I Read Indie: Now Live: DON'T TALK! I LOVE YOU by Shannon McCrimmon {GiveawayExcerpt}

Recent college graduate Hadley Echols finally has a job. Her first priority - find an affordable place to live. She thinks it’s hopeless until she sees an ad that at first seems like a joke: “THREE MONKS SEEK ROOMMATE.” She doesn’t know anything about monks, only that her new roomies are on a vow of silence and only communicate via text. Then there’s the slight problem of her finding one of them irresistible. To make matters worse, her new boss might be Satan incognito and her ex-flame is back.

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Hi, Brother Davies! (They didn’t teach me what the proper term for addressing a monk is in school, so I Googled “How to address monk,” discovering that “brother” is the most often used term.)

I saw your ad on Craigslist. I don’t smoke and am drug-free. So, no worries there. I come from a big family and never got a moment’s peace, so a vow of silence sounds perfect to me. I don’t have any pets. Unfortunately, I’m allergic to all living things. Not a Buddhist, either, but I try to meditate. I don’t go around killing insects unless they’re in my bedroom. I’m honest and rather clean. Not like Pig-Pen, per se, but tend to keep things somewhat tidy. Interested in learning more. Just making sure this isn’t a joke, right? If it is, you should take the ad down as it wastes people’s time. Best Wishes, Hadley Echols.

Of course, after I hit “send,” I instantly regretted my ramblings. A simple, “Interested in learning more about home,” would have sufficed. And, “Per se?” Ugh. “Best Wishes?” What was I thinking?

A few minutes later, my phone pinged.

Hello, Hadley! Denny Davies here. No need to call me “Brother.” We’re not so formal in this household. Rest assured this is not a joke. I appreciate your concern for other people’s time. That tells me you’re a kind person, so we’re already off to a good start.

When you say you’re allergic to all living things, do you mean humans, too, like John Travolta in that movie Bubble Boy? Because that could pose a problem. PETA would be thankful for your gallant efforts to spare the lives of so many insects. Rest assured, we have our home sprayed each month, so no heroic gestures on your part will be necessary. A former roommate liked to eat in his room - that’s why there was a need for an exterminator. So, now that we’ve had this chat, when will be a good time for us to interview you? We prefer face-to-face so that you can see the place and so we can check your aura and make sure it’s copacetic with ours. Just kidding. I don’t even know how to check auras. Since you wished me the best, I’ll do the same! Best Wishes, to you, too, Hadley Echols!

A sarcastic monk? I thought they were all about the chi and peace and love. I texted him a response:

I currently do not live in a bubble and am not allergic to humans. Although I do have an aversion to grumpy people. I don’t eat in my room, either. I’ve always followed the rule that you should never eat where you sleep and go to the bathroom. I’m free tomorrow morning. Could we interview then? And, out of curiosity, how will we be interviewing since you all are on a vow of silence?

After a few minutes passed, he texted me back: Good rule to follow, Hadley! Even if it sparkles, there’s no bathroom floor I’d been eating on. And no problem about grumps. Sometimes Sherman, (one of your potential roommates) can be a little moody when he hasn’t had his coffee, but otherwise he’s easy to deal with. So long as we have coffee in stock, you should be good. Tomorrow morning around nine o’clock will work. We’ll be interviewing via text of course. Our address is 1817 Acushnet Circle Orlando, FL. See you then!

Starting a new job, moving in with new roommates, and running into your ex can be enough to stress anyone out when they happen at different times. But when your new boss is evil incarnate, your roommate is a hot monk with a vow of silence, and your ex wants to get back together... all of this happening at the same time? Well, you roll with it. At least that is what Hadley Echols does. She is just totally freaking out on the inside.

This book was not at all what I was expecting. I knew I would get some great writing, sweet romance, and an amazing plot full of goodness that only McCrimmon can deliver. And I got just that. All of that. Even more so. What I wasn't expecting was the feels, the funny and the quirky. It was a literary delight to my eyes and mind!! I don't think I quit smiling the entire time as I inhaled it in the moments I was able to read. And when I wasn't reading, I was relishing in the awesomeness that it is. Such a fun, entertaining book all the way around.

Hadley is such a sassy girl. I just enjoyed her so much. And throw in those silly monks and you have one of the greatest and funniest casts of characters ever. Yep, ever! Like I said up above, I never quit smiling. Even in the times that didn't call for smiling, Denny always had a way to bring a smile to my face. He is that sweet and that comforting of a friend.

Looking forward to more adventures with Hadley and Denny in the next book. No telling what kind of trouble they are bound to stir up! 5 Stars!

Shannon McCrimmon is the author of several novels, including The Summer I Learned To Dive and Kiss Me Hard Before You Go. She currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina with her husband and toy poodle. She'd love to hear from you. Connect with her atshannonmccrimmon.com