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About Decide to Live by Shirley Anne Edwards
Title: Decide to Live
Author: Shirley Anne Edwards
Series: Finding the Strength #3
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
When it hurts too much to live, how does one find the strength to stay alive and find hope again?
Reiko Nakano has a charmed life. Not only does the twenty-three-old come from a life of luxury because of her celebrity parents and supermodel sister, she’s best friends with the biggest brother and sister pop duo in the world- Gio and Gem Grove. But what the public assumes is wrong different because of what Reiko suffers in private. She feels she’s an outcast in her own family because of her ptosis and her social anxiety. She then makes the biggest mistake of her life and tries to turn her lifelong crush on Gio into something more. His cruel rejection after she lets him take her virginity leaves her heartbroken.
Reiko hides in the least likely of places- the small town of Albee, Pennsylvania. There she enjoys her anonymity and enrolls in summer classes at Maison University. She hopes she can fit in as a student, but life continues to play tricks on her when she’s hit in the face by a football from one of the most popular boys on campus, Will Forest. But this accidental but memorial meeting will help heal her fragile emotions because Will shows her how special she is to those she meets, including him.
She isn’t sure what to make of Will. He’s too nice and sweet, and treats her like gold. She accepts his attempts at romance even though it’s only temporary. But as the summer flies by, she doesn’t want to give Will up, who doesn’t know the truth about her “vacation”. And when Gio arrives in town, and threatens to out Reiko, she has some hard choices to make. Does she come clean to Will so she can decide to finally live on her own terms and embrace the amazing woman Will thinks her to be?
Excerpt from Decide to Live
© 2021
Shirley Anne Edwards
On a corner was a bookstore called Readers Opus. Dad’s latest release stood out among the books in the window. It was pretty cool not only to see his book front and center, but for the store to promote a quantum mechanics title. It had been too long since I’d been inside a bookstore, especially an indie. To kill time in case I still couldn’t find anything to wear for tonight, I entered, loving the library decor and wooden stacks of books with signs above pointing out the genres. I spotted the non-fiction section and went there to find Dad’s books.
Almost all of his books were there. I took out his first release and turned it over to check out his glamour shot, aka his headshot. He looked so young but still dignified. This was the only picture of him smiling. Must have been his excitement at getting published. I snapped a picture of the book with my cell, and went to do the same with the rest to send to him, but then noticed the magazine section behind me. Aya stared at me on the cover of at least three fashion magazines in the front. I snapped a picture of those magazines but shook my head at the absurdity of it.
“Why would the magazine section be near the non-fiction section?” I said louder than I’d intended, but there was no one around to hear.
Or I had thought no one heard. A few feet away Will, the football guy from Maison, sipped an iced-coffee-type drink and held a hardcover book.
“I agree with you100 percent about the magazine and non-fiction section.” He spoke around his straw then released it from his mouth.
“It’s you again.” I’d stated the obvious and mentally slapped my forehead.
“I’m surprised you recognized me with my shirt on and no football.” He strode toward me, giving me a good view of his Iron Steam concert shirt—OMG, he liked the same band I did!—and his vintage olive shorts that showed off his muscular thighs and calves. But what made me want to continue staring at him was the burgundy beanie on his head.
“I’m surprised I recognized you with the beanie,” I replied.
As he came closer, I lowered my eyes to the floor, not exactly from shyness but to catch my breath. He really was cute.
“I would recognize you anywhere with your awesome glasses. Also, we have the same taste in music. I’m a big fan of theirs.”
My love for Iron Steam was well known, but I rarely wore their shirt out since it was my stay-at-home, step-above-wearing-my-pajamas tee. Now, I was glad I’d worn it since it would give me something more to talk about with Will.
“I would have never thought you would be into pop punk. They just started getting popular on the West Coast the last couple of years.” I tugged on the hem of my yellow T-shirt, wishing it wasn’t so faded.
“Why? Because I’m some nerdy dude who accidently hits girls with footballs?” He zoned in on the area of my neck where I had been hit, making my face warm.
I pressed my palm to my shoulder. He thought he was nerdy? “I had a black and blue for a few days, but it’s gone now.”
He winced, and when he lifted his arm to his chest, I got a better look at his book. Dad’s latest release!
“I still feel awful for hitting you.” He glanced from his book to me. “Speaking of nerdy, I enjoy the work of Kobe Nakano. Do you know him?”
I sputtered and cleared my throat to stop from releasing a laugh. If only he knew how well I was aware of the author and his work. He’d get a kick out of it for sure.
“You could say I know him.” I could have revealed my connection, but Will’s reaction would have changed. There would be surprise and compliments thrown my way because I was Nakano’s daughter. He would know about Aya and Mom, and possibility my connection to the Groves. My cover would be blown.
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About Shirley Anne Edwards
Shirley Anne Edwards is a Northeast girl who first found her love for books when she read Nancy Drew’s The Secret of the Old Clock Tower at thirteen. Shirley found her love for writing at a very young age, and since then has let her imagination run wild by creating quirky characters and vast worlds in her head.
Shirley lives in New Jersey and works in the entertainment industry in New York City.
In the immortal words of Mark Twain: “Life is short, Break the Rules. Forgive quickly, Kiss SLOWLY. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably and never regret ANYTHING that makes you smile.”
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