Author: Ashley Jordan
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Multicultural Romance
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 448
Date of Publication: August 5, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
A playwright must grapple with her difficult year and writer’s block while falling for the single dad living next door in this emotional debut novel from Ashley Jordan.
Eve Ambroise may be a rising star playwright, but her personal life is falling part. Desperate for a fresh start, she breaks up with her fiancé, cuts off her parents, and heads to the Tennessee mountains. But keeping up the lie that she’s just on a writing retreat becomes near impossible when faced with the well-meaning townspeople and a neighbor who has just as much baggage as she has.
Coming off a contentious custody battle, Jamie Gallagher is restructuring what his life looks like as a single dad, and spending more days at his cabin makes his new “free time” a little less empty. Especially when he meets the beautiful—and prickly—woman next door. The last thing he needs is a new romance to shake up his family dynamics even more, but there’s something about Eve.
What starts out as a fling quickly becomes more serious, and it’s not long before Eve is running scared once again. She’s loved and lost in every possible way, and risking it one more time could finally break her. But like the fireflies that fill the mountains around them, Jamie’s and Eve’s lives keep falling into sync. A fairy-tale ending could be in the cards, but only if the new couple can get out of their heads and put their hearts first.
Eve Ambroise may be a rising star playwright, but her personal life is falling part. Desperate for a fresh start, she breaks up with her fiancé, cuts off her parents, and heads to the Tennessee mountains. But keeping up the lie that she’s just on a writing retreat becomes near impossible when faced with the well-meaning townspeople and a neighbor who has just as much baggage as she has.
Coming off a contentious custody battle, Jamie Gallagher is restructuring what his life looks like as a single dad, and spending more days at his cabin makes his new “free time” a little less empty. Especially when he meets the beautiful—and prickly—woman next door. The last thing he needs is a new romance to shake up his family dynamics even more, but there’s something about Eve.
What starts out as a fling quickly becomes more serious, and it’s not long before Eve is running scared once again. She’s loved and lost in every possible way, and risking it one more time could finally break her. But like the fireflies that fill the mountains around them, Jamie’s and Eve’s lives keep falling into sync. A fairy-tale ending could be in the cards, but only if the new couple can get out of their heads and put their hearts first.
MY THOUGHTS:
I was halfway through this book when I discovered it was Reese’s Book of the Month pick! What an excellent choice! This story explores how two damaged individuals attempt to build a relationship without causing further harm.
Eve is a struggling playwright with a deadline. Her personal life is in shambles. Her infertility has broken her and her long-term relationship has ended. She has headed to Tennessee to focus on her writing and to get over her pain. Meanwhile, she meets a her neighbor Jamie. Inexplicably, she is drawn to him, yet she can’t shake the feeling that he’s too good to be true.
Eve’s pain runs deep. There are other issues that she is struggling with, and one of those very things is the fact that Jamie has a son. Just on that alone, she cannot imagine any long-term relationship with him. There’s a valid reason behind her feelings about this. While this book may be a multicultural romance, it goes far beyond that. It delves into the profound sadness that Eve is coping with. Jamie, too, has his reasons for feeling broken, and despite the pain they both endure, they can’t resist being drawn to one another.
This is a multilayered story with characters that feel real. Their pain and drama are relatable, and there is much more to discover within the pages of this incredible debut novel.
Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
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