First published 2025
Ainsley MacKinley has carried a torch for Lachlan West since childhood, but three obstacles stand in her way. He's her brother's closest friend. He's a single father living hours away. Most painfully, he kissed her once and then cut off all contact. Now Ainsley works as a writer, trying to forget the man who broke her heart without explanation. When her editor assigns her a story about college athletes, fate intervenes. Lachlan appears on her interview list, forcing Ainsley to face the person she's spent years avoiding. She knows this pattern too well. Every encounter with Lachlan leaves her hoping for more and getting nothing. But this time, she can't walk away from the assignment or the questions that have haunted her. In the small town of Ember Falls, where secrets don't stay buried and friends find unexpected love, Ainsley must decide whether to protect her heart or risk everything for the truth.
Genres: romance, contemporary-romance, new-adult-romance, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, second-chance
Setting: Ember Falls
320 pages · Paperback · Sourcebooks Casablanca