Just Do It: The BRAND NEW uplifting and heartwarming romantic read from RNA Award Winning Maxine Morrey for 2024

By Maxine Morrey

Lizzie Rose knows what she likes and likes what she knows.

Her role at the London Museum is more than a job, it’s her safe place and her passion. So when Lizzie is passed over for a chance in a lifetime opportunity in favour of her ex-boyfriend and fellow Egypt nerd Friedrich Klein, her heartbreak over their relationship pales into insignificance compared to her sadness at losing the project.

Best friend Colette thinks an evening of cocktails is just the medicine for a broken heart, and meeting dashing, charming, but very much ‘not her type’ Finn Bryson at the bar puts a smile on Lizzie’s face too. But Lizzie isn’t used to spending time outside of her comfortable world of academia and doesn’t believe in mixing business with pleasure. So when Finn’s job brings him to the museum, she’s determined to put an end to any notion of romance between them.

But what if Lizzie’s comfort zone isn’t that comfortable any more? Is it time for Lizzie to take the chance on love that fate keeps bringing her way - even if it means changing the habits of a lifetime?

‘Read yourself happy’ with Maxine Morrey’s latest feel-good, unforgettable and utterly uplifting love story, guaranteed to make you smile. Perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Sophie Kinsella.

Praise for Maxine Morrey:

'I absolutely love Maxine’s books - it’s so much fun to be in her world.' Portia Macintosh

'An uplifting read that stops you in your tracks and makes you wonder "....but what if?" Absorbing, funny and oh-so-romantic, I loved every page!' Rachel Burton

'A super sweet read, guaranteed to warm any winter evening' Samantha Tonge

'A lovely story that kept me turning the pages' Jules Wake

‘A stunning, perfect novel – it literally took my breath away.’ The Writing Garnet, 5 stars

‘A warm hug of a book.’ Rachel’s Random Reads, 5 stars

What readers say about Maxine Morrey:

‘I loved it from start to finish, favourite book by far this summer ☀️ looking forward to reading more from this author.’

‘Yet another superb summery, sunshine read from Maxine. A lovely, comfortable read with relatable characters.’

‘A beautiful and heart-warming read. The characters are so incredibly well written, their stories are so real and their emotional journeys of healing past hurt and trauma are so beautifully touching. For me, I think this story is one of the best I have read in a really long time, so much so that I re-read the last few chapters over again.’

‘I'm a huge fan of Maxine Morrey's books, so shockingly this won’t be an unbiased review, it’s going to be completely and unashamedly biased and gushing about her wonderful, poignant, thought provoking stories which make me emotional but always happy by the end when I read them.’

‘Another amazing story from Maxine Morrey. So beautifully written, lovely characters, the whole Book feels like a warm hug. I couldn’t put it down!’

‘Loved this book an easy read and found it hard to put down. From a sad start to her life and bad relationship choices Fleur finally meets the love of her life. Recommend this book to anyone who likes a true romance.’

• Language: English
• Publisher: Boldwood Books
• Release date: Jan 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9781837511136

Maxine Morrey

Maxine Morrey is a bestselling romantic comedy author with over a dozen books to her name. When not word wrangling, Maxine can be found reading, sewing and listening to podcasts. Her novel You've Got This! won Best Romantic Comedy Novel at the RNA Awards 2024

Book preview

1

I stared at my boss, her words echoing around my brain. I had been so sure this time.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she repeated. ‘I was positive they’d choose you. You’re still the best candidate as far as I’m concerned.’

I opened my mouth to ask a question but instead of words, a hoarse raspy noise emerged.

‘Would you like some water?’ Inis asked, her tone soft and soothing as she poured me a plastic cupful without waiting for an answer and placed it on the desk in front of me. The only sound was the glug of bubbles from the dispenser as the level settled.

I took a few gulps of the icy cold drink, cleared my throat, then tried again with my question.

‘Do you know who they went with instead?’

She gave a shrug and busied herself topping up the cup. Something smelled fishy.

‘Inis?’

My boss returned to her seat and met my eyes for the briefest moment before looking away again and unnecessarily tidying her already highly organised desk. My desk was not tidy. My desk was never tidy. I liked the aesthetic of tidy, the thought of it. It was just that I could never quite manage the actual task. Or if I did, the result would last less than a day before it looked like a bunch of tomb raiders had upended everything in search of buried treasure. Not that they’d find any. At least not in my office. The London museum I worked in, however, had plenty, and those I was meticulous about cataloguing and storing carefully with the reverence the items deserved.

‘But I’ve been instrumental in acquiring some of our most popular exhibits,’ I said.

‘I know.’ Inis shook her head. ‘And we’re all incredibly grateful for the brilliant relationship and rapport we now have with the various museums and collectors in Egypt.’

‘So who do the board think is the best person for overseeing what could be one of the most important digs for decades?’

Inis paused, then mumbled something as she turned to rummage in her Kate Spade handbag.

‘Pardon? I didn’t quite catch that.’ I asked her to repeat as I raised my cup and attempted to wet my suddenly dry throat.

She faced me and spoke again, clearer this time but with a pained look on her elfin features. ‘Friedrich Heckler.’

It was amazing how much water was actually in a sip. There was enough, certainly, to go down my throat but apparently that still left plenty to find a route down my nose. I swiped at my face with my cardigan before taking the tissue offered by a concerned Inis. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said as I took another and honked out an unladylike blow, causing my left ear to pop. ‘I don’t understand the decision at all. I mean, he’s a good archaeologist but he doesn’t have as much expertise in the subject as you, or your connections.’

‘He has the names of a few people. I know that much. Stupidly I shared them with him before I realised he was a cheating…’ I snapped my mouth shut, grabbed a pencil and drew a few quick hieroglyphs on a piece of paper.

‘Inventive use of a dead language.’

‘I like to keep my hand in.’

‘Still. Even if he has those names, I can’t think he has the relationship you do with any of them.’

‘No, but he has things I don’t have.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Money and charm.’

‘Aah.’

‘Yes. Aah.’

Friedrich had grown up in a castle. A proper, honest-to-God, Disney-worthy castle. His parents still lived there amongst the gilded framed paintings of ancestors long deceased. There was a portrait of Friedrich too that I’d seen on my own visits. The painter had been rather kind I thought, and given my boyfriend-at-the-time definition in his pecs and biceps that wasn’t necessarily a true representation of the sitter. Friedrich certainly wasn’t complaining. I wasn’t into all those muscled types anyway. People’s intelligence was the most attractive thing to me. Friedrich had a nice face although I did wonder how he was going to get on in the desert with his insistence on wearing contacts.

‘Glasses are so cliché,’ he’d told me when I’d questioned him about it. ‘They are too central to the classic image of the nerd. I refuse to be objectified and turned into the public’s idea of what an archaeologist looks like.’

‘I think most people think archaeologists either look like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft.’

Friedrich had given me a glare. Hollywood’s interpretations of archaeologists over the years was one of his pet hates so I’d changed tack.

‘I do think you’re over reacting about insisting on contact lenses all the time. Lots of people – millions in fact – who aren’t archaeologists wear glasses. It’s not like we have dibs on them.’

‘So, fine. You wear them!’

I’d frowned. ‘I don’t need them.’

‘And now you’re going to rub in the fact I have myopia?’

‘No! I wasn’t… You know I wouldn’t do that. I just don’t…’

‘Just don’t what?’

‘Think it’s as big a deal as you’re making it out to be.’

‘Then we will agree to disagree and move on with our evening.’

And we had. That time and all the others. It’s kind of a thing with academics, whatever the field. Hardly anyone wants to agree with anyone else. I don’t know why. I’ve always thought that we’d probably know a lot more about a lot more things if we all just tried to get along.

‘Are you OK?’ Inis brought me back to the present.

‘Yes. Well, no. I’m disappointed, obviously.’

‘Obviously. We all are. It would have been great for the museum as well as you personally. And off the record,’ she gave a furtive look around, ‘I think it’s a shitty decision.’

Despite the crushing disappointment that had taken up residence in my chest, giving me severe indigestion pains, I felt the corners of my mouth tingle as they fought a smile. My boss never swore. She didn’t like anyone else to. I’d smacked my shin against a stone sarcophagus lid one time whilst working with her. I’d cut my leg open and achieved a bruise from ankle to kneecap and the most I felt I could let out was ‘Oh! Fudge!’ It really had been most unsatisfying.

‘Inis!’ I said, the smile forcing its way through despite having just lost, quite literally, the opportunity of a lifetime.

‘I know.’ She blushed and the tips of her ears went pink. ‘Extreme circumstances call for extreme language.’

This was not extreme for me and I could guarantee I’d be letting loose a whole string of expletives at the top of my voice the moment the opportunity arose. But for my boss, this was huge!

‘Don’t you tell a soul I said it.’

I drew a cross over my heart and made a zipping motion across my lips.

She put her hand across the desk and laid it over one of mine. ‘And I really am sorry.’

I nodded, pushed the chair back and went back to my office.

‘So? When are you going?’ Bella, perched on a pile of books, whispered excitedly as I entered the room.

‘I’m not.’

She straightened. ‘What?’

‘I’m not going.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘The board chose someone else to lead the dig.’

‘Who?’ she snapped. ‘You’re the best person for that job and everyone knows it.’

‘Apparently not.’

‘So who got it?’ she asked again.

‘Friedrich.’ I replied without looking up.

‘Son of a⁠—’

‘Bella?’ Peter, our intern, knocked lightly on my open door. I would close it but there was too much stuff in front of the door so I pretended I liked it that way. Although right now I just wanted to be left alone.

‘There’s someone on the phone for you from Denmark.’

She jumped up. ‘I have to take this but we’ll talk, OK?’

‘I’m fine. Really. There will be other opportunities.’

We both knew this was a big fat lie but the sentence sufficed to let my colleague know that while I appreciated her concern, I was done talking about it. At least for now. Bella and Peter walked away and I pulled out my phone.

Drinks. Tonight. A lot of them xx

Colette’s reply came back quickly.

Time to celebrate, oui? Xx

Commiserate

The next moment my phone rang.

‘Quoi?’ Colette was French, spoke five languages fluently, worked as an in-demand translator all over the world and often dropped back into her native tongue in times of high emotion or extreme tiredness.

‘They gave it to someone else.’

‘That is out of the question! You are the only possible candidate.’

‘So everyone keeps saying. But in the end they decided to go with Friedrich.’

Colette’s intake of breath was so loud and, naturally dramatic, that it almost made me laugh. Except I was beyond laughing.

‘Tonight. What time?’

‘What time can you leave?’ I asked.

‘I’ve just finished a job so I’m already in town. I’ll meet you here.’

‘I’m going to try and leave as soon as possible. I’m sure Inis will be fine. She’s as pissed off as me.’ I dropped my voice to a whisper. ‘She even swore.’

‘She did not!’

‘Uh huh. But I can’t tell you what she said because I promised.’

‘They are idiots, the whole lot of them. Get out as soon as you can.’

A quick trip home, a shower and a change of clothes later, I was on the Tube back into town to meet Colette. I didn’t usually mind the ride. It gave me time to think. But right now I didn’t want to think. I wanted to numb every single neuron I had. It was a short-term solution, admittedly. But it was still a solution.

‘Cheers!’ I clashed my glass a little too forcefully against Colette’s and the barman swapped it for one that didn’t have a fissure in it. ‘Thanks,’ I said as he handed it back.

‘No problem. Happens all the time.’

‘And on top of everything,’ I said, my voice raised to be heard over the ebullient Friday evening crowd. ‘I got an email just before I left. Apparently the project manager for the extension to the museum is going to be sharing my office.’

‘Why?’

I shrugged and sloshed my drink over the rim. ‘I dunno,’ I said, then swiped my finger up the glass to catch the blood-red wine before sucking the excess off. Waste not want not. As I did, I locked eyes with a man from the large group near us who were clearly in a more celebratory mood than we were. He turned away but there was no mistaking the smile on his face.

‘I think you have an admirer,’ Colette said, her accent thicker now we were several hours into our commiseration.

‘Pfft,’ I said before downing a good proportion of the glass.

‘He’s good looking. Why don’t you go talk to him? Take your mind off things.’

‘Because he’s probably married. Or gay. Or an arsehole. Or an archaeologist. Anyway, I don’t want to talk to him. I want to talk to you.’

‘OK.’ She put her hand on mine. ‘They won’t all be arseholes, you know.’

‘How come you can say any word and it sounds sexy? Even arseholes sounds sexy with your accent. It’s an unfair advantage.’

‘Oui. C’est vrai. But this world is cut throat. You have to use what you have. Non?’

‘Oui,’ I replied, unintentionally imitating her. ‘I’m just not sure now that what I have is enough.’ I twiddled with the stem of the glass now resting on the bar. ‘I was perfect for this job, Col, and I still didn’t get it. I don’t know what else I can do.’

‘Then perhaps you weren’t supposed to have it.’

‘What?’

She did one of those Gallic shrugs. ‘Life is a strange thing. Sometimes what we think we want is not actually what we want at all.’

‘I bloody well did want it!’

‘OK. I’m just trying to help.’ She didn’t take offence. I didn’t drink much and I wasn’t a horrible drunk, but I was an emotional one. ‘And I’m glad to see your French side is finally coming out.’

I didn’t actually have a French side but my BFF joked that alcohol made me less English and more French. ‘That means it’s time to party.’ She gave me a wink and glanced over to the group behind us. One of the other blokes smiled widely – men tended to do that when Colette was around – and headed towards us.

‘Evening ladies. Could I buy you both a drink?’

‘That would be lovely.’ Colette did a little head tilt and the guy lapped it up. ‘Two champagnes please.’ He didn’t even blink, merely caught the bartender’s eye and placed the order.

‘Are you waiting for someone?’

‘No, it’s just us.’ She smiled back and his own smile widened.

‘A bunch of us are here for a friend’s birthday. Why don’t you come and join us?’

‘Oh, we wouldn’t want to intrude.’

He waved his hand. ‘The more the merrier. I’m Greg by the way.’

Colette placed a hand on her chest before indicating me. ‘Colette and Elizabeth. Enchanté.’

‘God, I love the French accent. It’s so…’ He waved his hands. ‘You know?’ he said, looking from Colette and then to me.

‘Oui.’ Colette said simply, before taking the drinks that the barman placed in front of us while her new friend paid. She gave a wink as she handed one to me and clinked my glass gently. ‘To new opportunities.’

I let out a sigh. When Colette went into party mode I’d long ago learned that it was easier to go along with it and the group certainly looked like they were having a good time. Why the hell not? I’d put everything I had into that application and what had I got? Nada. I bloody well deserved some fun!

‘To new opportunities,’ I repeated and swigged at my glass, relishing the fizz on my tongue and the bubbles tickling my nose.

‘He definitely likes you,’ Colette slurred a little while later. Somehow her accent even made slurring sexy.

‘He does not,’ I replied before turning and frowning at her. ‘Who?’

‘Finn. The tall one who’s hardly been able to keep his eyes off you all night.’

‘Oh, pfft.’

‘Why don’t you talk to him?’

‘I did.’

‘I mean alone. Not as a group.’ She made a swirling motion with her hands encompassing all of us in said group.

‘If he’s so keen, he’d have talked to me, wouldn’t he?’ I asked, fixing a slightly smug expression on my face, pleased with my razor-sharp reasoning.

‘Can I get you a drink?’ The deep voice close to my ear made me jump and I threw the remainder of my drink down my dress. ‘Well, yes you can nowwwww…’ My remonstration tailed off as I turned to find Finn’s face unexpectedly close. He was even hotter this close up. ‘Ummm…’

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. It’s just pretty loud in here. I definitely owe you a drink now.’

‘Mmhmm. I mean, ummm, yes you do.’

Colette elbowed me sharply in the ribs whilst doing a brilliant impression of having turned to her companion and not listening in to our conversation at all.

‘Oww! I mean, yes, that would be lovely, thank you.’

‘Another champagne?’

‘Oh, you don’t have to. I can pick something else.’

Finn’s brow crinkled, sinking into the faint lines that appeared to linger there all the time. ‘Do you want something else?’

His eyes were the blue of Tutankhamun’s eyeliner and they seemed to pierce straight into my thoughts.

‘Not really.’

An amused smile replaced the frown. ‘Then champagne is what you shall have. Back in a sec.’

‘Excuse me just a moment.’ I heard Colette put her conversation on hold. ‘Oh my God! He’s so into you! I knew it!’ she whispered to me.

‘You’re over reacting. It’s just a drink.’

‘Did you see the way he looked at you?’

‘Not really,’ I replied honestly. ‘The whole world seems to have gone kind of soft focus.’ I looked around. ‘It’s actually quite nice.’ Colette prodded me. ‘Huh? OK, yes, he seems quite attentive.’

‘And do you think that’s good?’

A grin pushed its way onto my face. ‘It’s good.’

Colette winked then turned back to Greg who’d been hanging on her every word since we met. Before long, Finn returned.

‘Here you go,’ he said, waiting until I had a good grip of the glass before letting go. ‘Sorry again about earlier.’

‘Not a problem. This dress has had worse things than champagne spilled on it.’

‘Oh…’ The dark brows knitted once more. ‘I’m not quite sure what to say to that.’

I took a massive gulp of the drink.

‘That didn’t come out like it was supposed to. I just meant…’

‘Accidents happen?’

‘Yes!’ I said, pointing my glass at him and sloshing a plop of liquid on his pale blue shirt. ‘Oh God, sorry,’ I said, yanking my sleeve down over my hand and wiping at his chest manically.

Finn caught my hand and wrapped it within his own. ‘It’ll dry.’

‘Oh. Right. Yes. And you’ve spilled worse things on it?’ I attempted some witty repartee. And failed.

‘Actually it’s brand new.’

‘Oh God,’ I said, attempting to pull my hand back but Finn held on, gently but firmly.

‘But give me time. I have a twin niece and nephew who I see a lot so I’m sure its time will come.’

I looked up from under the fake lashes Colette had, by message, insisted I wear for the occasion and met his eyes.

‘Really. It’s OK. Relax.’

‘Oh, she’s not very good at that.’ Colette leant back, adding her thoughts to our conversation.

‘I’m perfectly capable of relaxing,’ I said, turning so that my back was to her.

‘And what do you do to relax?’ Finn asked.

‘I… like to read.’

‘About her job.’ Colette poked her head over my shoulder.

‘I love my job, so sue me.’

Finn and Greg exchanged a glance and apparently decided it was going to be easier to talk as a small group and moved accordingly.

‘Finn, your lovely companion there is Elizabeth and this is Colette.’

‘Enchanté,’ Finn replied and my friend beamed.

‘Maybe we should swap?’ she said, throwing a glance at me but I’d seen the way she was looking at Greg and, even through my alcoholic haze, I knew she was teasing. His smile, however, faded for a moment.

‘She’s joking,’ I reassured him. ‘She’s just the most enormous flirt.’

‘Oh pah,’ she said, ‘I merely appreciate manners.’

‘Finn’s got all the smooth lines,’ Greg replied, nodding at his mate. ‘It’s amazing any of the rest of us get a look in.’

‘Very funny,’ Finn replied. From the glance he shot his mate, there was definitely another layer of meaning in his reply but my brain was warmly, and quite happily, now dozing inside my skull and it was way too much effort to think about anything that deep.

Greg smiled, and grabbed his friend good naturedly around the shoulders, something he had to reach up to do, despite being taller than Colette who in turn was taller than me. Finn towered over all of us.

‘You can call me Lizzie. Everyone does.’

Finn studied me for a moment. ‘I think Elizabeth suits you better.’

I beamed to the point that it actually hurt. ‘You do?’

‘I do,’ he replied, his own smile now showing.

‘I prefer Elizabeth too! But you know how it goes.’

‘I do. Handy having a name no one can shorten.’

I nodded, sagely. ‘Very wise,’ I replied, as if Finn himself had had something to do with choosing his own appellation.

‘So what is it that you do?’ he asked.

‘Hmm?’ I peered at him over the top of my glass.

‘Colette said you enjoyed reading about your job.’

‘Oh! I’m an archaeologist.’

His brows shot up. ‘Really?’

‘Mmhmm,’ I said as I swigged the rest of my drink. This should probably be my last. I’d lost count of how many I had had which was never a good sign. And then the spectre of lost opportunity drifted past my mind’s eye. If I could still remember that, it was likely a sign I hadn’t had enough.

‘So you go on digs and stuff?’

I nodded. When they’re not swiped from under my nose. ‘I have been, yes.’

‘Wow. Interesting.’

Colette’s hand found mine and she gave it a squeeze. Even plastered, she knew I didn’t want to talk about work right now. ‘But,’ she announced to our small group. ‘We are here to forget about work so, allez, impress us with your sparkling conversation.’

‘Uh oh. Now we’re really in trouble.’ Finn grinned and disappeared behind his glass.

‘Sorry if I brought up a sore subject earlier,’ Finn said once Colette was finally satisfied I was capable of holding my own conversation and Finn had found us a corner table, pulling the chair out for me as he did so.

‘It’s fine. I just had a bit of a crappy day.’

‘Hence hitting the bar.’

‘Hence hitting the bar,’ I agreed.

‘I get the impression this isn’t the way you generally like to enjoy a Friday night.’

I rested my chin in my hands. ‘Uh oh. Busted.’

‘I’m sorry you had a bad day, but I am happy you ended up here.’

I met his gaze. ‘Me too.’

‘Your friend seems happy about it as well.’ He turned his head to where Colette and Greg were getting extremely cosy, her head resting on his chest, his head tilted down talking to her.

‘So does yours.’

‘True. Can I ask something?’

Finn received a shrug in reply.

‘Does she do this a lot?’

My elbows had been sliding down the table but at this I sat up straight. ‘What?’

Finn held up his hands. ‘I don’t mean any disrespect. I’m just… Greg seems really keen. He’s not a one night stand kind of bloke. I just…’

‘Wanted to know if Colette is a one night stand kind of girl? Maybe you should have swapped if that’s what you think of her.’

‘I don’t think that,’ he replied, his tone still calm. ‘I don’t think anything. I try not to judge people because more often than not, we get it wrong.’

‘And you’ve got it wrong now. About this wrong!’ I said, stretching my arms out as far as they would go to add what I felt was the required emphasis. ‘She’s not.’ I studied the pair of them for a moment. ‘Actually I haven’t seen her look this interested in a long time.’

‘He’s a good bloke,’ Finn replied before I’d even voiced the question.

I turned back to face him. ‘And what about you?’

A mischievous smile hooked itself on the corners of the generous mouth and tugged them up. ‘I’m pretty good too.’

Turned out he wasn’t kidding. Finn kicked the door shut, his hands never leaving my body, as he backed me into the wall of his hallway. His mouth was on mine, my hands locked behind his neck as he bent to reach me. I’d worn my highest heels tonight as part of my armour against the world, but even those weren’t enough to even up my five foot three frame to meet Finn’s height of six foot five. His hands slid from my waist to under my bum and the next moment I was level with him, my legs automatically wrapping around his waist.

‘Much better,’ he murmured, his eyes dark with lust before his