"A Little Too Late came right on time. Five stars!"-Brittainy C. Cherry, Amazon #1 Bestselling Author

A Little Too Late, an all-new romantic standalone from Staci Hart is available NOW!

A Little Too Late by Staci Hart

Publishing Date: October 24th, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance

I wasn't supposed to fall in love with the nanny.

When my wife left, she took the illusion of happiness with her, and I've been caught in a free fall ever since. For nine long months, I've been fighting to figure out how to be a single dad, how to be alone.

For nine long months, I've been failing.

When Hannah walked through the door, I took my first breath since I'd found myself on my own. She slipped into our lives effortlessly, showing me what I've been missing all these years. Because Hannah made me smile when I thought I'd packed the notion of happiness away with my wedding album.

She was only supposed to be the nanny, but she's so much more.

The day my wife left should have been the worst day of my life, but it wasn't. It was when Hannah walked away, taking my heart with her.

Excerpt:

CHARLIE

The next morning, I was up and in my office before anyone was awake, attacking my work with newfound enthusiasm and a plan in mind. Because I wanted to feel like I’d felt the night before in the kitchen again, and there was only one way to get that back.

Today, I would take a few breaks and be present. Today, I would change, work be damned. Today would mark the first real attempt. Because change wouldn’t happen on its own. I had to make it happen. And to make it happen, I would have to put boundaries in place, starting with my weekends.

I checked the clock around eleven that morning and closed my laptop, pushing away from my desk and heading up the stairs in search of my children.

When I rounded the corner into the kitchen, I found them sitting at the table with their lunches. And when they saw me, their smiles validated my grand plans with unwavering certainty.

“Hey, guys,” I said, smiling back as I walked over to them, ruffling Sammy’s hair when I passed him.

“Hi, Daddy,” he said.

Maven’s mouth was full, so she just waved, and Hannah smiled at me from the island where she was setting up a spread for sandwiches.

I snagged a grape off Maven’s plate and popped it into my mouth. She handed me another, which I accepted.

“Thanks, pumpkin.”

“Are you done working?” Sammy asked hopefully.

“’Fraid not, bud. But I thought I’d come have lunch with you. Is that okay?”

“Yeah! Want a Nilla Wafer?”

“Psh, obviously. And I thought we could play for a little bit before I have to get back to work. What do you say?”

He nodded, grinning. “We can play trucks! You be the bulldozer and I’ll be the tractor and Maven can be the monster truck and Hannah can be the ambulance because she helps people.”

“Perfect,” I said on a chuckle.

A burst of color caught my eye. A vase on the windowsill behind the table held a spray of red and orange tulips.

“Those are beautiful,” I said, gesturing to them. “Where did they come from?”

“Oh, I picked them up this morning,” Hannah said with that ever-present smile.

“Feeling homesick?”

“Always a little. But I love having fresh flowers in the house, something bright and delicate and alive. Well, maybe not alive anymore, but it feels alive, doesn’t it?”

“It does,” I said as I moved to her side.

“Can I make you a sandwich?” Hannah asked.

“Nah, I think I can manage, thanks. How’s it going this morning?”

“It’s good. We went to the park this morning.”

“I rode my bike!” Sammy crowed.

“Did you? No bumps or scrapes?”

“Nope!”

“I’m impressed. Maybe next time I can come too,” I said, hoping it was something I could deliver as I reached into the bread bag for a stack.

Hannah turned to the cupboard, returning with a plate for me.

“Thank you.”

She was still smiling, standing at my side, assembling her sandwich. It was so mundane, something completely and utterly boring, but like the weirdo that I was, I found myself watching her hands as she folded cold cuts. We worked around each other—not that it was complicated, but there was a sort of rhythm between us, a natural pace wherein I used what she wasn’t and finished just as she needed what I had. I wasn’t sure why I noticed it, but I did, and I appreciated the simple synchronicity of the moment, a breath where things were easy.

I passed her the mustard as she handed me the ham. “So, I was thinking …” I paused.

“Oh, were you?” She glanced over at me with a hint of mirth at the corners of her lips.

“I know. I almost sprained something.”

Hannah laughed gently.

“If it’s okay, I think I’d like to try to handle bedtime tonight.”

“Of course it’s okay; they’re your children.” That time, her laughter was sweet.

“Do you … would you … do you think you could maybe …”

She shifted to face me, her eyes full of encouragement.

“Would you mind … helping me?”

Hannah nodded, her smile opening up. “That’s what I’m here for. Just let me know what you’d like me to do.”

I smiled back. “I’m sorry. I know it sounds stupid. I just … I haven’t done this much on my own, but I’d like to start.”

Her eyes softened, caught by slanting light, lighting up with sunshine. “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” she said simply.

I didn’t speak.

“There’s no right or wrong, and they don’t care about anything other than you being there. It’s simple enough; you only have to try.”

“Is it really that easy?”

“It really is. You’ll see.” She reached for my arm and gave it a squeeze that wasn’t meant to be anything but friendly but held something more, something in the pressure in her fingertips and the depths of her eyes.

It was something I did my very best to ignore. But I felt the heat of those fingertips long after they were gone, even as we sat across the table from each other eating lunch, the tulips in the vase behind her bowing their long heads as the sunlight illuminated them, exposing what was hidden within their petals.

My 5 star Review!!

Just when i think i can't love Staci Hart anymore- she writes A Little Too Late, and i just want to tackle hug her (if i ever get to meet her.) Everything she writes keeps getting better and better. And while this is different then her usual angst filled novels, it doesn’t make it any less fantastic. I loved the tone of this book- and how it was about forgiveness- learning to forgive yourself, and that’s what is most important. And hello? Single dad trope- yes please!!

Charlie is a seemingly broken man from the very start. His wife has left him to care for their very young children- and the nanny he hired, left unexpectedly- putting him in a huge pickle- enter Hannah, the new au pair, and our heroine for this story. For nine months, he’s had to figure out how to work with his very, very busy schedule. Charlie is a wreck, and all it takes is Hannah and her calm nature, and everything seems as it should be. That is, until they start to fall for one another.

I was totally in love with Charlie through this whole thing. He was gentle, but also alpha- which is always a plus. And he was always looking out for Hannah, even when he was a bit ill-tempered and didn’t let her have a chance to explain when something huge happened, but isn’t that how it always goes? We are always quick to judge and make assumptions, and we almost always form an opinion on something without hearing everything the other person has to say.

Hannah- as much as she is kind-hearted and soft spoken- she does have this side of her that comes out every so often- every so often i felt myself get all 90's and say 'you go girl!" to just cheer for her. She’s beautiful and worldly and I was obsessed with her baking- and what she would make next. She has been one of the easiest characters to fall in love with I think that I have ever read from Staci. I LOVE that is she is from the Netherlands too, and Staci got to weave some of her new home into this story- it made it a little more personal to me, that those types of anecdotes were in the story.

While the "insta-love" thing comes to mind when you first read it, it reads almost as if something that could really happen in real life- because I honestly think they are both genuine people who deserve good things in their lives- and THAT’S what makes a good fiction story. When you read it and you are like- that could totally happen in real life, and that’s what I love about Staci. Because while one series is about gods and goddesses, there is a whole other side to her story telling that is so free-falling and sincere. And I am just so darn happy Charlie got to tell his story (he was a side character in A Thousand Letters)

You will not regret reading this story- in fact every single Staci Hart book is time well spent, and I always know it’ll be a five star read for me, because her writing is so damn good. Keep up the Brill-Hart work Staci.

Read Today!

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About the Author

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. From roots in Houston to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.