Journey to Passion — Jade Astor

A Roman holiday can be so much more when it’s the beginning of a love story that travels around the world.While attempting to recover from a failed relationship, Andrea treats herself to a vacation in Rome. There she meets Celeste Jamison, an American who has traveled to Italy to restore classic artwork for a museum. The sparks fly fast and hot between the two women, but all too soon Celeste announces she must return to New York. Before long Andrea also goes home to California, unsure if she will ever see Celeste again. After all, their lives are on different coasts and their careers keep them moving in circles that would never connect under ordinary circumstances.But then again, the magic between them is far from ordinary....Journey to Passion is the second book in the Lesbian Light Reads series, but each book stands alone. This lesbian contemporary love story includes graphic sex and is intended for adults only.Excerpt:“It’s important to be happy,” I agreed. I had to admire her for knowing herself so well and for using her college education to secure herself a dream career. I sure hadn’t been half that self-aware in my student days. Briefly I wondered where I might have ended up if I’d been less focused on making money and more interested in doing work I considered meaningful. Did it really matter, though? It was too late to turn my life upside down. Dull as my insurance work was, it paid the bills and kept me from spending my days lamenting Toni’s perfidy…not that I’d even spared Toni a single thought over the course of my day with Celeste. It felt good to realize that.“My career does make me happy,” she agreed, “or at least content. How could I not be, filling my days and thoughts with beautiful things?” To my surprise, she suddenly reached out and touched my hand, which was resting on the edge of the table. “I don’t just mean the artwork I restore, either. I can take pleasure in many different kinds of lovely things.”I felt my body go hot all over as her thumb idly massaged my knuckle. I swallowed. I certainly didn’t pull away.“There’s…uh… something you should know,” I stammered. “I didn’t mention it before because it didn’t seem important. But…uh…my ex, Toni…that stands for Antonia, you know. Not Anthony.”Celeste didn’t seem at all surprised. Her soft pink lips curved into a little smile as she nodded. “Yes, I had more or less figured that out. It was just a sense I had, though I didn’t want to press for details. I’m glad I wasn’t wrong.”“No. You weren’t wrong.” Before I could blurt out my delight, her other hand also slid around mine. She continued in a perfectly frank, but hopeful tone. “In fact, I was hoping I could persuade you to end this lovely day in my room back at the hotel. I thought we could get to know one another even better.”