by Vivian Arend
First published 2025
Declan Skye has grown tired of sneaking around. He and Sydney Jeremiah have been meeting in secret for months, but the constant hiding weighs on him. Sydney feels the strain too. Every stolen moment comes with the fear of discovery. Their friends ask questions they can't answer honestly. Family dinners become minefields of careful words and avoided topics. The small town of Heart Falls makes privacy nearly impossible. Everyone knows everyone's business, or thinks they do. Declan watches Sydney laugh at something her sister says and wishes he could reach for her hand without consequence. Sydney catches his eye across the room at community gatherings and has to look away. The pretense is cracking. Close calls multiply. Soon they'll have to choose between the safety of shadows and the risk of stepping into the light. Their relationship has grown beyond what secrecy can contain. The question isn't whether to reveal the truth, but whether Heart Falls is ready for it.
Genres: romance, contemporary-romance, new-adult-romance, small-town-romance
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Heart Falls
274 pages · Paperback · Arend Publishing Inc.