Swoon Sunday: 5 Swoon-worthy Settings from Brenda Drake’s Touching Fate

Welcome to Swoon Sunday where, today, we’re exploring some of of the swoon-worthy settings from Touching Fate by Brenda Drake!

Touching Fate is set in several swoon-worthy locations, the perfect places for romance to bloom between Aster and Reese. Today, Brenda Drake stops by EntangledTeen.com to share with our readers the top 5 places in her debut novel that are particularly conducive to romantic encounters.Without further ado, here’s Brenda:

1. Ocean City Boardwalk:

Aster and Reese meet on the Ocean City Boardwalk in Maryland in a perfect meet-cute situation. Later that night, after Reese spots Aster changing her friend’s fate through a tarot card reader’s shop window, he pursues her in the hopes of her changing his fate.

2. Ocean City Boardwalk Bumper Cars:

Aster, her best friend, and her little sister challenge Reese and his cousin in a bumper car battle. Aster outsmarts and impresses, Reese giving the girls the advantage to win the game.

3. Ocean City Ferris Wheel:

Reese joins Aster and her little sister on the Ferris wheel. Not only does the gondola rise to scary heights, but also, Aster’s feelings for Reese do with secret glances and accidental touches.

4. Beach:

Aster’s and Reese’s attraction toward each other heightens on the beach during her twin sisters’ birthday party. They have their first kiss. Later, Reese surprises Aster with a romantic picnic dessert on the beach.

5. Van Buren Castle, North Holland:

Reese returns to his home in North Holland. He and his mates distract themselves at the Red Light District in Amsterdam, but Reese can’t stop thinking of and missing Aster. A few days later, his parents celebrate his birthday with a masquerade carnival at the family’s castle and Aster secretly attends, her costume concealing her presence.

Thank you so much to Brenda Drake for sharing these amazing settings. Now, we want to share a short teaser in which the sparks start flying between Aster and Reese…oh and there’s some science thrown in for good measure:

After nearly thirty minutes searching the boardwalk, Reese straightened and adjusted his pant legs. “Shite, it’s lost—” Reese spotted Aster, Leah, and Daisy at a balloon popping game. Aster stood at the counter concentrating on the balloons, holding up the queue. He walked up to her side, ignoring the protests of those waiting for their turn. “Perhaps they should charge an hourly rate for you,” he said, startling her.

Jan sidled up to Leah and introduced himself.

“What…what are you doing? The line’s back there.” Aster nodded in the direction of the angry mob. She had a bandage wrapped around her wrist, so he couldn’t see if she had the mark.

“I thought you might need assistance,” Reese said. “You seem confused.”

Leah broke out in laughter. Jan was in full performance mode. He even had Daisy giggling.

“I don’t need assistance,” Aster said, clearly annoyed. “I’ve already figured this game out. I must consider several variables before attempting a shot. I’m just trying to decide which balloon I want to pop.”

“Variables?” He chuckled. “Just throw it hard. There isn’t a science to it.”

“Yes, there is,” she argued. “It depends on the weight of the dart, the sharpness of the tip, and the inflation of the balloon. They’re underinflated, so I’m trying to determine which ones have more air.”

“And then what?”

“And then…um…I’m going to throw it as hard as I can.” She glanced at him. “Now, will you please go?” When he didn’t move, she added, “Do you mind? I’m trying to concentrate.”

“Right then, I’ll just stand over there. When you’ve finished, perhaps we can schlep along with you ladies?” Reese backed up several paces.

“I’m not going to schlep anything with you.”

“He means hang out with us,” Leah clarified. “And we’d love it if you joined us, right, Aster?”

“No, but my bet is I don’t have a choice.” She readied a dart and paused.

Her determination impressed Reese. He couldn’t help the grin that tugged at his mouth while watching the way she bit her lip in concentration. Spending time with her might be fun, if not challenging. He chuckled again.

She tossed a glare over her shoulder at him before throwing the dart with all her might and popping a red balloon.

About Touching Fate:

Aster Layne believes in physics, not psychics. A tarot card reading on the Ocean City Boardwalk should have been a ridiculous, just-for-fun thing. It wasn’t. Aster discovers she has a very unscientific gift—with a simple touch of the cards, she can change a person’s fate.

Reese Van Buren is cursed. Like the kind of old-school, centuries-old curse that runs in royal families. Every firstborn son is doomed to die on his eighteenth birthday—and Reese’s is coming up fast. Bummer. He tries to distract himself from his inevitable death…only to find the one person who can save him.

Aster doesn’t know that the hot Dutch guy she’s just met needs her help–or that he’s about to die.

But worst of all…she doesn’t know that her new gift comes with dark, dark consequences that can harm everyone she loves.