romance-books – Professor Romance

Overall Grade: A-

Tropes: age gap; workplace romance; brother’s business partner; insta-attraction; forced proximity

In the final installment of Meghan Quinn’s Bridesmaid series, Bridesmaid by Chance, delivers a satisfying conclusion through the forbidden romance between Sloane and Hudson. Their chemistry—electric and complicated—drives a narrative that explores both personal growth and the delicate balance between family obligations and individual happiness.

The central relationship between Sloane and Hudson captivates from the first page. Their connection is forbidden on multiple levels—he’s her boss and her brother’s business partner—creating a tension that Quinn masterfully navigates. What makes this dynamic particularly compelling is the contrast between Sloane’s confident ownership of her sensuality and Hudson’s honorable resistance to his growing attraction to her. This push-and-pull creates moments that are both humorous and profoundly emotional.

Quinn weaves a narrative filled with complications that feel both authentic and engaging. When Hudson needs to appease a prospective partnership by volunteering Sloane as a stand-in bridesmaid, their professional relationship begins to blur. Their attraction eventually boils over, leading to a relationship that faces multiple obstacles: Hudson’s sense of obligation that temporarily drives him away from Sloane, her brother’s discovery of their relationship, and the eventual reconciliation that demonstrates significant character growth for all involved. Hudson’s realization of Sloane’s importance and her brother Jude’s acceptance of her autonomy create a satisfying emotional payoff.

The individual character arcs prove as compelling as the romance itself. Hudson, the perpetually responsible Hopper sibling who has sacrificed personal happiness for duty, finds himself transformed by Sloane’s influence as she teaches him to embrace life beyond his obligations. Meanwhile, Sloane battles perceptions about her age, underscored by the gap between her and Hudson, and fights for recognition of her emotional maturity. Her history—growing up in poverty and losing her parents—has forced an adulthood on her that others are slow to acknowledge. When she finally stands up to her brother and earns his respect, the moment resonates as a triumphant fulfillment of her character journey.

The appearance of characters from previous books adds both humor and emotional weight to the narrative, creating a sense of community that enriches the reading experience. The intimate scenes between Hudson and Sloane strike an effective balance—passionate without overshadowing the emotional core of their relationship. Quinn’s signature humor permeates the story, providing levity amid the more serious emotional developments.

Bridesmaid by Chance stands as the strongest entry in Quinn’s series, delivering the perfect blend of chemistry, character growth, and emotional resolution that romance readers crave. For those who have followed the series from the beginning, this conclusion offers a deeply satisfying payoff, while newcomers will find themselves immediately drawn into Quinn’s world of complex relationships and genuine emotion.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: Rebecca Jenshak’s Comeback, book 3 of her Holland Brothers series ✍🏻

February 1, 2025February 1, 2025 professorromance

Overall Grade: A-

Tropes: best friend’s sister; brother’s best friend; forced proximity/roommates; sports romance; pro football; cinnamon roll MMC; dancer, sunshiney FMC

“He cares deeply for the people in his life and he makes sure they know it.”

Rebecca Jenshak’s Comeback stands as the pinnacle of her Holland Brothers series. Having tracked Archer’s character development from his peripheral appearances in both this series and Jenshak’s Campus Wallflowers series (notably in Tempting the Player), I found his emergence as a protagonist particularly compelling. Archer’s character distinction lies not only in his hearing impairment but in how this aspect of his identity interweaves with the series’ broader themes of familial loss and resilience.

The Holland brothers’ shared trauma – their mother’s death and father’s absence – creates a profound foundation for their relationships. While Archer’s disability could have dominated the narrative, Jenshak masterfully positions it as both integral to his character and seamlessly integrated into the larger story. Her nuanced portrayal reveals how Archer has learned to minimize himself to accommodate others, a pattern that makes his relationship with Sabrina particularly transformative.

Notable strengths:

* Jenshak subverts traditional romance tensions by focusing on individual growth rather than relationship conflict. The narrative tension emerges organically from Archer’s professional challenges and Sabrina’s complex relationship with her brother, Brogan, rather than artificial obstacles between the protagonists. This structural choice allows for a refreshingly authentic romance arc.

* The fraternal dynamics continue to illuminate why this series resonates with readers. Their group communications and collective support of their youngest member’s MLB career provide both emotional depth and moments of levity that enrich the narrative.

* The pacing demonstrates remarkable precision, maintaining momentum without sacrificing character development or emotional resonance.

In Comeback, Jenshak demonstrates her mastery of contemporary romance, crafting a narrative that balances emotional depth with compelling characterization. Through her deft handling of disability representation, family dynamics, and personal growth, she elevates what could have been a conventional sports romance into a nuanced exploration of self-acceptance and unconditional love. The result is an emotional addition to the genre that both satisfies series fans and stands confidently on its own merits.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release

✍🏻 Unrequited love can be a bitch! But what if it isn’t so unrequited? Jen and Abel in Jessica Peterson’s I Wish We Had Forever are soooo special. And super spicy! ✍🏻

April 11, 2024April 11, 2024 professorromance

I Wish We Had Forever by Jessica Peterson is now live!

A scorching hot, brother’s-best-friend, bad-boy/good-girl, fake-marriage standalone romance in the small-town Harbour Village series …

I’ve been pining for Abel Miller since we were teenagers. He’s sexy as hell, and has always played a starring role in all my fantasies. Too bad he only sees me as his best friend’s little sister.

He’s also a broody playboy who takes home a new girl every night, while I’m looking to find forever with someone. Abel and I couldn’t be more different.

But when my dad gets sick and says he just wants to see me safe, settled, and happily in love, Abel shocks me by offering to pretend to be my husband.

Now I’m living with the man of my dreams in his luxe bachelor pad as his fake wife. Plot twist: it only has one bed. Which isn’t a problem, until he accidentally walks in on me naked and I wind up bent over the couch with him on his knees between my legs.

Turns out my feelings weren’t so one-sided after all. But Abel swears he’s too much of a bad boy for the type of relationship I’m looking for, and warns me not to fall in love with him.

Can I convince him he’s always been the one for me? Or am I just headed for heartbreak by wishing we had forever?

I WISH WE HAD FOREVER is book three in the standalone interconnected Harbour Village series.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uyGjrx

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/IWWHF

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3ONTprA

Meet Jessica

Jessica Peterson writes romance with heat, humor, and heart. Heroes with hot accents are her specialty. When she’s not writing, she can be found bellying up to a bar in the south’s best restaurants with her husband Ben, reading books with her adorable daughter Gracie, or snuggling up with her 70-pound lap dog, Martha.

A Carolina girl at heart, she fantasizes about splitting her time between Charleston and Asheville, but currently lives in Charlotte, NC.

Connect with Jessica

Website: https://www.jessicapeterson.com/

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/JessicaPetersonGR

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KoS0sb

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicapetersonauthor/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PetersonsPupils/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicapauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaPAuthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-peterson

Verve: https://ververomance.com/app/JessicaPeterson

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Review: Stacy Travis’s Love You Anyway ✍🏻

March 18, 2024March 18, 2024 professorromance

Overall Grade: A-/B+

Stacy Travis’s Love You Anyway, the second book of her Buttercup Hill series, promises so much for this continued series of siblings. Stacy Travis has written about the undeniable chemistry between Colin, an astrophysicist hiding from scandal, and PJ, the youngest sister of the Corbett family. Some suspense is a running thread thus far in this series, although Travis treats us to a surprise in this second book. Colin and PJ’s “cat and mouse” foreplay drives the reader forward into the story. The age gap, the “will they/won’t they”, and the almost forbidden-esque nature of their coupling make for a story that keeps you engaged to the last page.

I’m excited about the future stories in this series. I can’t wait to find out more about what’s lurking in Kingston Corbett’s mind. Stacy Travis’s Love You Anyway moves us decidedly and beautifully forward into this world of grapevines and casual living.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Review: Kennedy Ryan’s This Could Be Us, book 2 of the Skyland series ✍🏻

March 6, 2024March 6, 2024 professorromance

Overall Grade: A+

“Books are the mirrors of our soul.” – Virginia Woolf

“That she was indeed a hornet, not a butterfly. That the plain of her heart stretched vast enough to love two men so completely, love her children so purely, love her mother and her friends and the world around her with such a quiet fervor … because first, she loved herself.” – Kennedy Ryan

Rarely do I get personal in my book reviews. I’ve inserted my personal experience into the number of reviews I could count on one hand. Quite frankly, that seems sad. As the quote above from Virginia Woolf suggests, books are a reflection of ourselves. They help us understand life and love and longing, and it seems a shame that we don’t show authors in our reviews where we found ourselves in their book babies. If I were an author, I’d love to hear readers’ stories of the intersection of personal experience and my written word.

Kennedy Ryan’s This Could Be Us is impassioned, intelligent, and impeccable. Her style and syntax are cinematic and breathtaking. Her words grab you by the wrist and pull you into her story, and they hold your hand as you endure and experience her story.

I’d love to tell you how her focus on enduring female friendships in this book is the soft throw around your shoulders on a stormy day. I’d love to highlight the insight offered about the spectrum of neurodivergent characters, a spectrum so wide and vast that it makes it difficult for people to get the proper care and help. She volleys us between Aaron and Adam and Judah to illustrate the spectrum of autism, but that’s Kennedy’s story…and it’s also a bit of my own. Unfortunately, I’m not articulate enough to explain my connection to it.

I’d also love to tell you how the complications of Soledad and Judah’s journey surgically fillet your soul and create a leaner, better understanding of the power of love. The distinct understanding that one’s love affair shouldn’t compare to anyone else’s is a powerful notion. Lastly, I’d love to explain how Kennedy leans into the colonial idea of Republican Motherhood as she draws Soledad’s power in the domestic sphere. This notion ran rampant through my mind as Soledad became more influential in the domestic arts, reminding us of the impact women have made for centuries even when they were stripped of their power.

Where my mind took me for this review is in my want to be a” hornet, not a butterfly.” Here is where This Could Be Us feels like a “mirror” of my soul, where I felt empowered and changed. For the past two years, I’ve been on a journey of self-discovery and change. I learned late into my marriage that my husband lands somewhere on the autism spectrum, and he lacks the self-awareness or interest in loving me as I need to be loved. I had created a very careful existence, one that leaned heavily into peace-making for myself and my son, and it left me feeling lost and alone when my son left home to go to college. Over the past two years, I’ve been working towards becoming the “hornet” that Soledad’s mother, Catelaya, writes about so beautifully in her journal. And it hasn’t been easy. And it hasn’t been perfect, but I am learning to love myself little by little. To embrace all that I am. Opening the pages of Ryan’s inviolable book felt inspired. Kennedy Ryan’s capacity to capture the human experience, manifesting it onto the fullness of the page, is why I will read her stories until the end of my time. Her books are the mirrors to our souls, to my soul, and I feel seen and changed by them. I feel challenged and disarmed by them. I feel empowered by them.

Kennedy Ryan is an apt ambassador for romancelandia, and her books, ones like This Could Be Us, should be celebrated and held as the ultimate representation of all that is good in this genre.

In love and romance,

Professor A

Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Review: Saffron A. Kent’s You Beautiful Thing, You ✍🏻

October 31, 2023October 31, 2023 professorromance

Overall Grade: B

Tropes: forbidden; enemy’s little sister; best friend’s brother; opposites attract; small-town; soccer; breeding kink

I read early reviews of Saffron A. Kent’s You Beautiful Thing, You to get a sense of what early readers have said. Goodreads is such a fraught place, however. Many of her early readers love Tempest and Ledger, the main characters of this newest story. We’ve met them before in other St. Mary’s Rebels stories, and SAK piqued our curiosity about this couple, in particular. But the toxic side of Goodreads exists in the reviews for You Beautiful Thing, You too. There were a handful of reviews who DNF’d it for the things that make SAK’s romances purely her, and that troubles this reviewer.

Saffron A. Kent has a particular voice, a particular version of romance. There is intent in her authorial choices: fraught hero, almost an anti-hero; nubile FMC who seems both naive yet mature in equal measure; a fated love that transcends time and space; and an almost stream-of-consciousness narration that, oftentimes, weighs down her story. If you’re not adept at recognizing her stylistic choices, you will reduce her storytelling to particular scenes that seem farfetched and absurd, but that’s also SAK’s intent. She writes romance strewn with smut, and it’s titillating. Even more, SAK has created a niche for herself in romancelandia, and she deserves that spot. You Beautiful Thing, You underscores the ineptitude of the people closest to you to truly understand what makes you, you. This message is powerful for people who feel unseen and unheard. This is Ledger’s plight, and Tempest, his forever love, understands him better than his own family. She sees him and understands him in ways that they don’t realize until she champions him. In her moments of helping his family realize the truths of Ledger, you fall madly in love with her character. In return, Ledger is her protection, her safe place. She grew up in a home with horrible parents, and her older brother, Reed, was her former protector. However, Reed’s life is now wrapped up in Callie and their child, so Tempest is alone except for Ledger as her protector.

There is much back and forth between Ledger and Tempest as they deny a future as a couple. As they negotiate that tension, SAK loses readers because they don’t understand the gravity of SAK’s story for Ledger and Tempest. How can Ledger love Tempest when Ledger has never learned to accept and love himself? It would be foolhardy to have him profess his undying love for her. Instead, he must struggle and strain between actions that show his love and the words to match it. I appreciated that Tempest and Ledger have a largely physical relationship with a want to create their own family before they can voice their unending love for each other. Their story must take up much of the 464 pages of this book because they have to dig through years of traumatic sludge, and SAK gives them that space.

Beyond the foundation of their emotional journeys, Saffron A. Kent’s You Beautiful Thing, You is pure, unadulterated smut. It’s dreamy and decadently dirty. To get caught up in the appropriateness of their eroticism is to miss the point. It’s possible to craft both an angsty romance and a smutty one too. It’s what romancelandia allows. And that’s why I’ll continue to read Saffron A. Kent because she can be both things: scintillating and spicy in equal measure.

In love and romance,

Professor A

Cover Reveal

✍🏻 Lauren Rowe’s Who’s Your Daddy is coming September 15th! Check out the cover of this single mom, age gap rom-com! ✍🏻

August 4, 2023August 4, 2023 professorromance

WHO’S YOUR DADDY

Lauren Rowe

Release Date: September 15

Alternate Cover

Maximillian Vaughn:
Once I saw Marnie Long, a sassy, sultry, charismatic older woman in a bar, I couldn’t peel my eyes off her. I wanted her. At least, for one night. I’m way too busy with my career these days for anything more. As it turned out, after recently getting burned, Marnie was on the same page as me—all she wanted was one night of fun. I was happy to be of service. What I didn’t expect during our night together, however, was how deeply we connected. Also, how much I was dying to see her again the next morning.

Marnie Long:
After accepting Max’s surprising breakfast invitation the next morning, I was floating on air. Mere minutes later, though, all hell broke loose and I had no choice but to bolt out of Max’s place like my hair was on fire. It was such a pity, too. That scorching-hot patent attorney was the best I’ve ever had.

A year later, when I ran into Max at a party, I was a very bad girl and didn’t resist doing that very naughty thing. Now, thanks to my utter lack of willpower and common sense, I’ve risked my horrible secret getting out. Even worse, I’m in danger of catching real feelings for Max. Which I simply can’t do. Obviously. I’m not sure I can control what happens next, though. When I’m with Max, I feel like a runaway train, on the verge of hurtling off my tracks.

Who’s Your Daddy? is a single mother, age gap, forced proximity, standalone, unputdownable rom com that will keep you laughing, fanning yourself, and swooning, all the way to Max and Marnie’s happily ever after.

Add to your Goodreads TBR:

https://bit.ly/3q4SHgK

Meet Lauren Rowe:

Lauren Rowe is the USA Today and international #1 best-selling author of bestselling Standalone Smitten, The Reed Rivers Trilogy, as well as The Club Trilogy, The Josh & Kat Trilogy, The Morgan Brothers Series, Countdown to Killing Kurtis, and select standalone Misadventures.

Lauren’s books are full of feels, humor, heat, and heart. Besides writing novels, Lauren is the singer in a party/wedding band in her hometown of San Diego, an audio book narrator, and award-winning songwriter. She is thrilled to connect with readers all over the world.

To find out about Lauren’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for Lauren’s emails here!

To learn more about Lauren Rowe & her books, visit here!

Connect with Lauren Rowe:

lrowebooks@gmail.com

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✍🏻 Looking for your weekend read? Catherine Bybee’s When It Falls Apart is your next emotional read. Check out the giveaway at the bottom of my page for a $50 Amazon gift card. ✍🏻

June 30, 2022 professorromance

Interview with Catherine Bybee

For anyone wondering about the plot of your newest release, you give a great sneak peek with the title—When it Falls Apart. What is “falling apart” in this novel?

All the threads that hold my heroine, Brooke, together are crumbling down around her. When it Falls Apart begins with Brooke’s romantic relationship crashing and burning. At the same time, in a different state, her father is circling the drain in the ICU. And for the cherry on the top of her “falling apart life”, Brooke has found herself demoted at work. In short, everything in Brooke’s life is dissolving around her.

Like all of your books, When it Falls Apart has a beautiful romance, however, there is a rawness about Brooke’s story. How was writing this novel different from your others?

If you read my notes both in the front and the back of this novel, you’ll soon realize that the story was very personal to me. Rawness comes from experience. The relationship Brooke has with her father is hauntingly familiar to me and my dad. The emotions that the heroine experienced when taking care of him were easy for me to grasp onto and write about. Sadly, the love story with Luca was completely made up and I didn’t have the support of a strong Italian family to help deal with the struggles, but I digress.

Relationships with a parent who wasn’t there for you growing up are messy. When that parent ages and needs their child, sometimes that help comes with a bucketload of resentment, even if the child wishes they could stop those ugly feelings from creeping up on them. And THAT is the rawness you speak of.

Books, TV shows, and movies oftentimes glamorize what it means to care for a loved one. However, in When it Falls Apart you don’t sugar-coat anything about caregiving and the toll it takes on a person. How do you think readers who have been in similar situations will be affected by this story?

Justified. Validated. Accepted.

It’s a hard job taking care of an elderly family member. And if there aren’t other siblings to help, or won’t help, it’s made even more difficult. It’s difficult, gritty, dirty work that only has a bad ending…eventually. What I do hope my readers take away is that they’re not alone. That the struggle is very real and that if they don’t find balance (which is almost impossible at times) they will burn out completely and not be fit to help at all. I hope my readers are empowered to set boundaries and balance, so they come out on the other side of caring for an elderly loved one whole themselves.

Brooke gets virtually no support from her significant other, which has her reevaluating their relationship. She realizes she has settled and has to make some hard decisions. Do you think this happens too many times to women in real life?

100% Yes! There is a song by Taylor Swift with a line that says, and I’m paraphrasing here, I can be what you want for the weekend. But often that weekend ends up being a relationship that women hold on to or are convinced they can’t live without. Often it takes a huge shake-up to remove yourself from that situation. But once you’re away from the day to day dysfunctional relationship, the easier it is to see the dysfunction.

After her breakup and move, Brooke is not looking for a relationship. In fact, she tells her best friend: “I haven’t wiped off my smeared mascara from Marshall yet, the last thing I want is to jump into anything else.” Her crying over a man lasts all about two minutes when she meets Luca. Tell us about him.

Hmmm, Luca… he is the kind of man who doesn’t want a place on Brooke’s dance card…he wants to rip it up.

Luca is wired to help the people in his life. Brooke becomes a part of his inner circle simply by moving into the family building where he sees her every day.

Now, if Luca had flat out asked Brooke on a date, she would have run the other way…so no, he doesn’t go about it that way. He simply shows up and does not leave. Not when things get tough, or messy…or when his own past peeks its head in. Luca is a man who is right there at Brooke’s side without question or censor on why she does the things she does. His support and validation of her feelings is the part she was missing. Add in the hunky Italian single father and “Mamma Mia!”

At first, Luca is not thrilled that Brooke is renting a room in his family’s building. What changes his mind about her?

Her strength and vulnerability. I know that sounds contradicting, but some of the strongest women I know have a big vulnerable spot in their life that if you know them well enough, you see. The biggest smiles often hide the deepest pain. Luca sees her struggle and dedication to helping her elderly father and since family is first on Luca’s list, she passes his unconscious test.

Luca’s family, the D’Angelo’s, are incredibly close and share everything from ownership of the family restaurant to helping care for Luca’s daughter Franny. How is this different from Brooke’s relationship with her family?

Brooke doesn’t have that family. She has a father who abandoned her as a little girl that she carved out a relationship as an adult, and now she’s charged with caring for. Even her previous romantic relationship didn’t support her unconditionally the way the D’Angelo’s do for each other. She’s rather dumbfounded when they start treating her like family. It’s a wonderful thing to watch happen.

San Diego’s Little Italy plays a huge part in the story. The community, language, and food are in full display. Tell us about your own experiences in your adopted city.

I love Little Italy, the food, the pace… the people. There are many places in San Diego that are overrun with the college scene, San Diego is a college town. But Little Italy is more family friendly. Very touristy, but there isn’t a day you don’t see locals hanging out. I go to the farmer’s market often. Pick up authentic Italian ingredients for my own home cooking. I try new restaurants and take all my friends there when they are visiting from out of town. Not to mention it was the closest thing to the “real Italy” that I could go during the travel restrictions. So why not write about it and tell the world of this small island within San Diego that shouldn’t be missed?

There are two more siblings in the D’Angelo family. Where will you be taking readers next with the series?

Chloe is a yogi. Think Bali!

And Giovanni loves wine… think Tuscany, Italy.

I cannot wait to show you what I have in store for these two!

***

Excerpt

“Oh my God, Carmen. He was standing at his car first thing this morning. Like ‘hop in, bella, let’s get stuff done today.’ Who does that?”

Brooke had picked up the phone as soon as Luca was off in search of a dump guy.

“We’re talking about the single, hot, Italian dad, right?”

Brooke rolled her eyes. “Yes. Luca.”

“Oy, oy, oy.”

“Stop it. I need advice. And I need it before he gets back.”

Carmen stopped teasing. “You don’t need advice. You need to relax. He sounds like one of the good ones. Let it happen.”

“Let it happen,” she mocked. “I don’t ‘let’ things happen. It happens to me and it’s never good.”

“You didn’t used to be such a pessimist.”

“Once upon a time the glass was half full. Not these days.”

“Okay, Debbie Downer. You want my advice . . . here it is. Keep doing whatever it is you’re doing.”

“I’m not doing anything. Zero effort.”

“Really?” Carmen didn’t sound convinced. “Makeup . . . a nice dress?”

Brooke hesitated. “Maybe . . . a little last night, but that was it.”

Carmen chuckled.

“Carmen!”

“Sorry. Okay . . . any red flags?”

Brooke thought about that. “He loved his ex-wife.”

“That’s a red flag?”

“I guess not.”

“Is he good to his mom?”

Brooke looked back on the dinner the night before. “To the whole family. He takes being the oldest brother quite seriously.”

“And his daughter?”

All Brooke could do was smile. “Great dad. We should all be so lucky.”

“He’s Italian, does he smoke?”

“No.”

“A lot of Italians smoke,” Carmen pointed out.

“In Italy. The San Diego variety are less in that wheelhouse.”

“That’s good.” Carmen sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you, Brooke. How does he kiss?”

“He hasn’t kissed me,” Brooke nearly yelled.

“Now then . . . we have a problem.”

“There hasn’t been . . . I don’t even know if—”

“Stop right there. He did not drive your sorry ass all the way to Upland to do grunt work all day if he wasn’t interested in kissing you, bellllaaa. More than that, you want him to.”

Brooke closed her eyes, and even in her own head she couldn’t convince herself that Carmen was wrong.

“Let it happen. You deserve some happiness, Brooke.”

The van with the air conditioning repair guy pulled into the driveway.

“I gotta go.”

“I want a kissing update the next time we talk,” Carmen teased.

“Love you,” Brooke said with a laugh.

“Back at ya, boo.”

She hung up.

Her best friend was such a dork.

***

About the Title

Title: When It Falls Apart

Author: Catherine Bybee

Release Date: June 21, 2022

Publisher: Montlake

Summary

Brooke Turner has always had a complicated relationship with her father. But when his health takes a turn for the worse, she drops everything to care for him. He’s her dad, after all, and he needs her. What Brooke doesn’t anticipate is the unraveling of her long-term relationship and a cross-country move to San Diego’s Little Italy.

Luca D’Angelo is the oldest of three children and a single father to a young daughter. When his mother rents the top floor of their house to Brooke, he’s angry. Who is this beautiful stranger with no ties to the neighborhood? Can she be trusted in such close proximity to his family?

As Luca learns of Brooke’s difficult journey with her ailing father, his heart softens. And Brooke, who witnesses Luca’s struggle as a single parent, develops feelings for him, too. But when it all falls apart, will love heal their wounded hearts?

About the Author

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee has written twenty-eight books that have collectively sold more than five million copies and have been translated into more than eighteen languages. Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Not Quite Series, the Weekday Brides Series, the Most Likely To Series, and the First Wives Series.

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.catherinebybee.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCatherineBybee

Twitter: https://twitter.com/catherinebybee

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@catherinebybee1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2905789.Catherine_Bybee