Jennifer Bonds | For Love Or...

Life is full of choices. Some of them are ridiculously easy. Coffee or tea? Cats or dogs? Sam or Dean? Okay, maybe that last one isn’t so easy, but what about the really hard choices? The ones that rip your guts out and have the potential to change your life forever? The ones that require risk, sacrifice, and maybe even failure.

In my new release, ONCE UPON A DARE, Olivia finds herself in a precarious position, forced to choose between the career she’s poured her heart and soul into and the possibility of finding love. Cole’s the new boss, and for Olivia it’s an either-or scenario. Taking a chance at love with the last man on the planet she wants to be attracted to? In her mind, that choice means giving up everything she’s worked so hard to achieve.

I love this aspect of Cole and Olivia’s relationship because it’s one I think most readers can relate to. We’ve all been there before. Forced to make an impossible choice. Love or… Career. Family. Faith. Friends. Maybe it’s not always a tradeoff, but in the moment, it often feels that way. Like you have to let go of one dream to realize another.

When I was fresh out of college, my boyfriend was a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. After graduation he was shipped off to Ft. Knox, KY. Then Manhattan, KS. I knew Iraq was just a heartbeat away, so when he asked me to move to Kansas with him, it was a tough decision. Moving halfway across the country and leaving my job, my friends, and my family? I’d never even been to the mid-west. And while I knew nothing about Kansas, I was pretty sure it was synonymous with tornado.

What if I hated it? What if things didn’t work out? Or worse, what if he was deployed and I was left alone in the middle of nowhere with no job, no friends, and no support system? The idea scared the crap out of me. But you know what scared me more? Losing an opportunity to be with the one I loved. I agonized over the decision, playing the ‘what if’ game and doing my best to predict all possible outcomes. In the end, I took the risk. I chose Kansas and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Sure, it set my career back, but I never regretted it. Not for a second. Not after we got married. Not after he was deployed. And definitely not after he got hurt. But that’s a story for another day. Choosing Kansas—choosing love—changed the course of my life. I can’t even begin imagine how different my life would be today if I hadn’t made the tough choice. And the payoff? So worth it. I get to spend my days with my own real life hero.

So that’s my story. What’s yours? Have you even had to make a hard choice in a relationship?

About ONCE UPON A DARE

Advertising guru Olivia Masterson is all work and no play. But on the eve of earning her dream promotion, her best friend dares her to drop her ice queen façade for one night and seduce a sexy stranger. Olivia's worked her ass off to get where she is-why the hell not?

Cole Bennett never thought he'd run into his feisty one-night stand at the office, furious that he stole her promotion. No matter how hard she tries to ice him out, they can't seem to keep their hands to themselves...or their clothes on.

Olivia's talented-maybe even more than Cole-so when his dropped hints to the boss net her a promotion of her own, he's ready to celebrate...until she accuses him of fueling office rumors that she slept her way to the top. She wants to earn her own way? Fine. So what the hell does a guy have to do to permanently melt an ice queen?

About Jennifer Bonds

Jennifer Bonds writes sizzling contemporary romance with sassy heroines, sexy alphas, and a whole lot of mischief. When she's not writing or wrangling toddlers, Jennifer can be found curled up with a good book and a bottle of wine. Jennifer lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where her overactive imagination and a weakness for reality TV keep life interesting. She's lucky enough to live with her very own real life hero, two adorable children, and a pair of rambunctious dogs. Loves Buffy, Mexican food, the Winchester brothers, and all things zombie. Sings off-key.