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5
Cups: FIGHTING FOR A DREAM is
such a compassionate, heart-wrenching story. Jordan has to face
impossible odds to claim her right for the type of future she wants.
Bryce has no clue that she harbors ill feelings toward him because of the
special relationship he has with her father. His passion and love
for Jordan is so special that I could not wait to see what he has to do to
win her heart. TONYA RAMAGOS wrote us such a compelling love story
that I give her 5 cups. -- Briana Burress, Coffee Time Reviews
4
Angels: Fighting For A Dream is
pleasing story of a woman struggling to achieve a lifelong goal –to
become a firefighter. This is book two in the Stockland Fire Department
Series. Book one is Mr. Right in Turnouts. Jordan and Bryce must each
conquer inner demons to have the love that each so desperately wants. Ms.
Ramagos has used dialogue and interaction between the characters to create
an unforgettable tale that will touch your heart. -- Tewanda, Fallen
Angel Reviews
Packed
with grabbing what you want, acceptance, and love, Fighting for a Dream by
Tonya Ramagos’ is a captivating tale for readers to enjoy. The
characters kept me captivated and stayed in my thoughts even after I
finished the novel. The interaction between Bryce and Jordan flowed
naturally and made the story come alive with emotion. I was rooting for
Jordan to overcome the struggle she faced in gaining acceptance from her
father and fellow fire fighters. Fighting for a Dream is a read that I
recommend for readers who love a story of triumph, acceptance and love. --
M. Jeffers, Road to Romance
4
Stars: This book is a great
story of how we must all "stay the course" for our dreams and
desires, knowing that the journey will bruise us along the way. Tonya
Ramagos skillfully takes us through the agony felt when having to stand up
against those we love and respect. But in the end we succeed because we
have followed our own hearts' desire. -- Kathy Martin, Novelspotters
4
Stars: This is a sweet romantic
story. Bryce is madly in love with Jordan and his dedication and
perception to her needs is heartwarming. I liked how he was able to reason
with Jordan, to be her friend and her lover and support her as a
firefighter. The interesting element was Jordan's own obliviousness about
Bryce's feelings. She's always considered him competition for her father's
affection and when Bryce proves that he puts her first, Jordan finds out
what it means to be accepted totally for herself. I liked the chemistry
between the two, it's rare that characters are true friends in romance
stories before they pursue a love interest. While the love scenes were
pretty light for my tastes, those who enjoy a good story will find
Fighting for a Dream a pleasurable read. -- Jacqueline, The Romance
Studio |
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ADULT
EXCERPT
Bryce
Tracy drummed his fingertips on the desk. A rid-a-tat-tat from his nails
hitting the hard wooden surface ricocheted through the unnerving silence
of the office. His gaze was fixed and locked with a pair of gray,
cat-shaped eyes that stared back at him. Pleading yet determined eyes.
Eyes that could make a man slither into a puddle of mush and, at the same
time, put every nerve ending on alert. How could he say no to those eyes,
to that beautiful face? How could he say no when her request had rolled
from such alluring, shapely lips?
His attention focused on those lips, carnation pink, glistening from
moisture and parted ever so slightly. They were set in the perfect
formation for another pair of lips, his lips, to capture them in a heated
kiss of passion. And if he were to ever kiss her that’s exactly what it
would be, passion—years of deep unrevealed passion battling for an
escape. It made no difference that the striking woman in front of him was
practically his sister. He wanted her and every time he looked at her he
wanted her more and more.
It hadn’t always been that way. Then again, she hadn’t always been so
beautiful. Growing up, she’d been a scrawny thing, tall with virtually
no meat on her bones and a head far too large for her body. She had been
easy to resist then. Oh, why couldn’t she have remained that way? Saying
no to that girl would have been much easier than saying no to the woman
she had become. But how could he say yes and face the wrath of Cleveland
Diaz? What she was asking was too much. For so many reasons, most of which
Bryce knew he had to keep locked away inside.
Bringing his drumming fingers to a halt, he laid his hands flat on the
desk and pushed a hard breath from his lungs. “Jordan, you realize
you’re putting me in a helluva spot here?” He pursed his lips together
as he forced himself to gaze, once again, into her eyes and concentrate on
the subject at hand rather than how badly he wanted her. “You know how I
feel about your father. I have the greatest of admiration for him. I owe
him so much. Hell, I practically owe him my life!”
Jordan returned his fixed and potent stare, seemingly attempting to keep
her expression blank and emotionless. Still, the scowl that briefly
overtook her luscious lips was hard to miss.
“You, of all people, should know I’m not making excuses.” Bryce
pushed himself to a standing position behind the desk. “It’s the
truth. Your father pulled me under his wing when I had nowhere else to go.
He taught me everything I know. He’s the reason I’m Chief of this
department now.” He indicated his surroundings with a flourish of his
arm.
The office was small, not much larger than a walk-in closet found in a
master bedroom. The walls were panted a soft shade of ivory trimmed in red
tying in the décor with the walls of the station outside the office. The
furnishings were spare; an executive style desk sat before the only window
in the room, a five drawer metal filing cabinet occupied one corner while
an American flag hung from a tall base in another. In front of the desk
were two brown leather visitor chairs. Despite the usual cozy atmosphere
of the office, Bryce felt as though the room was closing in around him as
his attention remained planted on the occupant of one of those brown
leather chairs.
Jordan remained seated. Although her perfect posture visibly stiffened,
her glare on him didn’t give an inch. “I know you feel you owe my
father a lot…”
“Then you understand that undermining his decision isn’t exactly how I
planned to repay him for all of the years of kindness he’s shown me,”
Bryce interrupted her a bit too coldly.
Undermining his decision? Hell, it would be more like spitting in the old
man’s face! Bryce had promised to continue running the Stockland Fire
Department the way Cleveland and his predecessors had done for nearly a
century. Bryce was the first Chief in the history of the department that
was not of Diaz blood. Had Cleveland been blessed with a son, Bryce was
certain he would have never seen the rank of Chief. But Cleveland didn’t
have a biological son. Therefore, he had entrusted the department to
Bryce. Bryce knew if he gave into Jordan’s request he wouldn’t merely
be changing what had become a department policy, he would be asking to
become the worst enemy of Cleveland Diaz—something no man in their right
mind would ever intentionally ask for.
“So you’re saying you won’t help me.” Jordan folded her arms
across her chest. The muscle in her jaw worked as she clenched her teeth
together. Those tantalizing gray eyes smoldered with anger.
“I didn’t say that.”
“So you’re saying you will?” The anger instantly swept away, her
eyes lit up like a pair of stars in the blackest of night skies. They were
eyes a man could drown in and damned if he didn’t feel himself going
down. No amount of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation would be able to save him.
“I didn’t say that either.”
What had he said? Nothing. How could he when he had no idea what to say?
The situation was precarious, his choices very slim. He could say yes,
watch the happiness consume the woman he secretly loved and know that he
was the one who brought her that happiness. Or he could say no, salvage
his father/son relationship with her father and most likely lose Jordan
forever.
Words Cleveland Diaz had spoken so many times echoed through his mind.
Women have no place in the fire service. They’re too dainty, too weak.
There isn’t a woman alive that can cut it in a man’s world. The only
thing they’re good for is handing out water bottles on fire scenes.
The problem was, deep down Bryce didn’t agree with Cleveland’s words,
especially when the woman in question was Jordan Diaz. She may be female
but dainty and weak were definitely not words that could be used to
describe her. The sudden interest in physical fitness she had developed at
the age of fourteen had eliminated any of that. By the age of sixteen, the
once scrawny disproportioned girl had transformed into a strong tough
woman with a body and mind that proved it. If given a chance, Bryce
predicted she could give nearly any man on the department a run for his
money.
Yet that knowledge did nothing to change his current situation. It
didn’t multiply his options either. If only she would accept her
father’s decision and leave well enough alone. Life would be so much
simpler. But one look into those unwavering eyes told him pigs would fly
before that wish would be granted.
Shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans, he walked to the wall lined
with pictures on the side of the office. “There’s never been a woman
on this department,” he informed her unnecessarily, gesturing toward the
many photos of firefighters.
“Like I don’t know that,” she said with a callous laugh. Then she
rose from the chair and stepped closer to him. “That’s because this
department has also never had a Chief that wasn’t a Diaz. Now it does.
“Times have changed since my great-great grandfather founded this
department, Bryce. The Diaz reign doesn’t have to end just because there
are no more men in the family to carry on tradition. My days of handing
out water bottles are over,” she announced with a stubborn lift of her
chin. “I know this department backwards and forwards. I’m in great
physical shape and perfectly capable of being a firefighter.
Unfortunately, my father is so caught up in his old fashioned values that
he can’t see past my gender to figure that out.”
Bryce raked a hand through his hair and turned his back to her. Like he
could see past her gender. Hell, with the body that woman had it was hard
to see anything else!
A tension-filled silence settled over the office as he paced the short
distance from the desk to the wall, back and forth. “So now that your
father is on vacation for who knows how long and isn’t Chief anymore you
see this as an opportunity to become more active in the department,” he
summarized, cutting her a quick glance as he continued to tread the tiled
floor.
“Yep.” She nodded sharply. “To my knowledge, my father no longer has
any pull over the decisions made in this department. He can’t keep me
out now. It’s all up to you.”
“In other words, you’re asking me to choose between you and your
father.” He stopped pacing then and turned to glare at her. A frown
etched itself between his brows. He hadn’t exactly meant to voice the
ultimatum that had surfaced to his mind but it was precisely what he was
thinking.
A look of baffled confusion overtook Jordan’s stern expression.
“I—I…” She faltered, angling her head as she mull over his words.
Finally, she said, “I don’t think it’s going to come down to you
losing the relationship you have with my father, if that’s what you
mean.”
“I’m afraid it will,” Bryce admitted dryly, heaving a sigh. He
shifted his gaze to the photos on the wall—centering on a picture of
Cleveland Diaz dressed in turnouts and a white helmet that symbolized his
position as Chief. He was a stocky man in his early sixties with more hair
above his lip than on his head. But it was his eyes, the same deep gray
colored eyes that Jordan possessed, that most people in the town of
Stockland found intimidating. Even in a photograph those eyes didn’t
lose their daunting appearance. Bryce shivered.
“Look, if I can’t cut it I will be the first to say so,” Jordan
said. She moved to prop herself against a wall behind her, her hands
balled in fists and planted on her slim hips. “I’ll walk away and
serve the best water you’ve ever tasted. All I’m asking is for you to
do your job. Set your personal knowledge of my father and me aside and
give me a chance. Treat me as you would any other candidate.”
Bryce’s gaze dropped to the toes of her aerobic tennis shoes and slowly
scanned up the length of her captivating long legs to the lavender blouse
that stretched just perfectly over her well-curved breasts. He felt
himself begin to swell behind the zipper of his jeans and quickly looked
away. He looked to the ceiling, to the floor, out the window, everywhere
but at her. Although he would’ve preferred to allow his gaze to linger
on her beautiful curves, now was not the time to get aroused. He had to
think. He had to…
Treat her as I would any other candidate. Yeah, like I can really do that
one. |
