First published 2023
Nikki Graziola stands at the podium on graduation day at Thornton Academy, the elite school in Alara Cove. The scholarship student from a surfer family abandons her prepared speech and exposes a secret that rocks the California beach town. Her revelation targets the wealthy family that controls Alara Cove, forcing Nikki into years of exile. She builds a career as a competitive surfer overseas but never finds financial success. A personal tragedy pulls her back home, where the community remembers her explosive accusation. Alara Cove has shifted during her absence. Nikki works to construct a new life while navigating old rivalries and renewed friendships. An unexpected romance emerges as she reconnects with the beach town that shaped her. The possibility of joy and redemption awaits in the place she could never fully leave behind.
Genres: romance, contemporary, sports, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, second-chance
Setting: Alara Cove, Thornton Academy
Period: graduation
496 pages · Paperback · William Morrow Large Print