by Marie Force
Part of Gansett Island, book 2
First published 2018
Joe Cantrell runs the Gansett Island Ferry Company and has loved Janey McCarthy his entire life. She has always been off limits, engaged to David Lawrence, a doctor in training. When Janey's engagement suddenly crumbles, she needs to escape before facing her family with the news. She turns to Joe, the man she considers her fifth brother, for a few days of refuge on the mainland. Joe agrees to help, but having Janey stay in his house becomes an unexpected trial. He has spent years keeping his feelings hidden while she belonged to someone else. Now she sleeps under his roof, heartbroken and vulnerable. Joe must choose between staying safely in the friend zone or risking everything to show Janey what they could build together. His decision becomes more complicated when he considers Mac, Janey's protective older brother and his best friend. The situation forces Joe to navigate between loyalty and love, between the security of friendship and the uncertainty of romance.
Genres: fiction, romance, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Gansett Island
288 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Zebra