Finding a toddler on my doorstep? Not exactly how I planned for the day to go.
Zara Thompson has loved sexy, ex-Marine Garrett Carson since college—but he was in love with her best friend. For the past twelve years, Zara has kept her secret and her heart guarded.
Then a woman shows up on Garrett’s doorstep with a toddler and a shocking claim: the little girl is his daughter, and her mother—Zara’s former best friend—is dead, killed in a tragic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Now, Garrett is juggling fatherhood, a looming book deadline, a frightened toddler who won’t go near him, and a live-in nanny who refuses to warm up to Zara—especially after she witnesses an unexpected and steamy kiss between Zara and Garrett.
A steamy kiss that sends their close friendship into a tailspin…
But as Zara focuses on expanding her small-town café and helping Garrett be a father, a mix of circumstances beyond her control and buried secrets conspire against her…threatening Zara’s chance at a happily ever after with the man her heart refuses to give up on.
Garrett is a military veteran with PTSD and a lot of guilt, having lost two close friends in the service. He’s now a best-selling thriller author with a movie deal in the works and a looming deadline. He has quite the full plate when he learns that he is a father one day when Athena the nanny shows up on his doorstep with a toddler named Poeny. The little girl’s mom is his college ex, whom he had a one-night stand with about two years prior. And the ex happens to be Zara’s best friend, which is why she never told Garrett that she’s been in love with him since they were kids.
Something was off about Athena right from the start, and I had so many questions about why Peony was so afraid of men. Zara really steps up to help Garrett get his daughter to adjust to her new surroundings, and eventually, their friendship becomes something deeper.
But when Athena and Peony’s past shows up in their present, all of their lives are at risk. This story took a lot of twists and turns with the suspense, and it kept me captivated. The HEA that Garrett and Zara got was well worth it.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Born in Brighton England, USA Today bestselling author Stina Lindenblatt has lived in a number of countries, including England, the U.S., Finland, and Canada. This would explain her mixed up accent. She has a kinesiology degree and a MSc in sports biological sciences. In addition to writing fiction, she loves photography, and currently lives in Calgary, Canada, with her husband, three kids, and their adorable rescue cat.
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