First published 2026
Mattie French works at a scrappy independent ad agency in Chicago. She has talent and ambition, but one person always overshadows her success. Campbell Porter writes copy for the city's most prestigious agency. He's brilliant, arrogant, and has tormented Mattie since their intern days with his smug confidence and knowing looks. When their companies compete for a luxury resort contract, Mattie sees her chance to finally defeat Campbell and earn the promotion she wants. The competition requires a month of travel to research the pitch. Mattie and Campbell find themselves forced together as adversaries, but the close quarters reveal vulnerabilities neither expected to share. Campbell isn't just the golden boy who makes everything look easy. Mattie discovers her own assumptions about their rivalry may be incomplete. As the final presentation approaches, Mattie must decide whether the story she's told herself about Campbell needs rewriting.
Genres: fiction, romance, contemporary, adult, adult-fiction, contemporary-romance
Vibes: banter-heavy, character-driven, emotional-growth, tension-filled, witty
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, misunderstanding-and-revelation, rivals-to-romance
Setting: Chicago
Period: Contemporary
400 pages · Paperback · Berkley Books