A Delectable Dilemma

By Teena Raffa

Sam shouldn't have said she was bringing The One home to meet the family at Mum's birthday celebration. Her latest relationship debacle showed her she doesn't want a man to deliver happy ever after or even happy for now.

But how could she disappoint Mum who is worried time is running out for the joy of grandchildren? A last-minute blind date organised by Sam's best friend promises the perfect solution — until the person selected to play the role of her special someone presents an added dilemma.

Sam can ignore the calling of her heart ... or take a chance on finding a different kind of love.   

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sea Song Publications
• Release date: Nov 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9780645150353

Teena Raffa

Teena Raffa has had a love affair with words for as long as she can remember. Some people can’t do without chocolate. Teena can’t imagine her life without books. An avid reader and lifelong writer, she is now flirting with romance after many years of writing for children. Teena lives near the beach south of Perth in sunny Western Australia with the love of her life and a golden labrador with anxiety issues and a toast obsession. When she is not reading or writing, Teena enjoys family gatherings, and dabbling in art. She can often be found sea-gazing along the local beach path, or sun-dreaming on the back patio at home.

Book preview

SAM GROANED, PROPPED both elbows on the desk and buried her head in her hands. She shouldn’t have told Trisha about Carlos. Then their mother wouldn’t have heard the news that raised her hopes for a conventional love, marriage and grandbabies scenario for her younger daughter. Sam sighed. She wasn’t going to deliver on that front.

One thing the short-lived romance with Carlos had done was make it clear she didn’t want a man in her life. Not now. Not ever. There was also a question mark over any long-term relationship. Carlos had hit the mark with his parting comment that Sam was incapable of true intimacy. She did back away when anyone came too close.

It looked like she was going to be Solo Sam forever so she should have set Mum straight on the romance situation. Instead, Sam had stayed silent. Now she was expected to bring a dessert plus a date to tomorrow’s family birthday gathering down south and Mum was looking forward to meeting the man who’d won her daughter’s heart.

The dessert wasn’t a drama even though Liz’s fail-safe recipe for black forest cake hadn’t lived up to that promise in Sam’s kitchen. An early morning call to the boutique patisserie at the Bayside Plaza Shopping Centre meant she’d still be turning up tomorrow with a decadent delight for the desserts table.

The plus one posed a problem of epic proportions. Especially at such short notice. Could she ask Carlos to play along tomorrow? Just this once? Not likely, considering she’d heard a whisper he was already seeing someone else, the colleague who’d been hovering on the sidelines throughout the three months Sam and Carlos were together. So that wasn’t an option.

Sam frowned