First published 2026
Dolly Brick stands beside Stewart Whitfield's broken-down car on a Rhode Island roadside. He's just been dumped publicly, and she can't help but offer assistance. At thirty-nine, Dolly has returned to Whitfield with her son for the summer. Her father and brother are about to lose the family home, and she's determined to prevent that disaster. Stewart belongs to the wealthy Whitfield family that gives the town its name. He proposes an arrangement that starts as mutual convenience. Dolly needs connections to solve her family's financial crisis. Stewart needs someone to help repair his reputation after his messy breakup. Their fake relationship begins with formal dinners and charity events. Then something shifts. Boat rides at sunset replace staged public appearances. Real kisses follow scripted ones. Dolly has solved every crisis in her life alone since her mother abandoned the family when Dolly was twelve. She's never depended on anyone else. Now she faces a choice between the safety of self-reliance and the risk of trusting someone new.
Genres: romance, contemporary, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Rhode Island
366 pages · Paperback · G.P. Putnam's Sons