When a jilted romance novelist escapes to a small beach town, the last thing she expected to find was the start of an even better love story.

In the wake of a broken engagement and the death of her last surviving family member, romance novelist Maya Reynolds moves to the haven of Coral Cove, North Carolina, to take over her great-aunt’s toy store. Some of her grief is immediately eased when she is talked into adopting a kitten by the local veterinarian’s daughter, eight-year-old Ashlyn.

Ashlyn’s dad, local veterinarian Brody Tanner, is quickly smitten by the newest resident of his hometown—but as a single father, his focus is entirely on his little girl, and a romantic entanglement with Maya is not a distraction he is looking for.

In spite of himself, Brody’s bond with Maya deepens, but in the little seaside town where Maya experienced some of her happiest childhood memories, clouds cast a shadow over her hope for the future. But together, they just might discover that sometimes happy endings happen outside the pages of Maya’s novels, too.

• Sweet, standalone contemporary romance


• Book length: 93,000 words


• Includes discussion questions for book clubs


• Also by Amy Clipston: The Heart of Splendid Lake and Something Old, Something New