Cover for Cards of Passion Book Three - Stumbling Toward Serenity

Cards of Passion Series — Book Three

Stumbling Toward Serenity

A high-powered career. A personal implosion. And a vacation she doesn’t remember booking.

Natalie had it all: prestige, power, and a reputation for getting results. But after HR complaints label her a “bully” and her boss issues an ultimatum—take a sabbatical or resign—Natalie plans to regroup. Unfortunately, Drunk Natalie had other plans.

After a wine-fueled night she can’t recall, Natalie wakes up to a waiting car and a confirmation email for The Haven. Expecting a luxury resort to wait out her suspension, she arrives on Revelry Island only to find she has accidentally signed herself up for a rustic, Wi-Fi-less retreat focused on “healing.”

Trapped by her own impulsive booking and eager to prove she can “relax” enough to get her job back, she is forced to endure meditation, chores, and Marcus—the maddeningly calm grief counselor whose quiet kindness and homemade beignets give her room to fall apart.

Natalie wants control. She wants her life back. But as the island’s rhythm seeps in, she realizes that the version of herself she’s fighting to save might be the very thing she needs to resign from.

Tropes: Forced Proximity • Grumpy x Sunshine • Emotional Redemption • Island Setting • Slow Burn

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Natalie

Natalie is a fiercely driven, career-focused woman who has spent years building her success by being tough, efficient, and uncompromising. On the surface, she’s confident and thrives in high-pressure environments, but her sharp demeanor often alienates those around her. Beneath that, Natalie is deeply insecure, struggling with unresolved emotional wounds and a fear of vulnerability. She avoids facing her personal life, throwing herself into work at the cost of friendships and meaningful connections. Though she portrays herself as being in control, Natalie is grappling with the idea that her ambition may have come at the expense of her happiness and sense of self.

Marcus

Marcus is a kind-hearted and introspective man, still grappling with the devastating loss of his wife. Despite being a grief counselor, he feels lost in his own pain while helping others. Gentle and supportive by nature, Marcus projects calm and warmth, yet beneath his composed exterior lies a deep well of unresolved grief and guilt. Seeking peace at The Haven, he forms an unexpected bond with Natalie, complicating his healing journey. As their bond deepens, Marcus finds himself not only confronting his own grief but also facing the difficult prospect of opening his heart to love once again, all while navigating the vulnerabilities he’s kept buried for so long.

Praise for Stumbling Toward Serenity

While “Stumbling Towards Serenity” celebrates human sexuality in a positive way, Ms. Eliot chose to use sensuality as the steam, and it works. Natalie gets to know her love interest on a spiritual level first.

Couple’s yoga, partners meditation, cooking together – Natalie and Mr. (No Spoilers) take their sweet time and it’s so satisfying. With these two, the journey is far more important than the destination!

I highly recommend this sweet story. “Stumbling Towards Serenity” will leave you feeling like you just spent a few days at the spa – refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to maybe even embark on a journey of your own. – Oleander Plume

I loved this story! It was such a refreshing departure from the usual romance stories. The FMC, Natalie, was so unlikable at the beginning, but I loved how she went through this journey to really work on herself and by the end, I was really rooting for her. And the MMC!

Who doesn’t swoon for a guy who does the dishes :)? I thought it was a lovely story, with spice sprinkled in. I am working my way through the rest of the books in the series, but wish I could get more of Natalie and Marcus! – Magdalena Paczkowski

A raw, emotional, and quietly magical novella, Stumbling Toward Serenity follows Natalie a high-powered, toxic city girl whose life spirals after a career scandal and her best friend’s betrayal. Sent on sabbatical to a remote island, she finds more than peace; she finds herself.

With the help of a mysterious guide and a frustratingly charming man named Marcus, Natalie begins a journey of self-discovery, healing, and unexpected desire.
– Mide Harper

The MC is uniquely unlikable from the beginning, but it’s intentionally done and carried out in a way I’ve never seen before—which really made me appreciate the themes of self-exploration and reformation that much more! Natalie was not a perfect character, so she had so much room to grow.

A lot of authors are not brave enough to give their characters real flaws (especially in romance) so it was just really refreshing for the MC to come off as a real person with flaws and baggage that weren’t surface level.

This portion of the plot is surprisingly what I enjoyed most. A story of a woman finding empowerment, while at the same time, just happens to find love, showing that people can come into your life at just the right time. It was a sweet story, rather than what one would consider spicy, but I quite liked it for that. It was a quick, refreshing and cozy read!
Thematically and tonally, I would compare this book to “One Night On the Island” by Josie Silver! Both great reads!
– Electra

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Author of Romance with a Twist

Mischa Eliot

Mischa Eliot is an author of consensual, sex-positive erotica and erotic romance. You can find her in Chemical [se]X 2: Just One More, Big Book of Submission, Volume 2 (Cleis Press), Cards of Passion Series – Book Three: Stumbling Toward Serenity. Probably spends too much time on Twitter Threads.
🖋Author of Romance with a Twist💘
⚙Jill of Many Skills💻
🦎Dragon Lady 🐉
🌱Plant Momma🌾
🐺Lover of Wolves💝
💋She/Her🧷

  • Stumbling Toward Serenity: Chapter Six

    ByMischa Eliot

    Natalie stands on the veranda. When she turns to say goodbye to Ophelia, the door is already closed. She didn’t even hear it click shut, and there aren’t intricate carvings on this side to suggest that Ophelia’s shop is just beyond it. “Okay, thanks, I guess?” she mutters.

    “Alone again.” The ocean waves roll in and out. The sand looks slick and Natalie heads over there, sliding out of her sandals. Picking them up, she lets them dangle from her fingers. “When was the last time I was at a beach?” Oh, right. With Sarah and the big bonfire after college graduation. The waves roll up over her feet and she watches birds fly over the expanse of blue.

    Natalie pulls out her phone, but there are no missed calls or texts. With a sigh, she slides it back into her pocket. “Guess no one misses me.” Tears sting her eyes, and she stuffs them down. Sighing, she turns away from the water and realizes she has nothing to dry her feet.

    “Dammit. Where the hell is this person supposed to meet me?”

    Natalie huffs, heading back the way she came. She spots a wide opening in the tropical foliage, so she turns to head that way. Still, no one is around that she can see.

    “Guess I’m on my own.”

    The path winds through the forest, curving one way, then back to the other. While pretty, it’s also annoying. There are birds calling in the trees and flitting from one to the other, but none of it matters to her. Natalie is hot, sweaty, and mad because she forgot her cup in Ophelia’s shop. Even though she’d finished the coffee, it still had ice in it, which would’ve been nice right now.

    The path, though wide and maintained, feels like a trek through the jungle. When it finally opens into a clearing, she raises a hand for extra shade, squinting across the expanse.

    “Did I go the wrong way?” she mutters, turning to scan her surroundings.

    “Welcome to The Haven, Natalie.” The voice comes from behind her, startling her.

    Natalie stops dead in her tracks, her heart leaping into her throat. Being outside her comfort zone sucks.

    “Apologies for my lateness. I got held up assisting someone.”

    “You nearly gave me a heart attack,” she snaps, turning toward the voice. As she gets closer, recognition dawns, and she freezes. “You!”

    Natalie stomps over to the guy from the coffee shop, her body tensing more with every step. “What the hell are you doing here?” she demands, gripping the handles of her bag tightly, ready to smack him with it.

    “Uh… I’m Marcus, and I’ll be your friendly guide today.” Marcus’s attempt at a smile looks more like a grimace. “I’m really sorry about the coffee shop incident. I swear I wasn’t trying to ruin your morning.”