Mr. Emotionally Unstable: A Romantic Comedy
Alina Jacobs
Publication date: May 5th 2026
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
Someone is breaking into my houseโฆ and cleaning my kitchen.
At first, I think Iโve lost my mind. Then I decide itโs kinda niceโuntil the death threats start.But worrying about stalkers is for people with disposable time.
Which I do not have, thanks to my entire family showing up unannounced to move in with me.
Yay! Surprise houseguests!As a mature adult woman in her thirties, my stalker is the closest thing to a relationship Iโve had in years. No oneโs lining up for a curvy woman with a bad attitude, bras with holes in them, and zero tolerance for man-children.
And no, Mom, I donโt need you giving my number to every creepy guy you meet at the grocery store.
Iโm perfectly happy being single. I have my cafรฉ, my neurotic overweight border collie, and the shadowy figure peering into my window. I donโt need a man.
Exceptโฆ I do need to find my newly single little sister a boyfriend-slash-meal-ticket so she (and the rest of my houseguests) will move out.
Iโd toss her to my mystery stalker, but he did my laundry, and Iโm not ready to give up on those perks yet. Besides, Iโve already got the perfect man for her: billionaire, hot, and way out of my league.
Better yet, I no longer have a crush on him, at least not since Fitzgerald Svensson served me eviction papers with a side of insults disguised as flirting.Now he keeps showing up at my sisterโs dates.
Yes, itโs a group activity. Weโre recreating our toxic childhood dynamics here, mโkay?
Which means he must be interestedโฆ right?
Only problemโheโs hanging around me instead of her.But itโs an even bigger problem when I wake up one night pinned by a six-foot-five male with his hand over my mouth, his knee spreading my legs, whispering in my ear, โSurprise, Creampuff.โ
This is a standalone romantic comedy with a food delivery addicted dog, a hilarious Granny and a heroine of a certain age who has lowered her standards. HEA guaranteed!
โ
EXCERPT:
I follow their horrified gaze. โCreampuff,โ I say, voice low, jaw locked so tight it might crack, โyou sicced your granny on me? And here I thought you liked me.โ
Iโm not flirting.
Iโm furious.
Because my lobbyโmy towerโis full of topless senior citizens with knitting needles, terrifying half my hotel clients. I take pride in my hotels. French antiques sourced myself, bespoke carpeting, and my hand-selected marble foyer backdrop a dozen bare breasts swaying like revolutionary flags.
โIโve cast three hundred stitches of rage!โ her grandmother roars, holding up a half-finished scarf like a battle banner.
โGet rid of them,โ I snarl at her.
Winnie takes a nervous step back, eyes wide.
Goodโshe should be nervous.
โYou stole my cafรฉ,โ she fires at me.
โAnd you threw coffee on me.โ My voice is cold. Sharp. โGet these women out of my tower. Now.โ
She hesitates. Like sheโs considering taking their side.
Of course she is.
โMaybe they have a point,โ she mutters.
I stare at her.
โAre you going to whip your shirt off and join them?โ I snap.
Her face goes strawberry-jam red as my eyes dragโslowlyโfrom her chest back to her mouth.
Her breath catches.
I feel it.
I ignore it.
โI wouldnโt. This isโweโre in public.โ
I give her a sharp smile. โDo that,โ I offer, โand I might let the protest continue.โ
She swallows hard.
I step up to her, crowding her with my height. Sure, flirtingโs fun, but this is business.
Her eyelashes flutter.
โAnd here I thought,โ I say, โI was one of your biggest clients.โ
Her face blanches. Sure, the fresh-pastry budget is an insignificant line item to me, but to her small business? Itโs a lifeline.
She looks like she wants to die.
Good. Let her feel the pressure. Sheโs not the only one who can be cornered. If she loses this hospitality contract, sheโs finished. We both know it.
But only I know that I wonโt rip up the contract.
Set her free?
Never. She belongs to me. Wholly.
She just doesnโt realize it yet.
I follow her as she rushes toward her grandmother, my hands jammed in my pockets, in full control as I slowly trail her.
Over by the fireplace, two elderly women string up a knitted banner.
KNOTS NOT HOTELS!
โYou need to grow a pair,โ her granny is shouting at her. โYou canโt let a man treat you like shit and still expect to hit that.โ
My eyebrow lifts.
Winnie glances back at me. โHeโs not hitting anything.โ
โIf you donโt get these half-naked elderly women out of my tower, I might.โ
โGranโฆโ Winnie begs.
Her granny steps into my space, hands up for a fistfight.
โYouโre a bully.โ
โBooo!โ
โBread, not beds!โ
โCrochet, donโt pay!โ
The topless women encircle us.
I squeeze my eyes shut. If theyโre not Winnieโs, I donโt want to see them.
โHe acts like heโs never seen tits before,โ Granny Frances huffs. โMaybe you should fuck the neighborโs son, Winn.โ
My eyes snap open. Straight to Winnie.
Heat. Anger. Something darker. โIs that why you refused to go on a date with me, Creampuff?โ
Her chin lifts. โNo. I refused because I hate you.โ
I exhale, steady, even. Then I reach up and undo my tie. Watch her eyes bug out as she realizes what Iโm doing.
โNO CROISSANTS, NO PEACE!โ
I twist off my dress shirt. Itโs not lost on me that her gaze slides down my face to my collarbone, down my chest, downโฆ
The chanting starts to trail off.
โAre we sure he needs to be protested?โ
Author Bio:
I write the kind of books I loveโromantic comedies featuring snarly guys with hearts of gold, kick-ass heroines, and a swoon-worthy happily ever after! Also wine. And cupcakes.
When Iโm not writing I can be found drinking tea, surrounded by my massive to-be-read pile! So many books…
You can connect with me on social media or find information on my books at my website.
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This sounds like a good read.