Title: For Vacation Only
Author: Mila Nicks
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Release Date: June 11, 2021
When blue-blooded Blake Mulligan gets jilted at the altar, he breaks free of his ‘predictable’ reputation by going on the honeymoon cruise anyway—without his snobby, socialite fiancée. For the next fourteen days he hopes to escape reality and pretend he hasn’t suffered the humiliation of a lifetime. The last thing he expects is to meet beautiful songstress Jubilee Collazo with her honey-sweet voice.Jubilee is talented and passionate and doesn’t just march to the beat of her own drum—she dances to it. While she longs to do more than croon cover songs from a cruise ship stage, she enjoys seeing the world. Her love of travel makes her the perfect person to show Blake around each exotic stop of the Mediterranean cruise.
What starts out as a simple tour guide arrangement, quickly grows into something more. Despite their different backgrounds, Blake and Jubilee discover an incredible connection they never imagined possible. But as their final destination approaches, so does reality. Like points on a compass, their lives seem to be charted in opposite directions—his to the Hamptons and high-society, and hers back out across the rolling seas. Can anything short of a perfect storm keep these two lovebirds together?
Goodreads Review - “I already told you, I loved this book very much, it was such a cute fun read, it left me with a smile on my face and knowing that I'll miss Blake and Jubilee very much, they were amazing characters to read.”
Nick (the infinite limits of love) - “I had a lot of fun reading For Vacation Only. It was exactly the kind of feel-good vacation romance I was craving.”
Anna Reads Here - You NEED this because it has:» A vacation romance, duh» A beautiful, talented, strong and passionate heroine of colour» A charming, awkward and Clark Kent-esque hero» Two weeks on a cruise ship» Sightseeing in beautiful parts of the Mediterranean» A delicious and sexy slow burn» ALL THE SWOON
The lines leading to the gangway stretched the length of the deck. Jubilee got in the back of the line, AirPods playing music in her ears, and waited it out. It was always nice to get off the ship and sightsee like a regular traveler. Though being on the luxurious ship was great too, nothing compared to perusing historic villas and digging your toes into exotic sands.
Ma thought her job as a cruise ship singer was a dead-end job, but she couldn’t have been more wrong. Working with Seven Seas allowed her to travel abroad and see the world. While it may not have been her exact dream of performing her own music, it was still miles ahead of the shitty waitress jobs she’d had back in Brooklyn.
The line eventually shortened as more and more passengers shuffled down the gangway and onto dry land. The first rays of sunlight touched her skin, bathing her with its invigorating warmth. Her smile was immediate.
Beauty surrounded her. From the glorious blue sky to the hillside town sandwiched between the mountains and the sparkling sea, it was almost too much to take in. She joined dozens of others as they wandered from the gigantic cruise ship and set off to explore.
At first choosing a path was difficult. Jubilee allowed herself to be jostled along by the crowd, wandering onto the cobblestone streets of Kotor’s old town. She pulled out her phone and snapped photos of the medieval buildings and looming mountainside.
Soon she separated from the pack, breathing in the briny sea air, eyes roving over the historic architecture. Each step felt like walking through history as she wended down narrow passages and admired the fine detail of every stone.
Though it wasn’t her first time in Kotor, the majestic town revealed something new to her upon each visit.
She wound up in the main square, where shops and restaurants abounded. Other tourists curiously perused the area with pockets full of euros. She dug into her own pocket for enough change to buy a kebab from one of the street vendors.
“Damn it,” Jubilee cussed as two coins slipped through her fingers. She knelt to pick them up, but another, larger hand got to them first.
Blake scooped the coins into his palm, rising alongside her and holding them out for her to take. She half smiled and took her coins back.
“Thanks,” she said. “I guess I should’ve expected to run into you here.”
“I was just grabbing some bottled water and saw you—I’m not sure if you realize how much you stick out.”
Jubilee’s eyes rolled upward as if trying to see her lavender hair. “Sticking out’s not so bad. Besides, I’m the younger, underachieving child. If I didn’t pierce my belly button and dye my hair crazy colors, what would I even have? I was always going to be in second place, why not at least have some fun?”
“You’re not in second place.”
“Oh, yes, I am. When it comes to our family dynamics, it’s Adele this. Adele that. Which is cool. I’m used to it. I don’t mind being the off-the-wall weirdo.”
“What other off-the-wall colors have you dyed your hair?”
“You name it, I’ve dyed it. Fire engine red. Midnight blue. Neon green. My mom hated the neon green,” Jubilee said with a reminiscent laugh. “She wouldn’t even look at me. Don’t even get me started on how she feels about tattoos. She says no quality men would ever want a wife who has them.”
A strange look passed over Blake’s face; one she couldn’t place. “I don’t know, I bet plenty of men are into you.”
Ma thought her job as a cruise ship singer was a dead-end job, but she couldn’t have been more wrong. Working with Seven Seas allowed her to travel abroad and see the world. While it may not have been her exact dream of performing her own music, it was still miles ahead of the shitty waitress jobs she’d had back in Brooklyn.
The line eventually shortened as more and more passengers shuffled down the gangway and onto dry land. The first rays of sunlight touched her skin, bathing her with its invigorating warmth. Her smile was immediate.
Beauty surrounded her. From the glorious blue sky to the hillside town sandwiched between the mountains and the sparkling sea, it was almost too much to take in. She joined dozens of others as they wandered from the gigantic cruise ship and set off to explore.
At first choosing a path was difficult. Jubilee allowed herself to be jostled along by the crowd, wandering onto the cobblestone streets of Kotor’s old town. She pulled out her phone and snapped photos of the medieval buildings and looming mountainside.
Soon she separated from the pack, breathing in the briny sea air, eyes roving over the historic architecture. Each step felt like walking through history as she wended down narrow passages and admired the fine detail of every stone.
Though it wasn’t her first time in Kotor, the majestic town revealed something new to her upon each visit.
She wound up in the main square, where shops and restaurants abounded. Other tourists curiously perused the area with pockets full of euros. She dug into her own pocket for enough change to buy a kebab from one of the street vendors.
“Damn it,” Jubilee cussed as two coins slipped through her fingers. She knelt to pick them up, but another, larger hand got to them first.
Blake scooped the coins into his palm, rising alongside her and holding them out for her to take. She half smiled and took her coins back.
“Thanks,” she said. “I guess I should’ve expected to run into you here.”
“I was just grabbing some bottled water and saw you—I’m not sure if you realize how much you stick out.”
Jubilee’s eyes rolled upward as if trying to see her lavender hair. “Sticking out’s not so bad. Besides, I’m the younger, underachieving child. If I didn’t pierce my belly button and dye my hair crazy colors, what would I even have? I was always going to be in second place, why not at least have some fun?”
“You’re not in second place.”
“Oh, yes, I am. When it comes to our family dynamics, it’s Adele this. Adele that. Which is cool. I’m used to it. I don’t mind being the off-the-wall weirdo.”
“What other off-the-wall colors have you dyed your hair?”
“You name it, I’ve dyed it. Fire engine red. Midnight blue. Neon green. My mom hated the neon green,” Jubilee said with a reminiscent laugh. “She wouldn’t even look at me. Don’t even get me started on how she feels about tattoos. She says no quality men would ever want a wife who has them.”
A strange look passed over Blake’s face; one she couldn’t place. “I don’t know, I bet plenty of men are into you.”
Mila Nicks is an emerging romance author on a mission to pen entertaining love stories featuring women of color.
From the time she was a small girl with crayons and an overactive imagination, she’s had a passion for storytelling. In addition to serving ten years in the United States Air Force, she has received her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing.
When she isn’t busy tapping away at her keyboard, you can find her binge-watching her favorite TV shows, daydreaming about her next vacation across the globe, or spending quality time with her spunky pet Chihuahua, Zayden.
From the time she was a small girl with crayons and an overactive imagination, she’s had a passion for storytelling. In addition to serving ten years in the United States Air Force, she has received her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing.
When she isn’t busy tapping away at her keyboard, you can find her binge-watching her favorite TV shows, daydreaming about her next vacation across the globe, or spending quality time with her spunky pet Chihuahua, Zayden.
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