Maddie Whittle is done with heartbreak — or so she tells herself. Six years after losing her beloved brother, she’s transforming her family’s estate into a wellness retreat.
The work is hard, the stakes are high and Maddie has no time for distractions.
Until a runaway piglet from the local farm brings her face to face with James Byron — an infuriating blast from her past.
Maddie needs help. James needs a job. What neither of them want is the slow-burning tension that could turn their bickering partnership into something far more dangerous: hope.
As winter sets in and renovations bring them closer, Maddie must confront the one thing she’s avoided for years. The possibility of a future defined by love.
Can Freya fix Jake’s reputation without losing her heart?
Assistant literary agent Freya Harrison never thought her chance at a big break would look like this: at a swanky romance conference in New York, managing the agency’s most insufferable client.
Sure, Jake Richards is a global best-selling author, adored by all his fans. But on meeting him, Freya finds him arrogant, condescending, and, worst of all, a complete phony.
After being overheard calling romance ‘easy money’ and his readers ‘fools’, Jake’s reputation is tanking. And it’s Freya’s job to clean up the mess – and maybe, finally prove her worth to her boss.
But with Jake one slip away from another PR disaster, doubts are starting to set in. Can she survive this week without losing her mind – or her heart?
This book presents an intriguing premise—a disgraced romance author forced to face the very genre he disparaged, alongside a romance-loving assistant with publishing ambitions. Jake Richards, a bestselling author, finds his career in jeopardy after a careless comment goes public, and Freya, his agent’s assistant, is thrust into the awkward role of escorting him to a romance conference. Sparks and friction naturally follow as opposites are thrown together in a setting designed for love.
There’s an appealing enemies-to-lovers thread, a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the publishing world, and a heroine who believes in love but hasn’t quite found her own yet. However, the execution doesn’t quite live up to the potential. The age difference between Jake and Freya is repeatedly mentioned, but it’s not explored in any meaningful way, and other character contrasts also feel surface-level.
While the plot has charm, the writing often feels basic, with some key elements—like character development—underdeveloped. Surprisingly, a secondary character, Davis, ends up more dimensional and engaging than the leads. It’s a story that has heart and promise, but it could have used a bit more polish to truly shine.
My Sanctuary 