Fake dating the grumpy firefighter next door was not on my post-jilting recovery plan.

In twenty-four hours, I go from almost-wife to Fairview’s biggest punchline… to fake girlfriend of Michael Brooks, stone-faced firefighter, devoted single dad, and the last man with time for my chaos.

Then I find an eviction notice on the doors of the Fairview Library. Thirty days. $50,000. Or the place that raised me shuts down for good.

My only shot is a fundraising gala, a headline-worthy love story, and the committee chair who can actually move this town. Of course, it’s Michael.

One panicked lie turns planning meetings into staged dates, photo ops, and a town convinced we’re the real deal. The rules are simple: fake, clean, no feelings. 

But his steady hands, his too-close glances, and the way his book-loving daughter slips her fingers into mine make “pretend” feel like home.

If anyone finds out our relationship is fake, I won’t just lose the library. 

I’ll lose my second chance…and the one man I never meant to love.

Coming in Mid-March, 2026