Deborah Cooke: Author

One of the fun things about having a book done in advance of the publication date is getting early reviews. The very first review is posted for Just for Tonight and it’s five stars. 🙂

Here’s all of Katherine’s review, posted at Goodreads:

Just For Tonight by Deborah Cooke is book 3 in her contemporary romance series, The Carpe Diem Café. Although it is book 3 it is easily read as a standalone, but be warned, you will want to read the rest of the series afterward.

Jake Cavendish is estranged from his family and is called home to Empire when his father has a heart attack. Imagine his surprise when shortly after arriving he sees the woman he had a one night stand with about a month before, and whom he can’t seem to get off his mind. Isobelle, the woman he met in Toronto, doesn’t exist. She is really Mackenzie Rhodes, granddaughter of his father’s arch nemesis.

I really enjoyed Jake and Mackenzie’s story. Each of them seemed so sure of their decision to never marry and have a family. It was great fun to watch their plans for their futures crumble as they fell in love and realized that they could still achieve their hopes and dreams without having to be alone forever.

Of the two of them Mackenzie seemed the most ready to accept that she didn’t have to cut herself off from a committed relationship. Jake on the other hand was a harder nut to crack, and had quite a bit of baggage to deal with after the way he was treated by his father when he was young.

Luckily for Jake, he had Mackenzie to help him see how his life could be better, and how he didn’t always have to be the angry, selfish person he tried to show to everyone, most of all his family.

Watching Jake’s personal growth was satisfying, and when he and Mackenzie finally got together, it felt well deserved for both of them.

Once again, Deborah Cooke has written a fantastic, heartfelt romance, with just enough conflict that it doesn’t feel over the top or unrealistic. I just loved it, and can hardly wait for the next book in the series.

Just for Tonight is coming August 24 to retailers – it’s already locked and loaded. You can order the ebook from my online store, Hazel & Honeysuckle Press, with either cover, for delivery August 10.

I barely knew Jake Cavendish in high school. He was two years ahead of me—the golden boy everyone knew was destined to leave our small town of Empire behind. And he did.

So when we cross paths years later at a glamorous black-tie gala in Toronto, I’m not surprised he doesn’t recognize me. What does catch me off guard is the undeniable spark between us. One unforgettable night feels like the perfect escape. After all, our families have been feuding for generations, and there’s no future for us. Better to leave it as one perfect memory than risk getting hurt.

Then Jake returns to Empire to settle his father’s estate.

Suddenly, staying away from each other is impossible. Every stolen moment makes the attraction harder to resist, and our secret affair only raises the stakes. I’m committed to preserving my family’s vineyard, while Jake is chasing a partnership at one of Toronto’s top firms. Our lives are pulling us in opposite directions, and neither of us is looking for forever.

But somewhere between the laughter, the late-night conversations, and the stolen kisses, this stopped being just a fling.

Falling for the enemy was never part of the plan. Yet the more I get to know Jake, the more I wonder if everything I believed about our families—and about him—has been wrong. The only question is whether we’re willing to risk everything for a love neither of us saw coming.


Coming August 24.

Order from my online store and get your copy August 10:

Pre-order the ebook:

Just for Tonight has an alternate illustrated cover, too, so you can choose.

Pre-order the ebook with the turquoise cover:

Order from my online store and get your copy August 10:

Order for August 24 delivery:

Jake and Mackenzie’s story will be available in trade paperback with both covers. The book interior will be the same in both editions.