Dearest Clementine: 1

From USA Today bestselling author Lex Martin comes a captivating college romance, the first in a series of companion standalones... Twenty-year-old Clementine Avery doesn't mind being called bitchy and closed off. It's safe, and after being burned by her high school sweetheart and stalked by a professor her freshman year of college, safe sounds pretty damn good.

Her number one rule for survival? No dating.

That is until she accidentally signs up for a romance writing class and needs material for her latest assignment. Sexy RA Gavin Murphy is more than happy to play the part of book boyfriend to help Clem find some inspiration, even if that means making out...in the name of research, of course.

As Gavin and Clem grow closer, they get entangled in the mystery surrounding a missing Boston University student, and Clem unwittingly becomes a possible target. Gavin tries to show Clem she can handle falling in love again, but she knows she has to be careful because her heart's at stake...and maybe even her life.

ORDER OF BOOKS (Each can be read as a standalone.):

1. Dearest Clementine
2. Finding Dandelion
3. Kissing Madeline

SHAMELESS, a Dearest Series spinoff featuring Brady and Kat, is now available!

Excerpt of DEAREST CLEMENTINE, copyright 2014 Lex Martin
Gavin's grip is firm on either side of me as he ducks down to look into my eyes. Even though I lean back, I can feel his minty breath on my face.

"Clementine, I want to warn you." His voice is husky and deep. "I'm going to kiss you, and you're going to like it. A lot. But I want to be clear that I'm not going to sleep with you because I want you to respect me in the morning." His mouth lifts up in a wry smile. "This is simply one friend helping out another. Okay?"

Wait. Is he serious?

He must sense my apprehension because he rubs his thumb softly across my cheek. "It's just an exercise, to get you into your story. I promise."

I laugh, embarrassed, intrigued, and a whole lot turned on by the idea. He smiles again, but this time it's different. His eyes darken as his hands glide over my hips. My breath catches in my chest.

"Gavin, I don't think—"

He rests a finger over my lips. "I'm doing this in the name of academics. You need inspiration? You're looking at it. Now shut up and let me kiss you."

Holy. Sh**.

Lex Martin is the author of the Dearest series. She writes adult novels, the sexy kind with lotsa angst, a whole lotta kissing, and the hot happily ever afters. When she's not writing, she lives a parallel life as an English teacher. Lex resides in the City of Angels with her husband and twin daughters.

Arielle DeLisle is a narrator, voice actor, and commercial producer based in Phoenix, Arizona. She has recorded more than sixty audiobooks, including dystopian young adult titles and Michael Wallace's Righteous series. She lives with her two young, dinosaur-loving kids and several mischievous cats.

Nelson Hobbs lives on the sand with a classical guitar in one hand and a glass of sangria in the other. His villa on the beach is lined wall-to-wall with a coveted library of romantic classics. His voice resonates in this paradise which has led to the natural transition to audiobook narrator.