The Partition of Africa (The Bennett Series #1) by Olivia Folmar Ard
A good girl. A hunky professor. A jealous ex. What could possibly go wrong?
Hattie Greene was the typical quiet, nerdy good girl at HKCU…until she wasn’t. After a lapse in judgment and one vulnerable night spent with Samson Campbell, Ph.D., she’s gone from being teacher’s pet to professor’s mistress.
Caught between her feelings for Samson and the whispers of her conscience, Hattie moves through each day terrified that her mistake will cost her everything, and things aren’t looking good. Claire, her nosy roommate, has a built-in scandal detector, and her vindictive ex Cameron would love to bring her down. With her entire future on the line, Hattie must find a way to come out on the other side.
The Partition of Africa is a coming of age tale that features romance, intrigue, and just the right amount of drama. Author Olivia Folmar Ard is a huge fan of Gossip Girl, and that shines through in the first book of The Bennett Series. Download to embark on the thrilling, emotional journey today!
Find more from this author on:
About the author:
Olivia currently lives in central Alabama with her husband, to whom she’s been wed since the age of twenty-two, and their cat, Buddy. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys watching quality television—The Office (US), Parks & Recreation, 30 Rock, and Friends are her favorites—and cooking without recipes. Along with working full-time at her alma mater and studying English at the graduate level, she is busy working on her next literary adventure.
What inspired you to write your book?
This may come as a surprise, but I’m not really a big fan of romance. I think—generally speaking, of course—romance novels tend to sugarcoat the truth, justify bad behavior, and encourage readers to foster unrealistic expectations. That being said, there’s still a part of me that longs to curl up with a good love story. My goal with both The Partition of Africa and The Marshall Plan was to craft stories with intriguing, well-rounded romance for people like me, who usually don’t care for the genre.
Here is a short sample from the book:
“Harriet Greene?”
Hattie glanced up at the sound of her name, but she stayed firmly rooted in the uncomfortable chair as if she’d been cemented into place. She averted her eyes so as not to attract the nurse’s attention and pretended, if only for a moment, that she had a different name. That she was someone else.
She eyed the person closest to her, a slight girl with long, thick black hair that overwhelmed her small frame. She also nervously fidgeted with her purse, also avoided eye contact with the others in the room. Hattie wondered why the girl was there, if whatever problem had brought her inside the building was something she would be willing to take on in exchange for her own troubles.
The nurse called her name again, the monotone of her voice fading into the white noise of the unfamiliar room, and Hattie ignored her again, even though she knew she should rise and follow. After all, that’s what the receptionist had instructed her to do an hour ago when she arrived and wrote her name on the sign-in sheet marked “Walk-Ins.” When your name was called, you were supposed to rise and follow. That was how the system worked. That was the rule. And if there was one thing people knew about Hattie, it was that she unfailingly followed the rules.
But was that still true? She glanced around the room and took in the dull gray plastic chairs and their occupants, the mottled blue carpet, the dusty magazines.
No, she thought as she bent to pick up a well-worn copy of a housekeeping magazine with an array of Christmas-themed cupcakes on the cover. No, she could no longer claim to be that girl, the person she had sacrificed so much to become. If she were half as studious and obedient as everyone—herself included—had believed, she would be at the library right now, putting finishing touches on her final paper for British lit, not sitting in this cold, unwelcoming room pretending not to hear her name being called.
Her term paper. She flushed. Of all the characters she could have chosen to write on, she’d picked Tess Durbeyfield. She allowed herself a grim smile at the irony. It would be funny, really, if it weren’t so completely horrifying.
“Excuse me, is there a Harriet Greene here?”
Hattie peeked over the top of her magazine. The nurse looked oddly familiar, although Hattie couldn’t place where she’d seen her before. The woman wore bright purple scrubs and had whitish blonde hair, which was knotted in a messy pile on the top of her head. She tapped a file folder against her leg and pursed her lips. She did not look like the sort of woman who was accustomed to being ignored.
“Harriet Greene?”
Hattie sighed and reached for her purse. She had stalled long enough. It was time to face the music.
This was not the life she was supposed to have. For as long as she could remember, she’d had a set list of accomplishments, all arranged in an order she had determined through hours of careful planning and research. She’d had a timetable, crafted spreadsheets, made a plan. And this place—this awful, sterile room filled with rough-cut plastic furniture and miserable people—was decidedly not part of that plan, but here she was nonetheless.
Hattie wanted nothing more than to deny the situation unfolding around her, but she knew she no longer had that option. She felt like a spectator of her own life, helpless and ignorant of what was about to happen, without a shred of comfort to which she could cling.
“Did she leave, do you think?” the nurse asked the receptionist. She glanced at the clock and narrowed her eyes.
Hattie tucked her purse under her arm and stood. She tried to ignore the queasiness that swam up her body and engulfed her head. She barely managed to suppress the sudden urge to vomit. She swallowed, forcing the bile back down, and stepped forward.
“Sorry, I was distracted,” she said as she neared the nurse. “I’m Harriet Greene.”
“Finally,” the nurse said as she looked Hattie up and down. “Come on, follow me.”
As the nurse turned on her heel, her ID card fell from the clasp on her hip and landed on the floor. She didn’t seem to notice it had fallen, so Hattie bent down to retrieve it for her.
“You dropped your ID,” she said. She turned the card over out of habit and saw the name printed under the washed out photograph as the nurse took the card from her.
Hattie’s head spun. She knew this woman; she hadn’t been wrong. For a moment she was afraid she would lose control and vomit right there on the waiting room floor. Out of instinct her hand slipped inside her purse and she fumbled around in search of the familiar plastic bottle before she stopped short. That was no longer a choice she could make.
She clenched her hands into tight fists. She would remain calm.
She had no other option.
Related products
-
Curvy Girls Love it Hot by Marisa Michaels
My best friend since elementary school, Trevor Larrson, is a handsome professional football player who was just traded to our local team in our hometown. Trevor always dated skinny girls who looked like models, not girls like me. When he moved back and sparks started to fly between us, it was a dream come true. I had lusted after Trevor for a long time. I didn't think a curvy girl like me would fit into Trevor's world, but the way he looked at me said that wasn't true at all.
-
Fated Mates by Michelle Fox, Selena Kitt, Michelle McCleod, Cerys du Lys, Ava Catori, Deanna Roy, Eve Langlais, Ty Nolan, J.E. & M. Keep, Adriana Hunter, Liliana Rhodes, Lynn Red, A.T. Mitchell, Skye Eagleday, Alexis Dare, A.E. Grace, Georgette St. Clair
If you like your men dark, dangerous and alpha, this exclusive shifter romance boxed set is for you. Featuring hot stories from popular New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble bestselling authors, including Adriana Hunter, Liliana Rhodes, Lynn Red, A.T Mitchell and more, these steamy books and alpha shifters will be sure to whet your appetite and leave you longing for more.”
-
Christmas Blend by Evie Lester @evielester2
A cup of smooth, rich coffee and the joy Christmas—what could be better?
Beth Ross finally pulled her life together, opening a coffee shop in the small Minnesota town where her special Christmas blends have become a local sensation. For Beth, the holidays promise to be a season of fulfillment.
But when handsome, mysterious Chad Parker walks into her shop to place an order on the day after Thanksgiving her carefully constructed world begins to unravel.
The chemistry between them is impossible to deny. But they each have more baggage than Santa’s sleigh and an out-of-control business rivalry that could stop any budding romance in its tracks.
I am a reader of romances and chick lit who decided to try my hand at it. This is my first effort.
With the holidays coming and all the seasonal beverages appearing in the local coffee shops at this time of year, I always begin to get in the holiday mood. I love coffee. And I love a pumpkin spice latte. And, of course, I love Christmas. So I decided to write a short, sweet romance inspired by this special feeling at this special time of year.
-
New Adult Romance Boxed Set (5 Book Bundle) by Emme Rollins, Julia Kent, Anna Antonia, Aubrey Rose, Helena Newbury
Bad-boy CEOs. Naked lead singers. Soulful intellectuals. Dancers. Rock stars. Summer is hot, and so are these men…. The New Adult Romance Boxed Set has FIVE COMPLETE NOVELS for just $.99 — a special sale price (regular price $9.99).
All novels from top 100 New Adult Amazon authors, this collection includes USA Today Bestseller Julia Kent, Top 100 Amazon Bestseller Emme Rollins, top 10 UK Amazon bestseller Helena Newbury, and more…
Dear Rockstar by Emme Rollins — She’s obsessed with a rock star. He’s crazy enough to want to be one. Sometimes the best things in life are crazy. Amazon Top 100 Bestseller.
Random Acts of Crazy by Julia Kent — Darla isn’t the type to pick up hitchhikers — especially naked ones. But when she makes an exception for handsome Trevor, she finds herself caught between two delicious men in this fun-filled, steamy USA Today bestseller.
Mad for You by Anna Antonia – Loving Gabriel Gordon was like trying to love the sun…Emma Adams was destined to burn. Given their tumultuous natures and personal demons, there was only one way a relationship between them could survive: in madness.
Me, Cinderella? by Aubrey Rose — One kind deed can change your life forever…. Brynn Tomlin could never afford to follow her heart, but when she buys a cup of coffee for a stranger sitting in the cold, she sets into motion a course of events that can only lead to one kind of fairy-tale ending.
Dance For Me by Helena Newbury — When troubled ballet student Natasha agrees to be the muse of millionaire designer Darrell Carner, she doesn’t expect to fall for him…or to discover that his past is just as dark as hers. Can two broken souls heal each other…or will their secrets tear them apart?
FIVE New Adult novels filled with men with a passion for the women they can’t live without.
-
Top 100 Reasons to Love: 12 Book Boxed Set of the Most Popular Best Selling Shifter, Billionaire, Rock Star & Bad Boy Romances by Julia Kent, Aubrey Rose, Cerys du Lys, Adriana Hunter, Eve Langlais, Emma South, Marina Maddix, Deanna Roy, Dez Burke, Krista Lakes, Marian Tee, Michelle Fox
“Her First Billionaire & Her Second Billionaire by Julia Kent — Two secret billionaires. One curvy woman. Zero reasons to choose.
Me, Cinderella? by Aubrey Rose — A sweet BBW new adult Cinderella story with just a touch of spice.
The Billionaire’s Ultimatum: His Absolute Need by Cerys du Lys — Falling in love wasn’t supposed to be a part of Jessika’s temporary job description.
Taming the Alpha by Adriana Hunter — A contemporary BBW shifter romance.
Two’s a Couple, Three’s the Law by Eve Langlais — Bad boy werewolf or suave vampire? Why choose when the law demands she take on two?
Remember Our Song by Emma South — Can the lightning of true love strike twice after amnesia tears the perfect couple apart?
Laid Bear by Marina Maddix– Can true love survive when worlds collide?
Forever Innocent by Deanna Roy — Torn apart by tragedy. Reunited by chance. A love to never let go.
First Moon by Michelle Fox — A curvy beauty feels the bite of the wolf and heeds the call of the wild.
The Rockstar I’ve Loved for So Long by Marian Tee — A new adult billionaire rock star romance.
Skin Deep by Dez Burke — A scarred race car driver. A beauty afraid to take a chance. Can their love overcome?
Champagne Kisses by Krista Lakes — A contemporary romance with lost love & second chances.”
-
Billionaire Romance Boxed Set (9 Book Bundle) by Julia Kent, Krista Lakes, Adriana Hunter, Aubrey Rose, Artemis Hunt, Liliana Rhodes, Melanie Marchande, Starla Cole, Cerys du Lys
99 cents for a limited time!
From powerful businessmen to dominating bachelors who won’t take no for an answer, this exclusive Billionaire Romance boxed set includes some of the hottest stories ever published by popular romance authors!
Download 9 scorching hot tales of seduction featuring wealthy men from all walks of life. These irresistible bad boys will take you on a wild ride that will leave you breathless!
This boxed set collection features stories from popular authors including: USA Today & NY Times Bestsellers Julia Kent, Aubrey Rose, Adriana Hunter, and Artemis Hunt, Top 100 Kindle bestsellers Krista Lakes and Melanie Marchande, and Bestselling Authors Starla Cole, Cerys du Lys, and Liliana Rhodes!
HER FIRST BILLIONAIRE by Julia Kent
Caught between two men- literally- who turned out to be roommates and secret billionaires, Laura makes a startling discovery about her own capacity for passion.
THE WOMAN OF THE BILLIONAIRE’S DREAMS by Krista Lakes
Tracy has been stepped on all her life, but when a car accident leaves her with the ability to enter other people’s dreams, an opportunity arises. Will Tracy be able to break out of her shell in order to seduce billionaire Paul Hayes?
SHATTERED by Adriana Hunter
Curvy Katherine is tired of the daily grind. She craves something new… something exciting. There is one thing that she does look forward to every day- the meetings with her ruggedly handsome billionaire boss, Matt Donaldson. Known for his impossibly good looks and unbelievable wealth, he’s loved by many and hated by many more. Katherine never thought Matt noticed her until he comes to her rescue. That sets the pace for a dangerous game of complete submission.
ME, CINDERELLA? by Aubrey Rose
One kind deed can change your life forever…
Brynn has spent her life trying to forget her desires, and Eliot’s deep wounds have taken nearly a decade to heal. After so much hurt, will either of them be able to open their hearts again?
THE PRETEND BOYFRIEND by Artemis Hunt
Samantha is clumsy and totally in need of a new boyfriend by this weekend. Her younger sister is getting engaged. Enter Brian Morton. He is gorgeous, rich, snarky, and utterly promiscuous. He was also the bully who made Sam’s middle school life a living hell. A series of bizarre events results in Brian losing a bet. His punishment? To be Sam’s slave for the weekend… and do anything she wants.
NO REGRETS by Liliana Rhodes
Life hasn’t been perfect for plus sized Deborah. Working in a department store isn’t great, but it has its perks and she meets one in the form of a man she calls “Mr. Sexy”. William King isn’t just any man though, he’s an ultra-private billionaire heir. When Will’s mysterious past puts the two lovers in danger, will the truth bring them closer together or finally tear them apart?
I MARRIED A BILLIONAIRE by Melanie Marchande
Maddy has given up on marriage- and men. But when her rich (and sexy) boss Daniel Thorne proposes an arrangement of convenience that would allow him to stay in the country, and Maddy to never work another day in her life, she might get more than she bargained for. By the end of their sham relationship, Maddy finds herself wondering if the money will be enough to repair the cost of a broken heart. But Mr. Thorne may have a secret in store…
THE EXHIBITIONIST by Starla Cole
Erik, a BDSM master Syria met at a bondage exhibition, offers her an opportunity to join his life of beauty, wealth and power as his personal escort and exhibitionist. But on Christmas Eve, Syria will have to choose between a life of luxury sans love, and the Santa stripper who just may hold her heart.
THE BILLIONAIRE’S ULTIMATUM by Cerys du Lys
Falling in love wasn’t part of Jessika’s job description. Nor was being asked by billionaire CEO Asher Landseer to become an egg donor and surrogate for his infertile wife. All Jessika wants to do is help, but is she setting herself up for heartbreak in the process?
-
Click: An Online Love Story by Lisa Becker
Click: An Online Love Story – Fast approaching her 30th birthday and finding herself not married, not dating, and without even a prospect or a house full of cats, Renee Greene, the heroine of Click: An Online Love Story, reluctantly joins her best guy pal on a journey to find love online in Los Angeles. The story unfolds through a series of emails between Renee and her best friends (anal-compulsive Mark, the overly-judgmental Ashley and the over-sexed Shelley) as well as the gentlemen suitors she meets online. From the guy who starts every story with “My buddies and I were out drinking one night,” to the egotistical “B”celebrity looking for someone to stroke his ego, Renee endures her share of hilarious and heinous cyber dates. Fraught with BCC’s, FWD’s and inadvertent Reply to All’s, readers will root for Renee to “click” with the right man.
-
Some Like it Geek by C. Jordan
Fall Quiet by Zoe York
To Score or Not to Score by Angela Quarles
One blind date. One case of mistaken identity. One Navy SEAL faced with his high school crush. What could go wrong?
The Adorkable Girl and the Geek (Gone Geek 5) by Sidney Bristol
The Girl Next Door by C. Jordan
Bath Bomb by Clara Leigh (Forbidden Bad Boys)
Recipe for a wild weekend: Take one geeky actor, a video game idol, and cinema’s best known towel model. Add a chocolate-box cottage, a liberal sprinkling of snow… make that lots of snow, and an oversized bathtub.
Result: THREESOME!
In the Spotlight by Ally Decker
Pretending to date a movie star definitely wasn’t on Sylvia Urban’s agenda but a girl has to do what a girl has to do. And after a paparazzo catches them in rather uncompromising position, this is exactly what this girl has to do.
Greg Abrams really needs everything to go right if he wants his new project to get green-lighted, but when the cute Broadway geek almost literally falls into his life, things get complicated really fast.
As the pair grows closer, the ‘pretend’ part of pretend dating gets thrown out of the window, but after they started off as a lie, it’s hard to know what’s real and what’s not.
Play by Olivia Devon
Aaron Eldridge’s passion for his latest virtual reality program skyrockets when he meets a woman who shares his obsession for all things geek. The premier launch of HyperLyfe at Lux, Manhattan’s hottest sex club, would be a perfect opportunity to get Katie Martinez to check out his new toy, and the kinky sex ideas he has in mind.
What if your deepest fantasies could come true?
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.