by Rachel Hauck
First published 2021
Gemma Stone limps back to Hearts Bend, Tennessee after twelve years chasing fame in Hollywood. She carries a dark secret and runs a rescue ranch while raising her friends' orphaned daughter. The defenseless animals and child rescue her as much as she rescues them. Crown Prince John of Lauchtenland arrives in town on a mission for Queen Catherine. Tragedy has left him widowed and drowning in grief. His royal title offers no protection from heartbreak. During Fourth of July festivities, John gets pulled into a three-legged race with Gemma. The event ends badly, but two wounded souls recognize each other. They form a friendship built on shared pain. Love seems impossible. John clings to memories of his dead wife. Gemma refuses to trust any man with her heart, even a prince. When an emergency calls John home, he faces leaving the woman who lifted him from sorrow. Gemma must decide whether to follow him into royal life and risk exposing her secret. Their connection might heal them both if they can write their own fairy tale ending.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, second-chance
Setting: Hearts Bend, Lauchtenland, Tennessee
Period: Fourth of July
362 pages · Paperback · Hauck House