SYNOPSIS
Adventurous and open-minded, newlyweds Bridget and Roman are determined to keep their relationship exciting. So, when they meet married swingers Corinne and Patrick, they’re instantly drawn to their carefree glamour and warm promise of friendship. And after swapping spouses for one passionate, exhilarating night, Bridget and Roman feel fulfilled and closer together than ever…

Until Corinne and Patrick start turning possessive, wanting more of them than Bridget and Roman can ever give. Soon, the young couple is plunged into a nightmare of suspicion, lies, and secrets in which they can’t trust each other–or what they think they know about themselves. Pushed to the breaking point, they must uncover the truth behind the other couple’s machinations. But when the dust settles, there’s no guarantee Bridget and Roman will have their love–or anything else–left to save…

EXCERPT
The restroom door swung open on its hinges, and Bridget met a woman’s polite smile in the mirror. She nodded a silent greeting of her own before turning back to the task at hand.

Bridget couldn’t help but notice the woman’s body was like a siren’s. A voluptuous frame filled every inch of the maxi dress she wore, the material taut with curves and arcs thick in proportion. They were about the same maple syrup complexion, but the woman towered a good few inches over Bridget, even with the six-inch stilettos she wore. Stunning was a complete understatement.

The woman approached the sink and bowed her head, staring into the porcelain as if it held the answer to her prayers. Her curls shielded her face from view. It wasn’t until Bridget heard the muffled sniffles that she even knew the woman was crying.

“Um, are you okay?” She didn’t know why she felt compelled to ask. Call it the Pisces in her. The woman’s head bobbed in response, but still she kept her face lowered, nor did she utter a single word.

“You sure?” Bridget questioned again, her voice etched in concern. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to keep bugging you. I just wanted to . . .” She trailed off. She just wanted to what? Roman always managed to remind her of how she could come across as nosy. Not that it was her intention. But here she was again, all up and through this poor woman’s business. Some woman she didn’t even know, at that. “Sorry,” Bridget murmured and, pursing her lips together, turned back to her sink.

“Don’t be sorry.” The woman’s voice was quiet, and she braved lifting her eyes to meet Bridget’s in the streaked glass of the mirror. Tears trailed her ashen cheeks with mascara and glittered on her lashes like black diamonds. “I appreciate you even asking.”

Bridget snatched a few paper towels from the dispenser and held them out to her. “Do you need me to call someone, or . . .”

“No.” The woman bit off the one-word answer with a shake of her head. “It’s nothing like that. My husband and I just had a little fight.”

Bridget nodded. No, she couldn’t relate, but relationship is- sues weren’t a foreign topic to her. Especially with her checkered past entanglements with men. It was just that now with Roman, he was, thankfully, the exception.

“Are you married?” the woman asked.
“Yes. Two years.”
“Six.” Her sigh was heavy, as if weighted under every second of

the past 2,190 days of matrimony.
“It’ll get better,” Bridget offered with a comforting smile.

“Men, you know how they can be sometimes.” “Don’t I know it.”

“And marriage is tough. Just talk it out if you can. My husband and I are getting better with our communication and transparency. Even if the other may not like what needs to be said. And if you can’t talk it out, just show it out.”

The woman frowned. “Show it out?”

“Yeah, girl.” Bridget gestured toward the woman’s body. “Looking as good as you do, just pull out the tricks. It’ll temporarily make him lose his mind, he won’t even remember why he’s mad.”

The woman chuckled, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “I wish it were that simple.” She paused. “What’s your name?”

“Bridget.”

“Corrine. Are you a motivational speaker, Bridget? Or a therapist? You certainly have a way with words, girl.”

Bridget chuckled. “Event planner. So my little gift for gab comes in handy.”

Corrine’s eyebrows lifted. “Really? I’m a caterer. We run in the same circles.”

“Oh, wow. Small world.”

Corrine was already fishing in her clutch, producing a crisp business card embossed in hot pink and teal. “Here, take my card. Never know when you’ll need me for your preferred vendor list.”

Bridget accepted the card with a nod. “Oh, damn, I don’t have any of mine on me. But I tell you what, look me up. My website is Brinique Lux Affair dot com.”

Corrine smiled. Bridget noticed the appreciative gesture didn’t reach her eyes.

“For what it’s worth,” Corrine said, “I really appreciate this lit- tle talk, Bridget. It made me feel better about my situation.”

Bridget’s smile widened at the compliment. “Sometimes, it helps just to get it off your chest,” she said. “Good luck with everything, Corrine.”

Corrine nodded her gratitude once again, her eyes following Bridget’s movements as she swept past and back out of the door into the steady hum of restaurant activity.

Roman was still perched at the bar when Bridget returned. He slid another drink her way. “You took a minute. Everything okay?”

Bridget lifted the glass to her lips on a nod. “I’m just horny,” she teased with a wink. “Let’s finish this up at home.”

“My kinda woman.” Roman lifted his hand, and Alisha eased her way back to their side of the bar. “We’re ready to cash out.”

Alisha pulled her billfold from the pocket of her apron and quickly scanned the ticket. “Oh, it’s already taken care of,” she in- formed them.

Roman frowned and glanced at Bridget, who shrugged. “You sure?”

“Yeah.” Alisha placed the receipt in front of him where she had scribbled settled in a sloppy circle. “The couple at the other end took care of this for you.”

Bridget turned in the direction she gestured, craning her neck to pick out the people who were gracious enough to pay for their tab. She didn’t bother getting a look at the man, but the woman, the gorgeous Corrine, was taking her place at the table, already smiling in her direction. Bridget smiled back, shaking off the slightly uneasy feeling.

“Well, that was weird,” she murmured.

“How so?” Roman was peering over her shoulder, trying to get a look for himself. “Who is that? You know them?”

“No, not really. The woman I met in the restroom. She was cry- ing, and I just gave her a little sisterly advice. She’s a caterer.”

“Wait. You met a caterer in the bathroom, and she pays for your drinks?”

“Guess she just wanted to thank me,” she said absently.

Roman glanced in Corrine’s direction and merely shook his head on a laugh. “Only my wife.”

Bridget shrugged. She had to admit, it sounded even stranger out loud. But still, she kept her face neutral. She wondered why she was having to convince herself the innocent gesture really wasn’t that big of a deal.

Excerpted with permission from COUPLES WANTED by Briana Cole. © 2021 by Briana Cole. Dafina Books, an imprint of Kensington Publishing Corp.

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Hi, Briana! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Absolutely! I am known as The Literary Drama Queen because of my work in both the literary and film industries. I am the author of the nationally-acclaimed Unconditional series and I’ve also penned several novels under an alternate pseudonym. I am the co-Screenwriter and Associate Producer for the pulp noir film, Gutta Mamis: Money Bag Tales and I am currently writing, producing, and starring in my own feature film, Pseudo. In addition to this, I am a motivational speaker, Atlanta native, mother of three, and active member of the illustrious Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated organization.

After the chaos that was 2020, have you set any goals for this year? If so, how are they going so far?

My biggest goal was to make a movie. Ambitious, I know but I really wanted to venture into filmmaking so I could merge my two passions: acting and writing. I’m proud to say we have finished filming the movie and are currently in post-production! My other goal was to have a successful marketing campaign for The Marriage Pass, which I did. I still hope to attend some virtual author events and get some more acting credits under my belt. So far so good!

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

The first book I ever read that moved me was probably Omar Tyree’s Flyy Girl. It was so relatable and so authentic that I connected with the main character and she became like my best friend.

When did you first discover your love for writing?

I have always been a creative person and I have been writing since I was about six. From that point, I knew my purpose was to tell stories. Being a writer allows me to have so much fun. I can really exercise my creativity, spin crazy plots, and make memorable characters. There is no limit and I love that freedom.

Your new novel, The Marriage Pass, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Engaging, Scandalous, Unexpected, Emotional, and the top word I have seen in all of the reviews, MESSY!

What can readers expect?

The best answer I have for this question is, expect the unexpected. I am known for my plot twists and memorable characters, so The Marriage Pass is no different. It’s going to be a page-turner, for sure!

Where did the inspiration for The Marriage Pass come from?

The inspiration from this story originally came in the form of a book cover someone was selling on Facebook. The woman had her finger over her lips, and it was something about the cover that just stuck with me. My mind started working on a series of ‘what-if’ questions, trying to figure out what secret this woman was keeping and why. Infidelity is a common concept but the scandal behind a hall pass and giving permission to step outside of a relationship crossed my mind and I knew that would be something worth reading.

Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?

My biggest challenge was finding the time to write. I have my hands in a lot and between all of my business ventures, my full-time job, being a mommy, and everything else in between, I had to squeeze in every second I could for my book. Thankfully, I have a phenomenal support system and I buckle down to get it done because I know as soon as it’s finished, I can relax.

If it’s not too spoilery, were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

One of my main character’s is Reagan, the sister-in-law that Dorian uses with his hall pass. I cannot stand Reagan and the irony is, her manipulative nature is my favorite thing about her because it made her story so much fun to write. Any time Reagan had to make an appearance, I already knew it was going to be a wild and crazy scene.

What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?

The best advice I received was to ‘vomit on the paper.’ I heard my Soror Victoria Christopher Murray say that and it’s something that took me a while to learn. It doesn’t matter if the first draft is terrible. In fact, it will probably be terrible. But just get the words out and you can polish it later. I feel if I had learned that a lot sooner, it would have saved me a ton of discouragement later. The worst writing advice I received was to stick to genres people like, even if I didn’t want to write it. I feel this stifled my creativity, not to mention I was so unfulfilled writing to make everyone else happy and not myself.

What’s next for you?

I have already finished the sequel to The Marriage Pass. I won’t reveal the title just yet, but that book is releasing in November of this year. I also have a novella releasing in September and I just finished producing a movie. It’s called Pseudo and we are hoping to release that this summer. So, I have a lot of creative projects in the works for 2021.

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

Absolutely! All of Brandon Massey’s catalogue. He is a psychological thriller and suspense author, and his stories are definitely one to keep you up at night. Start with Frenzied and then The Quiet Ones. I would also recommend The Chain by Adrian McKinty. Whew! That was a mind game.

Will you be picking up The Marriage Pass? Tell us in the comments below!

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