A small-town beach romance set in Carolina Cove — slow burn, closed-door chemistry between a widowed single mom and a protective security specialist recovering from injury. Expect forced proximity apartment mix-ups, matchmaker meddling, grief-to-hope healing, found family, and a protective hero helping a wary-of-danger heroine learn to trust again. Perfect for readers who love sweet contemporary romance, single parent romance, protective hero romance, small town beach reads, and heartfelt happily-ever-afters (HEA).

When Claire Simmons’ job ends, it’s time to regroup and try to reconnect with her teenage son. She packs them up and heads to her father’s garage apartment at the beach. There, she discovers her father rented the apartment to a handsome stranger, and her plans for a restful summer are suddenly a lot more complicated....

After a gunshot wound, security specialist Marcus Denz returns to Carolina Cove to recuperate. He doesn’t expect to connect with a lonely old man, his troubled grandson, or the kid’s gorgeous mother—who won’t give Denz the time of day due to his profession.

Having buried a husband KIA, Claire isn’t about to make the same mistake twice. But when the town matchmaker eyes the widow as her next project, Denz fights jealousy. How can he get Claire to realize life doesn’t always go by the book?