Girl on a Layover: Pre-order now!

I’m excited to let my readers know that my next release is book #2 in my Girl on a Plane series, and it’s coming out very soon. It’s a romantic comedy novella titled Girl on a Layover, and it’s due to release on 26 October 2023! Yes, this date snuck up on me sooner than expected. My editor has the novella at the moment and I’ll be finishing off edits next week and getting it ready to publish on major ebook sites. I’m planning to release this one in paperback so look out for that a little later.

This story follows Yuki and Declan, characters introduced in my already-published prequel novella, Girl Under The Christmas Tree. Yuki and Declan shared a steamy night together a few years ago followed by a few blissful weeks, but then things didn’t work out. In Girl on a Layover, the couple have a second chance when they are stuck together for a wedding at a luxury resort.

It’s a super fun romcom with steamy scenes that I hope you’ll enjoy reading. I certainly had fun writing it! I only wish I could visit the tropical resort in Thailand where the story is set . . .

Readers can pre-order the ebook right now!

Girl on a Layover novella cover image

Blurb

Yuki Yamimoto has a problem with billionaires. If only she wasn’t stuck in a luxury resort with one billionaire in particular!

Yuki agrees to be her friend Sinead’s bridesmaid at her second wedding in a heartbeat. She’s a flight attendant and used to jetting around the world, but staying at a luxury resort in Thailand for Sinead and Gabriel’s renewal of vows sounds amazing – like a mini vacation. The only problem is…Declan Moriarty.

Years ago, Yuki and Declan shared a mind-blowing one-night stand and a few weeks of bliss, and then nothing. Nada. Was it all a dream? Or a nightmare? Because he cheated on her with his ex-fiancée and Yuki left before he could break her heart. Declan was Yuki’s big fish, the one who got away. An Irish IT geek and billionaire built like a pro rugby player with bonus soulful blue eyes and dark wavy hair.

Yuki has a sinking feeling Declan will also be at the resort for the wedding celebration. Declan is a good friend of Gabriel’s after all. But she won’t have to hang out with him, surely? Yuki doesn’t believe in second chances anymore. Besides, Yuki’s just been dumped and humiliated and all she wants is rest and relaxation on this layover.

Declan no longer believes in love. In fact, he’s probably cursed. Yuki isn’t the only woman who ran from him or broke his heart. When he sees Yuki at the airport, he can’t take his eyes off her. She’s as gorgeous as ever. Maybe his luck is changing. Another fling might be just what fate has in mind!

A feel good, second chance romcom novella with steamy scenes. And a monkey. This book is #2 in the Girl on a Plane series by Cassandra O’Leary.

Girl on a Layover by Cassandra O'Leary, Oct 26 pre-order graphic. Features book cover and trope descriptions.

Keep an eye out on social media for news about this book, visit my Books page or follow the links below to buy the other books in this series:

#0.5 – Girl Under The Christmas Tree (Yuki and Declan meet in this prequel novella)

#1 – Girl on a Plane (Sinead and Gabriel meet in Cassandra’s debut novel)

#1.5 – Girl on a Babymoon (Sinead and Gabriel return in this novella)

#2 – Girl on a Layover (Yuki and Declan meet again!) – releases October 26, 2023!

Dating Little Miss Perfect – Cover Reveal!

Exciting news, book lovers! My next full-length contemporary romance novel is nearly ready to fling into the world, or in other words, release it wide!

Many thanks go to my fabulous Australian book cover designer and illustrator, Kylie Sek, who was an absolute star and totally got what I was looking for. I said, 90s romcom movie vibes, bright colours, a scientist heroine who rides a Vesper scooter, and an Aussie hero who looks like a Hemsworth brother. Nailed it!

Without further ado, here is the gorgeous cover:

Dating Little Miss Perfect by Cassandra O’Leary. Cover design by Kylie Sek.

Blurb

The perfect romcom read for fans of The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren and The Hating Game by Sally Thorne . . .

On an anonymous online dating app, LittleMissPerfect meets HotAussie007 and it’s love at first click. In real life, a smart but spiky woman in STEM, research scientist, Dr Eden, meets a laid-back Aussie marketing manager, Finn, at the big pharma company where they both work in California. They’re forced to compete for special projects funding, and both their jobs are on the line.

Eden just wants to win at science and in life. It’s not happening! She can’t stand Finn’s too-cool-for-school, nice guy act, or his delectable forearms that keep invading her space. While Finn is stupidly attracted to Eden, when she’s not telling him off, he isn’t free to pursue her. He’s stuck in the worst position in his professional life, and doesn’t see a clear way out. He can’t tell her the whole truth about what’s going on at work or in his personal life. . . or it could all blow up in his face.

When they realise the truth about their online alter egos, dating is off the table. Can they ignore their inconvenient attraction, and work together to take down their unethical boss? Or will intense rivalry cause their IRL work lives and online love lives to collide and explode like a science experiment gone wrong?

Note: Dating Little Miss Perfect is an updated take on You’ve Got Mail for lovers of online dating romcoms, with added science, cupcakes and old movie references! This new novel from award-winning author Cassandra O’Leary is a stand-alone contemporary romance of approximately 95,000 words.

I have put it up for ebook preorders (paperback links coming soon) and I do hope you’ll all enjoy reading it when it’s released on 24 May 2023.

Preorder Dating Little Miss Perfect now!

Girl Under The Christmas Tree – new release out now!

I’m so excited to share my new release with all of my readers. Girl Under The Christmas Tree is a steamy holiday romance novella, guaranteed to add a smile to your face. This novella was a joy to write, and I hope my you all find it just as much fun to read.

Blurb

A hilarious holiday romance on the steamy side, featuring a girl who won’t say no to a fling, a guy who needs some holiday fun, one naughty night in a hotel suite… and a conga line of Santas!

Yuki Yamimoto isn’t the kind of girl to say no to opportunity, especially when it comes swaggering into the five-star hotel where she works, dressed in a three-piece suit. The handsome wavy haired man with a movie star smile and charming Irish accent is almost irresistible… If only he wasn’t a hotel guest!

Declan Moriarty can’t keep his eyes off the gorgeous girl at hotel Reception. Her wide eyes and flirting have him wondering, should he dare ask her out? When his whole life has fallen into the cosmic toilet the past year, it seems too much to ask for a dream girl like Yuki for Christmas. But maybe just this once, luck might be on his side.

A steamy Christmas Eve date has them both wanting more, but Yuki isn’t supposed to fraternize with hotel guests. Not even a cheeky, handsome guest who also happens to be one of the youngest tech CEOs in Ireland. She definitely isn’t supposed to stay in his hotel suite, even if it is just a fling for one night only. What if she loses her Christmas bonus or gets fired?

Declan wants nothing more than to keep Yuki, the girl under his Christmas tree. But he only has days in Melbourne, Australia before he has to fly back to Ireland for Christmas, then back to work. Is it foolish to risk putting his heart on the line again, when it was recently battered and bruised by his cheating ex-fiancée?

Yuki’s about to embark on a life full of adventure…but will she get to keep Declan as part of the package deal? She hopes so. It’s her number one Christmas wish.

Note: Girl Under The Christmas Tree is a holiday romance novella of approximately 18,000 words, written as a prequel or companion story to Cassandra O’Leary’s novel, Girl on a Plane. This novella has a Happy For Now (HFN) ending, leaving Yuki’s future wide open.

Buy Now!

Universal link – books2read.com/GirlXmasTree

Available at the introductory price of 99c / 99p on all major ebook sites.

—

I’ve had a bit of a break from writing, not only because of the super long and hard lockdown where I live in Melbourne, Australia (but it was super long, and hard), but because of some ongoing health issues. Anyway, it seems my brain is back in action for now, so I’ll look forward to working on some more new releases for 2021. Here’s hoping the new year will be a new beginning, in lots of ways.

Happy reading!

Heart Note and Chocolate Truffle Kiss now in Kindle Unlimited!

Ho! Ho! Ho! I’m feeling merry, so I decided to get into the holiday spirit early and enrol two of my ebook titles in Kindle Unlimited, just in time for Christmas. Heart Note and Chocolate Truffle Kiss are my two shorter romcom titles sure to leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling…

Heart Note: A Christmas romcom novella

A laugh out loud romantic comedy Christmas novella, perfect for fans of Love Actually . . . from the award-winning author of Girl on a Plane.

Love is like a fine perfume. The top note draws you in, an instant attraction, but the Heart Note is the true essence. Like true love – a great perfume should be a woman’s perfect match.

At least, that’s what perfume counter manager, Lily Lucas, tells her customers in one of Australia’s largest department stores.

It’s almost Christmas, the store is bedecked with baubles and Lily has about eleventy billion gifts to wrap and sell. She and her team of spritzer chicks are glamorous, professional and hoping they don’t have to wear the hideous red onesies and reindeer antlers the store manager has in mind.

The high point of Lily’s work life is Christos Cyriakos, ex-cop, security guard, possible Greek god. He’s a mystery box she’d love to unwrap. But can she trust him?

All Lily wants for Christmas is to kiss Christos (and more), catch a band of thieves running amok in the store, and live happily ever after. Is that too much to wish for?

Only 99 c or 99 p for a limited time or FREE to borrow for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

Chocolate Truffle Kiss

A sexy romantic comedy story with a dash of poetry and chocolate!

Your eyes meet mine, then retreat
Softness behind glass
Let me break your barriers

The poem on the blackboard enticed her to enter. Just like everyday…

Writer, Beth, visits the same café every afternoon, enjoying her latte and a chocolate truffle while scribbling in her notebook. The delicious treats keep her coming back day after day, not to mention the inspiration she finds there – Samuel. The barista is tall, dark and delicious, and his stare could melt chocolate from a hundred paces.

Since her divorce, Beth’s love life has been close to extinct, but the sight of Samuel, his dark, brooding good looks and amazing dragon tattoo, kick it into overdrive. A smouldering volcano waiting to erupt in flames of passion. But Beth knows it’s unlikely he’d go for her, an older woman, when he could have anyone.

Over the course of a week, the tension between them rises almost to boiling point. When Beth’s friend lets it slip that Beth fancies Samuel, in fact she has a mega crush on him, their customer/barista relationship is tested…but could it be more than one-sided? Is Samuel writing the blackboard poems especially for Beth? Could he be watching and wanting her too?

Now available in Kindle Unlimited!

For more links head over to my Books page.

Sweet Treats & Yummy Reads Hop!

Valentine’s Day 2018 Event – Sweet Treats & Yummy Reads

Are you excited about Valentine’s Day? The authors at Chick Lit Chat HQ are, and we know quite a bit about romance, not to mention gorgeous guys and swoon-worthy storylines, which is why we’ve put together a fun-filled event that celebrates all these wonderful things.

That’s right, book lovers, it’s time for the Sweet Treats & Yummy Reads Hop! Starting February 12th, 40+ Chick Lit and RomCom authors will be throwing a fabulous, Valentine-themed bash on Facebook and each of them will be offering a GIVEAWAY–books, gift cards, author swag, and lots of other wonderful prizes will be up for grabs!

But wait, there’s more! You know we have the “yummy reads” covered (this group is nothing if not crazy talented), but what about the “sweet treats?” Hold on to your hats, peeps, because CLC HQ has outdone itself this time. We’ll be giving away not one, not two, but THREE Grand Prizes for this hop and each of those lucky winners will receive a 6-pack of Wicked Good Cupcakes!* And the best news of all? You get to choose your own sinfully delicious flavors. (Commence happy dance now.)

So, what are you waiting for? Head on over to the Sweet Treats & Yummy Reads Hop on Facebook and join the group page where you can meet and chat with fellow readers, as well as some of the most popular authors in your favorite genres, plus find the lists of participating authors and enter to win one of the Grand Prizes. We look forward to seeing you there!

Tree Love new release celebration prize!

My giveaway** prize for this event includes the following:

One ebook copy of my new release short story, Tree Love
Lightweight cotton scarf in charcoal colour with little gold hearts printed on it
A gold-tone triple strand necklace with a heart pendant
Black metallic heart-shaped jewel box

I might also throw in some delicious heart-shaped, Italian-made Girl on a Plane chocolates wrapped in red foil. Because yum!

Tree Love is releasing widely on major ebook retail sites on 13 February for only 99c or 99p. The universal link to all retailers is here – books2read.com/TreeLove

This story is a tale of first loves reunited, email to trees (no joke — based on a true story too, of email addresses assigned to trees in public parks and people writing them love letters), an artist heroine and urban lumberjack hero. It’s set in and around the beautiful botanic gardens in my home city of Melbourne, Australia. All the fun and swooniness ensue!

My question for anyone wanting to enter my giveaway is:

If your first love fell out of a tree, would you catch him (or her)?

I ended up marrying my first love, so I guess I’d catch him and not let him drop on his head or fall to his death! Hehe, what was I saying? Oh yes, my lovely husband is an absolute sweetheart. We’ve been together for many years and he’s a keeper. 🙂

Comment on the giveaway post on my Facebook author page for your chance to win. I’ll choose a winner on 16 February (Aussie time). This may be 15 February where you live).

P.S. You can also sign-up to my email newsletter to keep up-to-date with my writing, giveaways and to receive a free copy of my sexy romcom novelette, Chocolate Truffle Kiss. Just complete the form on my Contact page.

*Wicked Good Cupcakes only ships to destinations in the United States, so the Grand Prize portion of this hop will not be open to international entrants. However, the 40+ individual author giveaways will be open internationally.

**My giveaway is open internationally but is not sponsored by or endorsed by Facebook.

Tree Love Is In The Air. . .

Last week I made an executive decision as captain of my own writing ship. I decided to indie publish a romantic short story of mine, Tree Love. This story was previously published a year ago in the Taste of Romance anthology along with other stories from authors in my writing group, the Melbourne Romance Writers Guild.

Tree Love is a short and sweet story about first loves reunited, emails to trees, art, nature and taking chances. It’s now up for pre-order, ready for release on 13 February, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Tree Love: A Romantic Short Story by Cassandra O'Leary, cover design

Here’s the cover for Tree Love. I designed it myself with a gorgeous stock illustration (copyright warawiri) sourced from 123rf.com. Isn’t it pretty? Well, I think so.

Tree Love story inspiration

I was actually inspired to write this story after reading a wacky newspaper article about something that happened in my home city of Melbourne, Australia.

Under a new environmental plan, the city assigned email addresses to trees. And people started emailing, not just to report on the condition of the trees as had been expected, but they wrote to the trees. Letters, poems, confessions. This was pretty hilarious to me, but also sweet. So a story idea was born!

The original article is on the News.com.au website — People around the world have been emailing trees in Melbourne to confess their love.

In Tree Love, I imagined my heroine, Natalia, was the admin person working for the Parks and Gardens department tasked with answering the Tree-mails. It’s entertaining but also baffling at times.

Blurb

If your first love fell out of a tree. . . would you catch him?

Natalia Bianchi is a botanical artist, who finds herself accidentally working for the city’s Parks Department in admin and also accidentally engaged to her boss. It’s not what she had planned.

One day she checks on ‘her’ tree in the botanical gardens, and her first love, Dan “The Man” Mancini falls at her feet. Literally. Almost like it was meant to be. But that’s what she thought ten years ago when they were friends at university.

Should Natalia shake up her entire safe, convenient life to climb Dan like a tree? Could this be her second chance at love that could last forever?

Buy links

You can pre-order Tree Love now from Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and Google Play Books. It’s only 99 cents or 99p.

Universal link:

books2read.com/TreeLove

Inspiration pics

Stock photo of tree from Pixabay

Check out my Tree Love Pinterest board for some great pics of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, and some character inspiration too.

P.S. join my newsletter list if you’d like to know more about my writing and receive a free novelette, Chocolate Truffle Kiss!

Cover reveal – Chocolate Truffle Kiss

Cover reveal time! It is with a little too much excitement that I show-off my very first cover for my very first self-published novelette (which is a kind of long short story). Chocolate Truffle Kiss is a 9500 story, originally published in 2015 in the Sweet and Spicy anthology from my writing group, the Melbourne Romance Writers Guild.

But now I’m letting it go, into the world, with its own, fresh cover. I actually designed it myself! It may not win any design awards, but I’m happy with it. I think the woman on the cover is gorgeous and it suits the genre of romantic comedy.

Let me know what you think!

P.S. if you sign-up to my newsletter here on my website before 10 October 2016, I’ll give you a FREE copy of this story! Sign-up with your name and email address, that’s it. Easy-peasy!

Chocolate Truffle Kiss cover design

Blurb

Your eyes meet mine, then retreat
Softness behind glass
Let me break your barriers

The poem on the blackboard enticed her to enter. Just like everyday…

Pre-order links are live on my Books page!