First published 2021
Charlie has hit rock bottom. At 27, he's broke, jobless, and heartbroken. He packs his bags and leaves New York City behind, returning to live with his mother in Sunset Springs. The small, conservative town feels hostile to Charlie, one of the few Black residents and the only openly trans person he knows of. This marks his first return since transitioning, and he braces himself for confusion and potential hostility from neighbors who knew him before. Then he encounters Jackson Ford. Jack was the star quarterback everyone loved in high school, but now he's become an outcast after revealing he's gay. When Charlie and Jackson reconnect, their attraction ignites quickly. Their romance develops with unexpected intensity, catching both men off guard. Charlie faces a crossroads. He must choose between clinging to his former aspirations and embracing this new possibility with Jackson. The decision forces him to weigh his past dreams against an uncertain future in a place he never planned to call home again.
Genres: fiction, romance, contemporary, 21st-century, contemporary-romance
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, second-chance
Setting: New York City, Sunset Springs
Period: 21st-century
Audio CD · Audible Studios on Brilliance Audio
Content warnings: homophobia, transphobia