Book Extract & Giveaway: You Can’t Hurry Love by Susan Buchanan

It’s a delight to be welcoming Susan Buchanan back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, You Can’t Hurry Love.

A delicious friends to lovers, forced proximity, workplace romance for 2025.

A 30th birthday celebration. A sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica. A split-second decision.

When Kat MacDonald takes the trip of a lifetime to Costa Rica, she doesn’t count on ditching her dead-end job, sending her uber-controlling boyfriend packing and volunteering at a sloth sanctuary.
But when she finally meets the swoon-worthy assistant manager Dexter, the chemistry between them is unmistakeable and sparks fly. Despite a rival for his affections, and her ex’s inability to know when to give up, she and Dexter are drawn to each other like magnets.
Just as she’s settling into life at the sanctuary and making friends, a letter arrives from back home in Scotland. A letter which could both upset her new plans and give her everything she has ever wanted. Everything except Dexter.
Kat is torn: should she stay in the tropical rainforest paradise with her beloved sloths, new friends and the delectable Dexter or pursue her lifelong dream? Or can she find a way to have it all?

A fun, escapist read full of romance, beautiful scenery and humour, perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Beth O’Leary Leonie Mack and Portia MacIntosh.

There’s a chance to win a copy of You Can’t Hurry Love but first, Susan has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy. 

*****beginning of extract*****

Kat has just arrived at the sloth sanctuary and is being shown around by the owner, Carlos. She has just clocked someone trying to catch his attention.

‘Excuse me a second, Kat. My deputy manager needs to speak to me.’

‘No problem.’ I cast my glance back towards the gorgeous guy he’s heading towards and he catches me. Oops. Busted. But his lips curve into a smile before I look away. Interesting.

I stand and listen to the questions from the school group, my brain whirring as it tries to work out some of the more difficult terms. I love that the word for sloth in Spanish is ‘perezoso’ – basically ‘lazy’, or ‘oso perezoso’ – a lazy bear. And the sloths are so sweet. It’s so relaxed here I almost feel a bit ‘perezosa’ myself. It’s hot, though. I could do with a cold drink.

I’m suddenly aware of a delicious, spicy aftershave and I turn my head slightly to discover the gorgeous guy is now standing beside me.

‘Hi. I’m Dexter. Carlos thought you might like to come and have a drink in the staff canteen. He has a minor emergency to take care of, but he’ll join us shortly.’

I almost can’t speak, he’s so good-looking. If I’m a seven, he’s a ten. And his accent is Cork or possibly Galway. Irish anyway. I’m a sucker for an Irish accent. Shut up, Kat, you’ve only just got rid of Aidan. Like, literally.

‘T-t-that would be great,’ I manage. ‘I’m Kat.’

He smiles and my heart flips. ‘Nice to meet you, Kat. It’s through here.’

We cross the foyer and disappear through the door marked Staff Only. It’s like a rabbit warren through here, with rooms going off in all directions. On the right is one clearly marked Canteen, whilst on the left and further down are what appear to be the sloth-dedicated areas.

I follow Dexter into the canteen, where he fixes us both an orange juice, then we take a seat in a couple of the bamboo chairs that are on one side of the room.

‘So you’re not local then?’ I say.

His face breaks into a grin. ‘That obvious?’

When I nod, he goes on, ‘I’m from Waterford, like the crystal.’

‘South west?’ I try to remember my Irish geography, which is woefully sketchy in places.

‘South east, but at least you knew it was south.’ He sips his orange juice then says, ‘I don’t need to guess where you’re from, though. I lived in Glasgow for two years.’

‘You did not!’

‘Did too.’ He puts his glass on the table and smacks his lips together slightly. I’m paying far too much attention to his lips, but they do look rather … kissable? Jesus, what is wrong with me? My hormones have gone into overdrive.

‘So what brings you to Costa Rica?’ Dexter asks.

I opt for the short answer. ‘A lifelong love of sloths.’

‘Really? Me too, although my first conservation programme was with turtles. But there’s something special about these little guys. This post came up a few years ago and the rest, as they say, is history.’

He blinks and the gazelle-like length of his lashes makes me gulp.

‘So, you fancy yourself as a sloth enthusiast, do you?’

The way he says ‘fancy’ makes my heart rate increase.

I nod. ‘I do, yes.’

‘Hmm, I’d have to test you to be sure.’

Now he has me wondering what he has in mind.

His eyes sparkle with mischief. ‘You see, I can take you behind the scenes, but we don’t let just anyone go there. You’ve met Ferdinand, but there are a few others I can show you, if you pass the test.’

My heart swells with joy. Yes, yes, yes, I want to shout. ‘I’m game.’

He raises an eyebrow and I blush, then he grabs a nearby pencil and paper as if he’s going to make notes. ‘OK, question one…’

*****end of extract*****

About Susan Buchanan –

Susan Buchanan writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction, usually featuring travel, food, family, friendship and community.

She is the author of The Leap Year Proposal, The Christmas Spirit, Return of the Christmas Spirit, A Little Christmas Spirit, Just One Day – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn, The Dating Game and Sign of the Times.

As a freelance developmental editor, copyeditor and proofreader, if she’s not reading, editing or writing, she’s thinking about it.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

She lives near Glasgow with her husband, two children and a crazy Labrador.

When she’s not editing, writing, reading or caring for her two delightful cherubs, she likes going to the theatre, playing board games, watching quiz shows and eating out, and she has recently discovered a love of writing retreats.

Say hello to Susan via her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Threads and BlueSky. 

You Can’t Hurry Love was released in May 2025. Click to buy on Amazon and Waterstones. 

*****

Win a Paperback Copy of You Can’t Hurry Love –

Are you in the UK and fancy winning a paperback copy of You Can’t Hurry Love by Susan Buchanan? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

You can enter via this link.

Open to UK only.

*Terms and Conditions –

UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter link above. 

The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. 

Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. 

I (Novel Kicks) am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.