Book Extract: Dating The It Guy by Krysten Lindsay Hager

I’d like to welcome Krysten Lindsay Hager to Novel Kicks and the birthday blog tour for her  novel, Dating the It Guy. Happy book birthday. 

Emme starts dating a popular high school student who happens to be from a famous political family. It seems like everyone at school either wants to be Brendon Agretti or date him.

Emme feels out of her comfort zone in Brendon’s world and it doesn’t help that his picture-perfect ex seems determined to get back into his life, along with every other girl who wants to be the future Mrs. Agretti.

Emme is already conflicted due to the fact her last boyfriend dumped her and her whole world is off kilter with her grandparents’ health issues. Life suddenly seems easier pushing Brendon away and relying on her crystals and horoscopes to guide her.

Emme soon starts to realize she needs to focus less on the stars and more on her senses.

Can Emme get over her insecurities and make her relationship work?

Life sure is complicated when you’re dating the It guy.

To celebrate the birthday for her novel, Dating the It Guy, Krysten Lindsay Hager has shared an extract with us today. Over to her to introduce it. 

***** beginning of extract*****

I love this scene because we see the pressures Brendon has on him from growing up in a political dynasty family and it’s also the scene where he and Emme have their very sweet first kiss!

Everyone thought Brendon and his last girlfriend would get married in the future because they were both high achievers with perfect looks and backgrounds. It was like the daughter of the peanut butter dynasty being promised to the jelly tsar’s son.

“People always try to map out my life for me,” he said. “They assume I’m going to follow in my father’s footsteps: get married young, run for office, work my way up the ladder, have the perfect family—only unlike my dad, they assume I’ll eventually run for President. Although I think my old man’s still got designs on the Oval Office.”

“So is any of that what you want?” I asked.

He blinked. “I don’t even know what I want. It’s hard to explain, but when you grow up in a family where your dad and your grandpa were known for something, it’s like everyone assumes you’ll pick up the baton and finish the race. I know it sounds like, ‘oh, poor little rich kid crying because his family has connections,’ but it’s overwhelming.”

“Wow, I never thought about it that way. I guess I just assumed you had all these doors open to you, and your life was, well, planned. But also like you had it made—you were set.”

“That’s what most people think, and in some ways it’s true, but is it what I want? I honestly don’t know.”

“What would you do if you didn’t have any family pressure on you?” I asked.

“You’ll laugh at me.”

“If I didn’t laugh at your clown fears, then I think you’re safe.”

“True, you have proven yourself worthy of my trust,” he said, smiling. “Okay, I would like to be a journalist. This sounds weird, but I am super into current events. Pretty much all of the apps on my phone are news. As a kid, I loved sitting with the press on the plane when there were big events. My dad wouldn’t be into the idea, though. He hates the media with a passion.”

“Does he know you’re into journalism?”

“Nah. I mentioned something once after a negative story about him came out and said how they were just doing their jobs, and he cut me off. He said it used to be about reporting the news and staying neutral, but now everyone tried to make a name for themselves, and it was somehow okay for journalists to give their opinion. That is exactly why I want to do it. I want to go back to how it used to be, getting both sides of the story, staying neutral, and putting the facts out there. And yeah, I’d love to be a part of the big moments in history, too. See it firsthand and report so people know exactly what went down.” His brown eyes were shining, and I had never seen him get so animated. There was something about seeing someone’s face light up when they were passionate about a subject.

“Sounds like it’s your calling.”

“Yeah, well, when your family’s into social causes, it’s like you’re meant to carry on the legacy, and they’d never understand—especially me siding with the enemy? No way.”

“You should see yourself when you talk about it. Your voice changed; your face lit up. This is something you’re seriously passionate about.”

“For sure, but my dad would never pay for me to study journalism in college. He’d die first.”

“What if you took an intro class? Just told him it was a requirement and went from there? Will he check your schedule every semester?” I asked.

“Knowing him, yeah. There’s a path set for me. I’m not sure there’s anything I can do to get out of it. I have three relatives who are in office, and my younger cousins and I have all done at least one government internship. My brother’s the black sheep of the family for going off to a third world country to help orphans. I think my dad was okay with it because he thinks it looks good for Jayson to care about the needy. Don’t get me wrong, my dad’s a good guy, but he’s always concerned with how we’re coming off to the public.”

“I bet he loved Lauren,” I said and then slapped my hand over my mouth. Those words were not supposed to come out.

“Yeah, he did. Why?”

“Nothing, she just seems like the perfect first lady type.”

“You aren’t the first person who has said that, and it weirds me out.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“No, I mean, not you saying it, but the idea. You know, I’ve never told anyone other than my brother any of this, but I sit here with you and pour out my guts.”

“Oh yeah?” “I can’t quite figure you out,” he said.

I prayed he didn’t finish the thought with, “So glad I’ve found a therapist in you. You’re like the little sister I never had.”

“You were trying to figure me out?”

“All the time.”

My heart flipped. “And? Any conclusion yet?”

“Nope, so I’m going to have to spend a lot more time with you,” he said, moving closer. He put his hand under my chin and lifted my face to meet his. Then he kissed me, and I tried not to pass out. The smell of his cologne, the way he held my face—it was like a scene from a movie. This kiss was what romance writers wrote about.

“Any objections?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“To me spending more time with you.”

“I think I might be able to work you into my schedule. Have your people call mine,” I said.

“They told me they’d get back with me and never did.”

“I’m firing my whole incompetent staff,” I said with a smile.

“So looks like I’m free.”

“Perfect,” he said, and we kissed again.

***** end of extract*****

About Krysten Lindsay Hager:

Krysten Lindsay Hager writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, frenemies, crushes, fame, first loves, and values. She is the author of the young adult Cecily Taylor Series, the young adult Star Series, Dating the It Guy, and the preteen Landry’s True Colors Series.

Her debut novel, True Colors, won the Readers Favorite award for best preteen book and the Dayton Book Expo Bestseller Award for children/teens. Competing with the Star is a Readers’ Favorite Book Award Finalist. Best Friends…Forever? is a 2019 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner in the Children – Preteen genre. Landry in Like is a Literary Classics Gold Medal recipient and a 2020 Readers’ Favorite Bronze Medal Winner. She received her BA in English and master’s degree in liberal studies from the University of Michigan-Flint.

Krysten’s work has been featured in USA Today, The Flint Journal, the Grand Haven Tribune, the Beavercreek Current, the Bellbrook Times, Springfield News-Sun, Grand Blanc View, Dayton Daily News and on Living Dayton.

Say hello via her website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. You can also sign up to her newsletter by clicking here. 

Dating the IT guy was released on 21st March 2017 by Clean Reads. Click to view on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Book Depository, Audible and Apple Books (audio.)

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.