First published 2014
Timmie O'Neill commands her fashion empire from New York to Milan, building the Timmie O brand into an international success through two decades of relentless work. Her casual chic designs fill stores worldwide, but her personal life remains carefully controlled. Childhood trauma taught her to avoid emotional risks, keeping relationships shallow and temporary. During Paris Fashion Week, illness forces her to see Jean-Charles Vernier, a French physician who becomes first her doctor, then her friend. Their correspondence bridges the Atlantic between his Paris practice and her Los Angeles headquarters. Each meeting generates undeniable chemistry, but Timmie's fear of vulnerability conflicts with her growing feelings. Jean-Charles represents everything she has avoided: genuine connection and the possibility of losing control. As their friendship deepens, both must decide whether to risk heartbreak for love. Their different worlds collide when the choice becomes unavoidable. Will Timmie's business instincts help her navigate matters of the heart, or will her past wounds keep her from the intimacy she secretly craves?
Genres: romance, contemporary, fashion
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Paris
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
528 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Dell