beautyisgold
Thandiwe "Taylie" Ndlovu has always poured her heart into her music, but never into a person. After moving from South Africa to Los Angeles at fifteen, she learned to keep her world small and her walls high, especially after a breakup that left her convinced love was more noise than harmony.
Then she meets Austin Reaves, Lakers fan-favorite, secretly shy sweetheart, and the last person she expects to rewrite the rhythm of her life. With his soft Arkansas twang, crooked smile, and the world's worst attempt at singing her favorite songs, he slips into her days and late-night video calls in a way she never saw coming.
What starts as playful texts, accidental chemistry, and "just getting to know each other" turns into a connection that feels gentle, real, and terrifyingly sweet. While Austin is on the road, Taylie finds herself watching games just to see him smile on the court. And Austin, well, he starts planning his day around hearing her laugh.
As their slow burn deepens into something warm and bright, Taylie must decide whether she's ready to trust someone with her heart again...
And Austin has to prove that he's not a rebound, he's the real thing.
Book 2.