[BEING PUBLISHED BY FRAYED PAGES X WATTPAD BOOKS IN 2026] [WATTYS 2018 WINNER - THE HEARTBREAKERS] They say "the cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea..." Natalie doesn't believe it. In fact, Natalie doesn't believe in much. Not until Brooklyn gives her something to believe in. [extended summary inside] [#1 in chicklit, new adult, realistic fiction, recovery, & addiction] Copyright 2018-2025 | Taylor Romagnoli [moonraess]

When a teenage boy moves into town, he unwittingly stumbles into something far bigger than he'd ever imagined. Little does he know that his return has brought with him quite a few skeletons in his closet, along with the phantoms of a past long forgotten. What awaits this young man? That is something that only time will tell... "Beware the hand which fate hath dealt, for it is not without its trials."

When Everly Reed collides with the cynical and devilishly handsome Mason Valdez, she knows trouble is ahead, but she never could have guessed how much she would be drawn to the storm. ***** Nineteen-year-old Ever Reed likes when things make sense. Which is probably why she excels at math, enough to secure her a spot at an Ivy League school out of state. Sheltered by her mother and older brother Asher for most of her life, Ever hasn't experienced much of the world, but she knows New York will be an adventure. Enter Mason Valdez: cynical, arrogant, and undeniably attractive-exactly what Ever doesn't need. But as their paths keep crossing, Ever finds herself intrigued by Mason, and eager to know the boy behind the bitter mask. As secrets, scars, and painful pasts rise to the surface, Ever knows one thing for sure: they can only make it through if they face their storms together. [[word count: 150,000 - 200,000]] Cover designed by Frances Louise De Ramos Spinoff to The Hoodie Girl Book One of the A Thousand Storms series [[The Fiction Awards 2018 Best Overall Story and Best Romance Winner]] Content/trigger warning: This story mentions sexual assault and childhood abuse