Easton Westbrook entered my life like an arrogant, grumpy, wrecking ball, and refused to leave.
One Little Mistake, an all-new enemies-to-lovers romance from Avery Maxwell, is available now!
Our banter is addicting, and nothing I do or say will make him change his mind. But when his mind becomes focused solely on me, I run.
I can’t afford to give my heart away again. Not when I’m barely surviving with the broken one I have.
I have walls up for a reason. Reasons that are none of his business, but Easton is used to getting what he wants. And when he decides he wants me, I’m not sure I’ll survive it.
Lexi Heart entered my life like an arrogant, bossy, she-devil in heels, and I can’t get her out of my head.
She’s always ten steps ahead, and I have to admit, I’m intrigued. With every lash of her sharp tongue, she puts me in my place. But when I peel back the layers of her tough girl exterior, I see the broken shell she’s hiding, and my own walls come crashing down.
We quickly learn that what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay there, and I know I’m done for. I want this girl in every sense of the word, but can I convince her to take a chance on us? Or will the damage from her past be too much, even for true love?
Join Easton and Lexi in their highly emotional journey to a happily ever after. One Little Mistake is an enemy to lovers, accidental marriage romance that will draw you in and refuse to let you go.
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Excerpt
My phone vibrates next to me, and I can all but guarantee it’ll be one of the girls. Or both of them. Lanie, Julia, and I all grew up in the tiny town of Burke Hollow, Vermont. They, and my grandmother, GG, are the only constants in my life. Glancing down, I see I’m right.
Lanie: Kick butt today at work, chica! Luvs!
Julia: She means kick ass and take names. You’ve got this!
Julia: Luvs.
Their confidence in me is comforting, but it doesn’t shake off my nerves.
Lexi: Thanks, guys. Luv you both.
Julia: Just throwing this out there … East is pretty hot! (winky face emoji)
Lanie: They would look so cute together, wouldn’t they?
Jesus Christ.
If they knew what I’ve been through, they would understand. My heart isn’t up for grabs, and it won’t ever be again. My boyfriend finder is broken beyond repair. Or maybe it never worked to begin with, since I’ve only ever chosen losers.
Lexi: Don’t start. That isn’t an option. Not now, not ever. Do you not remember my choice in men almost got me killed?
Lanie: …
Julia: You can’t blame yourself for Miles. You couldn’t have known, but I will say this: both Lanie and I found love when we had sworn it off. You never know when it will strike.
Lexi: I do. Never. Love is a choice, and it’s one I’m choosing not to make again.
Lanie: Oh, Lexi. It’s cute how you think you can control it.
Lexi: Whatever. I have to get going, or I’ll be late. Luvs.
Lanie: Luvs.
Julia: Kick his ass. Then maybe kiss it better! (Winky face kissing emoji) Luvs!
I don’t respond because Julia has no filter. Her responses will only get worse if I encourage her. Instead, I pack up the lunch I made and head out the door, only to run face-first into a human wall.
“Leo,” I grumble. Ashton, the youngest Westbrook, decided I need to have round-the-clock security. Freaking Ash. The only reason I didn’t argue is I’m pretty sure he does some messed-up shit with super-spy Loki.
Leo is my day guy, and his job just got boring as hell. Realizing I never asked him what he would do all day while I sat at a desk, I stare at him.
“Something wrong, Ms. Heart?” His voice always sounds so clinical.
Tilting my head to the side, I observe him. “What are you going to do all day?”
“What I do every day, ma’am. Watch over you.”
“Oh, hell to the no! Do not call me ma’am.” I jab my finger into his chest as I speak. “I’m not old enough for that shit. For the last time, it’s Lexi. Call me Lexi or Lex. Jesus, even ‘girl’ would be better than ma’am.”
He doesn’t answer. The only acknowledgment I get is a quick nod of his head as he steps out of the way so I can lock the door. This is going to be a long day, and I already feel a migraine coming on.
We climb into the car, and the driver takes off. My girls married into some rich ass families, but I begrudgingly admit they’re amazing. I will never say that to Preston, though. I’m having a hard enough time separating them and their money from the wealth and cruelty I knew when I was with Miles.
Leaning back, I close my eyes, but the car pulls to a stop all too quickly, and I hear Leo exit the car.
Well, shit. The commute took less than five minutes. Leo opens my door, and I force myself to exit. I’m not sure what I expected, but the building before me emblazoned with ‘The Westbrook Group’ was not it. Maybe it’s because Preston always presents himself as the playboy. Surely, he’s doing something right if he is keeping a multi-billion dollar cooperation running successfully.
Maybe I’m not giving the guy enough credit. Lanie told me Preston recently rebranded Westbrook Enterprises into The Westbrook Group to better encompass the partnership with his brothers. If they can rebrand something like that, there’s no reason I can’t reinvent myself to be the best damn assistant Easton Westbrook has ever seen. Right?
With Leo shadowing me, I make my way to the security desk and check-in.
“Welcome, Ms. Heart. You’ll be on the twenty-first floor. Your badge will allow entry from the elevator.” The guard is a sweet, older man whose name tag says Sam.
“Thank you, Sam.”
He smiles kindly, and I’m on my way, not at all sure I’m ready to deal with the Westbrook Beast.
The elevator dings as it comes to a stop. Taking a deep breath, I exit the car and glance around, confused. The place is empty and dark. With tentative steps, I inch forward. Ever since Miles held me captive, I’ve struggled with dark, enclosed spaces, and I hate myself for it. I should be stronger, so I force myself forward.
“I’m safe. This place is safe. Leo is right behind me,” I silently chant.
“Ms. Heart?” Leo’s voice calls out from behind, causing my heart to stop.
With a fist on my chest, I turn. At least he appears to feel bad for startling me.
“You are safe, Ms. Heart. They locked this building down tighter than Fort Knox. I believe Mr. Westbrook’s office is to the left.”
“Th-Thank you, Leo.”
He smiles and ushers me forward. As I round the corner, light spills out into the hallway from a single door at the end. Stealing a breath, I force myself forward, not really sure why I’m so nervous. Reaching the open door, I raise my hand to knock when a deep masculine voice cuts me off.
“Glad to see timeliness is a priority. Come in.”
I can’t tell if he’s being an ass or genuinely complimenting me, so I keep the sass to myself. Entering the room, I realize he has yet to look up from his desk. How the hell did he know I was here?
“I have excellent hearing,” he states, finally lifting his gaze to mine, and it knocks the air from my lungs. Fighting to keep my face neutral, I swallow, forcing the trapped air to leave. His voice softens for the briefest moment when he says, “You are always safe here, Ms. Heart.”
“Thank you,” is all I say. I don’t need Easton Westbrook becoming some arrogant Prince Charming. Been there, done that.
He narrows his eyes as he considers me. Then, as quickly as it came, the warmth in his voice evaporates. “I expect a lot from my employees. I’m here every day at five-thirty a.m. working out in the gym because that’s when I work through most of my problems. HR told me I could no longer force my employees to be here that early, but I will require you here by seven a.m. Monday through Friday. We work long hours.”
The way he’s glaring at me, as if I’m a charity case, makes me insane. My inner bitch is rising, and the longer I stare at his stupid, scowling face, the more I want to set her free.
“I’m not afraid of hard work, Easton.” My indignation is showing, and I make no attempt to hide it.
I swear his lip twitches before he locks it down into the firm, straight line I’m thinking is forced.
“Right. I know we are in the precarious situation of having a connection outside of work, Lexi.” He says my name as if testing out a new hot sauce, and it makes me smile. “But Mr. Westbrook will suffice here in the office. I have a laptop and phone for you. A desk will be here in a couple of days, but you’ll sit in that general vicinity.” Easton gestures across the room.
Is he fucking kidding me with the Mr. Westbrook bullshit?
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3.5 Stars
This is the first book in a new series, but there are interconnected characters with Avery Maxwell’s last series (Broken Hearts) — including Lexi’s entire backstory. I liked the overall theme and story of book, but the details of Lexi and Easton’s relationship (or really, lack thereof) fell flat for me.
I empathized with what she’d lost, but I had a hard time really getting behind her as a broken heroine not knowing the details of what took place with her previously. I felt that way too much was glossed over, and there were conversations between characters that left me clueless. Were they talking about past events, or was it poor writing? I don’t know because One Little Mistake is the first book I’ve read by Avery Maxwell.
I also felt like there were too many cases of being told, not shown — like the “epic meltdown” that Lexi has on the porch. A few sentences of a flashback weren’t enough to satisfy me with that. I liked Lexi as a heroine. I liked East as the hero. I loved their grumpy/sunshine combo. They both have trauma in their pasts, and I loved and how they both learned to heal from their scars with one another. They both had some serious baggage to work through, and their time apart as they did that was my favorite part of the book. I could see them working on their issues, and how they both grew from doing so. Also, I liked the chaos of the extended Westbrook family. But there were too many moments that had me going back to reread pages, thinking I’d missed something. Does this book run concurrently with others? Is it meant to be read in order? I have no idea!
One Little Mistake is tagged as a stand-alone, but I felt like there were too many pieces I was missing. There were teases set up for future books, which definitely caught my interest. Especially Ashton. So I will look for more from this series in the future, despite only giving One Little Mistake 3.5 stars. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About Avery
Avery Maxwell is an American Romance Author who loves wine, sexy stories, pizza, and her family.
Avery is a hot mess of a mom to four wildly sweet mini-humans and two fur babies. She spends far too much time in her pj’s and trips over herself multiple times a day. Accident-prone is probably a fair assessment.
Having grown up in small-town Vermont, Avery often jokes about being the most naïve person in the room. Luckily, she’s used that small-town charm to write character-driven contemporary romances that have you laughing one minute, and crying the next.
When she isn’t refereeing (three little boys require a lot of whistle blowing), or cuddled up with her real-life Prince Charming, you can find her tucked away with a bottle of wine (because those steamy scenes don’t write themselves!), or coaching her daughter’s basketball team.
Avery now lives in North Carolina where she brings life, love, and a happily ever after to every character she writes.
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