Jack paused to take a breath, and Elizabeth took immediate advantage—he hadn’t stopped talking about his first day of school since he stepped off the bus.
“Okay, how about taking a bite of your dinner? It’s getting cold.”
“’Kay,” Jack agreed, taking another bite of his green beans. “Oh, an’ guess what?”
“What?” Elizabeth and Will answered simultaneously.
“’Member Zoe, from the party?”
“Um…” Will answered.
“Zoe, Dad, from the big party we went to before we did the fireworks. She kept chasin’ me.”
“Oh, Zoe. Yeah, I remember her.”
“She’s in my class, an’ guess what?”
“What?” Will and Elizabeth responded in unison.
“She sits right in front of me ’cause her last name is Daniels.” Jack sighed dramatically. “She didn’t go to the picnic so I didn’t know she was gonna be in my class. She tried chasin’ me on the playground when we did recess, but I ’membered what you told me an’ I asked her to stop it.”
“Did she?”
“Yeah. Oh, an’ guess what else?”
Will chuckled. “What else?”
“I have homework,” Jack said, eyes wide. “I have to make a poster.”
“Tonight?” Will asked.
“No, uh-uh.” Jack got up from the table and pulled a paper out of his backpack. “See? This is what I hafta do. It’s s’posed to be all about me.”
Will read over the paper quickly. “This looks like fun. We’ll do it this weekend so you can take it to school on Monday.”
“’Kay,” Jack said, sitting back down. “Do I get to help you move on Saturday?” he asked Elizabeth, before taking a bite of his chicken.
“Sure, if you want to. I don’t have a lot of stuff, so it won’t take too long.”
Jack studied her seriously. “An’ you’re gonna live here all the time, right?”
“Do you mean for good?”
“Yeah, that’s what I mean. All the time.”
“Yes, I’ll be here all the time,” she reassured him. She glanced at Will, who appeared baffled by Jack’s question. “Well, except for the nights I work at the restaurant. Like tomorrow night, I have to stay with my friend Charlotte.”
“’Cause of the ferry?”
She nodded. “It doesn’t make trips late at night.”
“But alllll the other nights you’re gonna be here. Right?”
“Right.”
“’Kay,” Jack said, obviously relieved. “Hey Dad, you have homework too. Don’t forget.”
“I won’t.” Will eyed the stack of papers he needed to fill out. “Looks like I’ll be busy for a while.”
“Yeah. I didn’t know dads got homework too.”
“Me either,” Will said. He glanced at Jack’s plate. “You all done?”
Jack nodded. “Yup. Can I be excused?”
“Sure. Bath in a little bit, okay?”
“’Kay.” Jack carried his plate to the sink before leaving the kitchen.
Will sat back in his chair and sighed quietly as he stared down at the table. Elizabeth took in his concerned expression, and leaning towards him, she puckered her lips. When he finally glanced up, he smiled before kissing her.
“What’s up?” she asked softly.
“Jack and I have had that exact conversation about you moving in, a couple of times.”
“I think he just wants to make sure I’m not going anywhere.”
He looked at her for a long moment, his gaze steady.
“I’m not going anywhere. You know that, right?” she asked, unsure what that look meant.
“Of course I do. I’m just trying to put myself in Jack’s shoes, trying to figure out what he’s thinking.”
“And?”
“Well, first he lost his mom. And he doesn’t see Alice and Georgie much, but I guess that’s mostly my fault.”
“You can’t think of it that way.”
“I know, and I know I did what was best for us, but that’s when he gets upset, when someone is leaving him. And maybe that’s exactly how he sees it.” He paused. “He didn’t get upset when we left New York back in July because we were coming home to Maine, back to you. But when Georgie was here in June, and now this time with her and Alice, they left.” He looked at her sadly. “I think he just needs to know you’re staying put.”
She rose from her chair and stood behind him, looping her arms around his shoulders and bending to kiss his neck before resting her chin on his head. “I’ll tell him as much as he needs to hear it.” He leaned his head back and looked up at her, and she gave him an upside-down kiss.
It was a day of change, and not just for Jack. Sending him off to school hadn’t been easy for Will. Jack had boarded the bus with a huge smile, and they’d watched as he found a seat with Sam and slid in toward the window to wave to them, his blue eyes wide with excitement.
Will had walked Elizabeth to work after the bus left, and they stopped at the bakery to get coffee and scones. By the time they reached the steps of the library, she could see he was a little down, and she’d tried to cheer him up by whispering sexy, sweet nothings in his ear.
He’d finally given in and smiled, hugging her tightly. “Okay, I’m still a little bit sad, but now I’m a little bit horny too. Nice job, Ms. Bennet.”
She grinned mischievously as she held him. “I’ll come and meet you for lunch, maybe we can try out that new office furniture that’s coming this morning,” she whispered, kissing his neck.
He’d laughed outright. “Now I need to leave before I embarrass myself.” Leaning back, he looked down at her and smiled before giving her a kiss. “Thank you for that. I love you.”
“I love you too.” She winked at him. “And don’t be surprised if I show up for lunch, Mr. Darcy.”
He’d laughed and shook his head, waving to her as he wandered off down the street.
Regrettably, the furniture was actually being delivered during her lunch break, so she wasn’t able to make good on her proposition.
Another day.
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About Sanctuary: Volume 1
“Do you ever wish you had a second chance to meet someone again for the first time?”
When Elizabeth Bennet left her Massachusetts hometown two years ago and settled on Great Diamond Island, off the rocky coast of Maine, all she wanted was a fresh start, somewhere to forget a past full of heartbreak and trauma—a place that would allow her to rediscover herself and what it felt like to be happy.
Will Darcy is ready to leave the family drama and noise of New York City behind. He moves to Great Diamond Island in an effort to build a better life for himself and his young son Jack, hoping it will provide a quiet place for them to heal from their grief after a tremendous loss.
Elizabeth meets Will within moments of his setting foot on the island, but the handsome newcomer’s offhanded dismissal of her is anything but a “meet cute.” But as the days pass, Will’s chance encounters with the bright-eyed, pretty young woman—and Jack’s insistence on befriending her—cause Will to see Elizabeth, and himself, in a different light.
But as they draw closer and take tentative steps toward something more than friendship, will they be able to step outside the shadows of their pasts?
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Sanctuary is a contemporary love story inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but uses Austen’s characters only as a launching point; it is not a meticulous and faithful retelling of the original. It contains mature content and is intended for adult readers.
Buy on Amazon
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About Sanctuary: Volume 2
If someone had told him six weeks ago that he would end up here with this incredible woman in his arms, he would have scoffed in disbelief. Yet here he was, falling in love with her, holding her while she slept, and embracing emotions he never imagined he would feel again.
Will Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet have unexpectedly found each other—and a slice of happiness—on a tiny island off the coast of Maine.
With wonderful friends surrounding them and a passionate new love in full bloom, life is moving forward; they’re planning a future together as a family of three with Will’s son Jack, and the lazy days of summer are looking exceedingly bright.
But while some relationships are slowly and painstakingly being rebuilt, a long-kept secret, finally revealed, threatens to tear others apart.
◆◆◆
Sanctuary is a contemporary love story inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but uses Austen’s characters only as a launching point; it is not a meticulous and faithful retelling of the original. It contains mature content and is intended for adult readers.
Buy on Amazon
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About Sanctuary: Volume 3 (coming soon)
She studied him in the gray, dreary light of the morning, and her heart ached as she wondered how she was going to tell him that once again, the past was forcing its way into the present.
Will Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are deeply in love, and together with Will’s young son Jack, they are looking forward to their happily ever after on the shores of Great Diamond Island.
For Will, the future has never looked brighter: he’s wild about Elizabeth, has found a best friend in Charles Bingley, and his new consulting business is slowly gaining momentum—as is his fledgling relationship with his father.
Elizabeth, too, is deliriously happy: she’s crazy about Will and is embracing her role as Jack’s “new” mom, she loves her job at the Portland Children’s Library, and is looking forward to having her younger sister Lydia settled close by.
It seems they’ve left their troubled histories behind and are heading into the future as a blissful family of three. But can anyone truly forget—or escape—a past that is determined to reassert itself? Can a new love withstand the forces that seek to destroy it?
◆◆◆
Sanctuary is a contemporary love story inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but uses Austen’s characters only as a launching point; it is not a meticulous and faithful retelling of the original. It contains mature content and is intended for adult readers.
Buy on Amazon
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Connect with Cat Andrews
Website | Facebook | Goodreads
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Giveaway
Cat is generously offering an ebook copy of Sanctuary: Volume 2 to one lucky reader. To enter, please leave a comment with your email address. The giveaway will be open through Sunday, September 27, 2020. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced in the comments section of this post. Good luck!
Thank you, Cat, for being my guest today and congratulations on your new releases!
Can’t wait to read volume 2. Congrats on the release.
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I’m glad you’re looking forward to it! Thank you so much!
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I just recently read and enjoyed the first of this series and would love to win a copy of the next book. odara7rox(at)rcn(dot)com Thanks for a chance to win.
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So happy you enjoyed Volume 1. Good luck! Thank you Sheila!
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What a wonderful excerpt! I love Cat’s writing and this scene brings back memories for many of us moms, and for me, just how much I love this story. I’m glad so many more readers are getting the opportunity to read it and own these gorgeous-looking books. (Don’t enter me in the drawing as I plan to buy the whole series.)
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Thank you my friend!
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I love this excerpt! Thanks for sharing it and congrats on the release of vol 2! These covers are so gorgeous, too! 💕
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Thanks for stopping by, my friend!
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I absolutely love love love this 3-volume set. To date, it is easily my favourite book of 2020. There’s no way you can read it without being touched emotionally. You will definitely fall in love with the major characters. I most highly recommend it. I have already purchased all volumes and just awaiting Volume 3 to be released, so it’s not necessary to enter my name for the giveaway.
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Wow, Marie – I’m honored. So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for popping in to say hello!
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Great excerpt! Jack is adorable, just like his Daddy! This seems to definitely be my kind of story but I’m waiting for all three to be available before I get started. Meanwhile, I’m loving all these posts so thank you.
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Jack is a pretty cute kid, if I do say so myself! And Darcy has the sexy dad thing going on, for sure. I’m glad you’re enjoying the excerpts, I hope they’re getting you excited to read! Thanks Glynis!
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Enjoyed the excerpt as I love when we get to see Mr Darcy as a father. Thanks for the giveaway! jadseah4(at)yahoo(dot)com
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I love Darcy as a dad too, and I really enjoyed writing the father/son relationship. Thanks for stopping by!
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Thanks for letting me visit, Anna! I appreciate it!
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Actually I have read and enjoyed the second volume – mea culpa. So I am not in the running for Volume 2. Need to read Volume 3.
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I’m glad you enjoyed it, Sheila! Thanks.
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Enjoyed EB’s way to get him out of his uncertainties. LOve the author’s protrayal of a chld’s mentality of assurance. I find myself such a way too. Always asking to reassure myself…
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Jack’s had it rough, and he needs to make sure the people in his life aren’t going anywhere. As for Elizabeth, she knows just how to shake Will out of his gloomy mood! Thanks!
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[…] are still giveaways happening at a couple of blogs as well! At ‘Diary of an Eccentric,’ you can win an eBook of Volume 2; and at ‘Babblings of a Bookworm,’ you can win an […]
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I love modern versions. these sound like the books for me.
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They stray from Canon quite a bit – I say they’re inspired by Austen, but not truly Austenesque. I hope you give them a shot! Thanks!
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I love modern stories inspired by P&P. I like to be surprised by the plot and where it will lead to. The excerpt pull me right in to know more about Jack and his new friends in kindergarten. Also the covers are all nice to look at.
evangelineace2020(at)yahoo(dot)com
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I hope you take a chance with Sanctuary and little Jack Darcy! And I’m glad you like the covers, I’m in LOVE with them! The designer did a fabulous job. Thanks!
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Thanks, everyone! The giveaway winner is alp1788. Congrats, and happy reading!
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