The Drummer's Heart

by Penelope Ward

First published 2025

The band has one unbreakable rule: never mention Nicole's name. The drummer can't handle hearing about his ex-wife, the woman who still holds his heart three years after their divorce. He buried his pain in music and touring, but a phone call changes everything. Nicole's grandmother Mimi is dying and wants to spend her final weeks with both of them. The catch? Mimi doesn't know about the divorce. Nicole couldn't bear to tell her beloved grandmother the truth. Now he must return to a small town and move into Mimi's tiny house. For two weeks, he'll pretend to be Nicole's husband while her regular caretaker takes vacation. They'll share the same bed in the guest room. He'll face the woman who destroyed him, or maybe he destroyed her. The situation was always complicated. Living as fake newlyweds will make it infinitely worse.

Genres: fiction, drama, romance, contemporary-romance, family-drama

Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating, second-chance

Setting: Small Town

272 pages · Hardcover · Penelope Ward

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