First published 2016
Nichole's world crumbles when she catches her husband Jake cheating. With her young son Owen to care for, she takes a new job and throws herself into volunteer work. There she meets Rocco, a rough but devoted father who becomes her friend and maybe something more. But Jake fights to win her back, using Owen as leverage. Meanwhile, Leanne has endured her husband's affairs for decades until Nichole's crisis awakens her own courage. Teaching English to immigrants, she encounters Nikolai, a Ukrainian baker whose warmth breaks through her resolve to stay single. Both women face the same choice: return to familiar pain or risk everything for genuine love. Their friendship sustains them as they navigate custody battles, family pressure, and their own fears about trusting again.
Genres: fiction, romance, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
339 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books