by Tessa Bailey
First published 2023
Hallie Welch remembers the almost-kiss with Julian Vos in his family's vineyard when she was fourteen. Now Julian has returned to their small town after years away, and Hallie lands a job redesigning the gardens at the Vos estate. She hopes this might finally be her chance with the boy she never forgot. But Julian has transformed from carefree teenager into a rigid professor who keeps strict schedules and irons his socks. Their opposite personalities create constant friction. After a night of wine with friends, Hallie makes a terrible mistake. She leaves Julian an anonymous love letter, then panics when she sobers up. Julian is on sabbatical, trying to write a novel, but Hallie's presence outside his window derails his focus completely. Her chaotic energy and dirt-covered clothes clash with everything he values about order and control. When he discovers the mystery letter from someone in his past, he becomes obsessed with finding the sender. He never suspects the eccentric gardener bringing color to his structured world.
Genres: fiction, romance, adult-fiction, contemporary-romance
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, second-chance
Setting: Vos Estate, Small Town
Period: Present Day
384 pages · Paperback · Avon