Princess-marigold
Jordyn Harper has always lived on the quiet, working side of the island, raised by her mom, Denise, and her charismatic stepdad Marcus Harper, a well-connected local contractor who moves comfortably between working folks and the island's elite. Jordyn never belonged to either world fully - too sharp-eyed to be a Kook, too polished to be a true Pogue, and too loyal to her family to ever question the gaps in their stories.
But when her stepdad takes on a big renovation job near the wealthy Outer Banks estates, Jordyn crosses paths with JJ Maybank - the reckless, sunburnt troublemaker whose laugh is louder than the waves and whose bruises never quite fade. Their chemistry is instant, unexpected, and impossible to ignore. JJ calls her "princess" just to see her roll her eyes; she patches up his scraped knuckles and pretends she doesn't care as much as she does.
Everything changes the day Jordyn discovers the truth her mother buried: years ago, Denise and Big John had a secret relationship that ended abruptly - and Jordyn is the result. John B, the boy she's never met but whose name echoes through the island, isn't just another Pogue... he's her brother.
Now Jordyn is caught between worlds -
▫️ the family she grew up with,
▫️ the brother she never knew she had,
▫️ the treasure hunt she never asked to join, and
▫️ the boy she's falling for faster than she can stop.
With danger rising and long-buried lies unravelling, Jordyn must decide who she is, which family she belongs to, and whether love can survive the weight of the truth.
And in the Outer Banks, the truth always washes ashore.