# Read the first page of The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead

Read the opening of The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead free, no signup. A shy librarian's one-night stand turns out to be a governor candidate.

- Page: https://uncovered.ink/read/the-boyfriend-candidate-ashley-winstead
- Genre: Thrillers
- Year: 2023
- ISBN: 9780369734655
- Read it blind (cover and title hidden): https://uncovered.ink/?b=9780369734655&s=read-page
- Buy: https://bookshop.org/a/125786/9780369734655
- Borrow: https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=9780369734655

## The opening

I’ll say one nice thing about my ex Chris Tuttle: the man was the entire reason I was here, standing at the entrance to the sultry Fleur de Lis hotel bar, wearing a red dress so plunging I kept it in the back of my closet for fear of scandalizing visitors, on the verge of reinventing myself. The memory of Chris and the still-fresh psychic wounds he’d left me were like a marching drum line urging me forward as I’d left my apartment, Ubered downtown to the Fleur de Lis, and cut a determined path across the lobby to the bar, a place with a reputation as Austin’s Grand Central Station of hookups. Unfortunately, now that I was standing at the entrance, the sight of all the laughing, drinking, dazzling people—dressed to the nines like me, but looking much more at ease about it—had me momentarily cowed.

I thought back to what Chris said the day I discovered he was cheating on me (for the second time): “I do have needs you can’t satisfy. You should really learn to be more adventurous in bed, Lex. You’re like a timid little mouse. It can get really boring.” Remembering those words, I straightened my shoulders, took a deep breath, and stepped inside. I was not a boring mouse—or at least I wouldn’t be one anymore. Starting tonight, I was going to be a new version of Alexis Stone: as bold and adventurous as my flaming-red dress.

I tried to soak in the beauty of the bar while beelining through the crowded tables, anxious to leave the peculiar spotlight of being the only person standing among a bunch of cozy, seated people. But then I realized new Alexis wouldn’t care if everyone’s eyes flitted to her as she walked across a room—in fact, new Alexis would welcome it, because she’d spent nearly an hour straightening and then recurling her hair into movie star ringlets, and maybe that effort should be appreciated. I forced myself to slow and look up at the bar’s gorgeous glass ceiling, shaded a twinkly blue thanks to the night sky. Real palm trees lined the circular perimeter, fronds reaching toward the stars. They made the bar look like a very urbane urban jungle, which actually wasn’t too far off the mark.

My older sister, Lee, and her friends liked to roll their eyes at the entire downtown bar scene, calling places like the Fleur de Lis “meat markets where you go to spend thirty-five bucks on a martini while beating back horny yuppies” (Lee’s words). They preferred the hipster bars on the east side of Austin, where the clientele was cooler yet dirtier (my words). I thought the Fleur de Lis was romantic, so it made sense to come here tonight for my critical but one hundred percent private mission: I, Alexis Rosalie Stone, was going to have my first one-night stand. I was going to sleep with a man with no strings attached, no stakes or expectations: just one night to do whatever felt right. Alexis the unadventurous bore? I’d killed her and buried the body.

The gleaming brass bar was crowded, but I managed to slip a shoulder between two men and catch the bartender’s attention.

## Books with a similar feel
- [The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-keepsake-tess-gerritsen.md)
- [The Breakdown by B.A. Paris](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-breakdown-b-a-paris.md)
- [Served Him Right by Lisa Unger](https://uncovered.ink/read/served-him-right-lisa-unger.md)
- [1st Case by James Patterson](https://uncovered.ink/read/1st-case-james-patterson.md)
- [Tom Clancy True Faith and Allegiance by Mark Greaney](https://uncovered.ink/read/tom-clancy-true-faith-and-allegiance-mark-greaney.md)
- [The Survivors Club by Lisa Gardner](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-survivors-club-lisa-gardner.md)

---
Source: Uncovered (https://uncovered.ink). A short sample shown for reading and discovery. Rights holders can request removal at https://uncovered.ink/takedown.