Thursday, November 6, 2014

Blog Tour: Bigger Than The Sky By: Harper Bentley


Five years ago, I left my fiancé, hotter than hot Navy SEAL Kade Kelly, at the altar. 
No, I’m not an idiot.
Yes, I had my reasons. 
Now I’ve made a new life for myself working at a large firm in Richmond and I’ve left the past behind. Or so I thought.
Upon returning to my hometown of Serenity Point, Virginia, to take care of some business, I find that Kade’s now home for good and he’s none too happy about my being here. 
Two months. That’s all I’m staying then I’m out of here. Unless I believe the town’s pink-haired psychic’s prediction. Or embrace the sense of belonging I feel at being back home. Or give in to the emotions stirring inside when Kade's attention is suddenly on me. 
He scares the crap out of me. 
He thrills me. 
He used to tell me our love was bigger than the sky.
I always knew ours was a once-in-a-lifetime love. So how can he be so sure it can happen again?

When I read the synopsis of Bigger Than The Sky, the first thing that stood out to me was the hero was a Navy SEAL, I was like yes, I love military men.  The second thing that stood out was the heroine left him behind, so I was like okay what will her excuse be and will it make me hate her instantly?  My husband recently just separated from the military, so as a wife of a former military man the excusable reasons for leaving the man you were about to marry who is in the military are very limited.  And yes I know this is a book, but stay with me here I am not going off on a rant by any means, I am explaining my mindset while reading Bigger Than The Sky.  When I read her reasoning for doing what she did I could understand it especially having lived through my husband being gone for long periods of time and not everyone is cut out to be the spouse of a military member, so I cut her some slack.  Did I end up agreeing with Amelia completely no, I did not.  Did I blame Kade some, a little but I blamed Amelia a little more.  Was I routing for them to get back together hell yes I was and I was doing that because you can tell by reading the story that at the time they were both just too young to make it back then, but will they be able to make it now you ask?  Well, I guess you will have to go read the book now won’t you?

Amelia came back to her home to take care of the business her grandparents left her when they had died.  Did she want to be back? Not a chance in hell.  Did she want to run into her ex-fiance who she left?  You guessed it, oh hell now she didn’t especially when she finds out what he has done in the five years since she left him behind.  Amelia is stubborn at times, she is also strong willed, a smart ass and funny.  She did I will admit drive me crazy a couple of times but not enough to hate her character.  I kind of felt bad for her when you find out what Kade bought something she had always wanted, but what she didn’t know was that there was a good reason behind what he did.

Kade is one hot as hell alpha man who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to throw Amelia over his shoulder to make his point known. He was hurt bad when she left him.  He tried to forget her, but how can you forget the person who you love so much that you say your love for her is bigger than the sky?  Was he a saint? Far from it.  Was he a great guy who even though his heart had been broken by Amelia in the past still loved her and want her?  Yes he was.


I couldn’t put this book down, I got sucked in with the first chapter and when it ended I still wanted more.  I had not previously read anything by Harper Bentley but I can say without a doubt that this is one series I will be following from here on out.  I wish book two was already out, no this is not a cliffhanger, I want to see what is going to go down with Kade’s brother.  So if you are looking for a great book with a little bit of angst, a hot alpha male, romance, some humor and a great second chance at love, Bigger Than The Sky is the book for you.

“Amelia?”
After my squawk of surprise, I turn and see Brody Kelly walking across the street and I can’t help the huge smile that covers my face.
“Brody!” I holler and run to meet him, jumping up and throwing my arms around his neck for a hug as his encircle my waist and he spins me around.
“Thought that was you,” he says with a grin as he sets me back down.
“In the flesh,” I say with a smile as I look up at him, covering my eyes with my hand to block the sun. Brody was always such a cutie with his messy sandy brown hair, expressive hazel eyes and mischievous grin that always let you know he was up to no good. He’s around six-two, two-hundred pounds of rock solid muscle and I’d think he was hot if not for the fact that he’s like a little brother to me.
He walks over and whistles at my car. “Man, Mill, getting’ pretty fancy on us. Might wanna hide it in the garage tonight so no one steals the rims.” He grins down at me when I come up beside him and smack him in the arm. He looks around for a second and says, “Seriously, where’s Jeeves? Didn’t he drive you?”
“Shut it, Brody,” I reply with a giggle.
“Guess you’re doing pretty well for yourself then, huh?” he asks, a small frown forming on his face.
I purse my lips then respond, “Yes, I’m doing okay, I guess.” He looks at me out of the corner of his eye in a that was so an understatement kind of way since my car cost almost six figures. “Um, what’re you doing here? I mean, it’s like  you just appeared out of the blue,” I say.
He takes me by the shoulders and turns me to face across the street. I look at Pettyman’s Lumberyard, but that’s when I notice it no longer says Pettyman’s on the front but Kelly & Family Lumber and Construction in its place.
“Y-you bought Pettyman’s?”
He nods with another grin then asks, “So how long you in town for?”
“Not sure. I’ve got two months’ vacation time I’m using so I came to finally check out the station,” I explain, turning back to face it, my smile falling away.
“Aw, Mill, I’m sorry. They were good people,” he replies. “I know Harley feels terrible about everything.”
Harley Sedgwick, the local heating and air technician, had inspected the heater in Papaw and Meemaw’s house for years, telling Papaw on his inspection five years ago (the winter after my wedding debacle) that it really needed to be replaced. Papaw had scoffed at him telling him there was at least a good five more years in it. The next year, Papaw had neglected to call Harley to come back out and take a look, and Harley had been so busy that it hadn’t even occurred to him to check on them. The heater had developed a leak since the previous year it’d been checked, and my beloved grandparents tragically died in their sleep from carbon monoxide poisoning on a chilly day in early November.
“I know,” I say. “I hope he knows it’s not his fault. Papaw was a stubborn old fool anyway, as Meemaw would’ve said.” I chuckle sadly.
He curls an arm around my shoulders to comfort me. The Kelly men and their protectiveness, I think which makes me sigh.
“So think you might be back to stay?” he asks looking down at me, eyebrows raised.
I huff out a laugh because that’s a ludicrous idea. “No. I wanted to see if maybe I could get the place up and running again then sell,” I inform him.
He drops his arm then nods with what looks like disappointment, which I think is ridiculous. He knows I’m never coming back.
“So how are you? How’s Piper?” I ask.
“She’s fine,” he says aloofly. Then he gets a shy look on his face. “I passed the fireman test. I’m a real-live firefighter now.”
My eyes now get big and I squeal, “Really? Oh, my God! I’m so happy for you!” I hug him again telling him his news is wonderful when I hear someone clearing his throat behind him. Still holding on to him, I lean to the side and look around his shoulder, and what I see makes me swallow down a gasp.
Dear God.
Brody’s older brother Kade Kelly.
Still hotter than hell Kade Kelly.
Kade Kelly who’s got a hard body that’s sculpted like a magnificent work of art.
Who has a large Celtic cross tattooed on his back with “Fiona” in the middle of it in honor of their baby sister who’d died at birth.
Kade Kelly who sings and plays guitar in a band.
Who took my virginity when I was sixteen and he was eighteen.
Kade Kelly who I left standing at the altar five years ago.


Harper Bentley has taught high school English for 22 years. Although she’s managed to maintain her sanity regardless of her career choice, jumping into the world of publishing her own books goes to show that she might be closer to the ledge than was previously thought.
After traveling the nation in her younger years as a military brat, having lived in Alaska, Washington State and California, she now resides in Oklahoma with her teenage daughter, two dogs and one cat, happily writing stories that she hopes her readers will enjoy.

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