Second chance at life, slow-burn later-in-life romance, and ex-husband drama on a tiny island where nothing stays private.When Kathryn Barker arrives on Seabrook Island for a six-month writing residency, she expects quiet mornings, friendly neighbors, and a chance to rebuild her confidence after a bruising divorce. Instead, her very first week lands her inside a local mystery involving a long-lost love story, an attic full of forgotten letters, and a historical society chairman who makes her heart do things it hasn t done in years.Richard Whitman is steady, gentle and impossible to ignore. He fixes porch lights without being asked, remembers how she takes her coffee, and stands a little too close on those evening beach walks. Kathryn hasn t felt this alive in years But just as Kathryn begins to imagine a new life and maybe a new love her ex-husband, Mark, shows up unannounced, bringing trouble, and a development plan that could tear the island apart.His arrival threatens everything. He wants her help on a development deal that could destroy the island s charm. Richard wants to protect Seabrook s history. And Kathryn is caught in the middle between the man who once broke her heart and the man who just might help her heal it.When past and present crash together on this tiny coastal island, Kathryn must choose which story she s willing to rewrite, and which man she s willing to fight for.Tropes in this book:Small town escapeLater in life romanceEx-husband dramaLove triangleBetrayal and grovelSingle momCharming coastal comunityFound familyCozy, feel-good romantic story with depth

Second chance at life, slow-burn later-in-life romance, and ex-husband drama on a tiny island where nothing stays private.When Kathryn Barker arrives on Seabrook Island for a six-month writing residency, she expects quiet mornings, friendly neighbors, and a chance to rebuild her confidence after a bruising divorce. Instead, her very first week lands her inside a local mystery involving a long-lost love story, an attic full of forgotten letters, and a historical society chairman who makes her heart do things it hasn t done in years.Richard Whitman is steady, gentle and impossible to ignore. He fixes porch lights without being asked, remembers how she takes her coffee, and stands a little too close on those evening beach walks. Kathryn hasn t felt this alive in years But just as Kathryn begins to imagine a new life and maybe a new love her ex-husband, Mark, shows up unannounced, bringing trouble, and a development plan that could tear the island apart.His arrival threatens everything. He wants her help on a development deal that could destroy the island s charm. Richard wants to protect Seabrook s history. And Kathryn is caught in the middle between the man who once broke her heart and the man who just might help her heal it.When past and present crash together on this tiny coastal island, Kathryn must choose which story she s willing to rewrite, and which man she s willing to fight for.Tropes in this book:Small town escapeLater in life romanceEx-husband dramaLove triangleBetrayal and grovelSingle momCharming coastal comunityFound familyCozy, feel-good romantic story with depth