[2025 Wattys Shortlist] After getting cut off by her wealthy, business-obsessed parents, Emily Grayson finds herself broke, stranded in a small town, and working at a boba café, something she never imagined in her wildest dreams. Her first days on the job are a disaster, her patience (and Jake Sherlind's) running thinner than the tapioca pearls she keeps burning. Jake, the charming yet hardworking guy with big dreams, has no patience for entitled rich girls who don't know how to hold a job. But when Emily starts proving him wrong, their tension brews into something neither of them expected. Between spilled drinks, late-night confessions, and an orange stray cat that won't leave the back door, Emily begins to wonder... maybe losing everything was exactly what she needed to find herself. A small-town rom-com about growth, second chances, and love that's better steeped with time.

#1 Teen Fiction | #1 Young Adult Unwelcoming teammates. A more-than-friendly swim coach. A swim captain who wants her off the team before she even starts. Who said senior year was going to be easy? ** Cover By kimberly_white101** © 2017 by LaurenJ22. All rights reserved.

[Slow Brew Series 1 of 2] [Completed] Look, I didn't mean to embarrass myself the first time I walked into Brewing Grounds. Or the second. Or...every other time since. But something about the place-and the barista with the messy ponytail and the glasses that she pushes up her nose-makes me forget how to form actual sentences. Bea. Her name's Bea. She spelled mine wrong on my cup the first day (Ell-yot Hayul), and now I'm kind of obsessed. Not with her. With medium lattes. With her handwriting. With the little hearts she scribbles on my cups. Okay... maybe a little bit with her. The point is: I'm a walking disaster around her, and I'm pretty sure she knows it. And okay, maybe I started showing up every morning at exactly 7:30 just to see her. And maybe I've been reading up on how to flirt because I thought that might help (it hasn't). But honestly, what's the worst that could happen? I embarrass myself again? (Already done that.) Spill coffee on my tie? (Happened last week.) Accidentally fall in love with the barista who writes flirty notes on my coffee cups? Oh, wait... [1 of 2: Slow Brew Series] Dual POV | Romantic Comedy | Coffee Shop Romance | Slice of Life 18+ for suggestive dialogue, some steam (nothing too explicit) 🏆 1st Place - Pimp My Romance Awards 2025 🏆 1st Place - Pink Watty's pINKspire Awards 2025 "Best Dialogue" 🏆 The Nano Watt 2025 - Contemporary Romance Winner 🏆 Wattys 2025 Winner 🏆 Ambys 2025 Grand Favorite