radiantbookworm
At twenty-six, Emilia has perfected the art of keeping people at a distance. A talented documentary photographer with a sharp tongue and an even sharper wit, she's built a quiet life behind the safety of her camera-one where nobody gets close enough to leave, disappoint, or hurt her again. After escaping an abusive relationship, she's convinced herself that independence is the same thing as healing.
Then she backs her car into Rowan Hale's truck.
Rowan, thirty-six, is an architect known for restoring forgotten places. Fresh off a painful divorce he still blames himself for, he's spent years burying himself in work, convinced that love is something people eventually grow out of. He has no interest in another relationship-especially not with the stubborn, infuriating woman who seems determined to argue with him over everything.
But fate-and a historic restoration project-keep throwing them together.
What begins as sarcastic banter and reluctant friendship quickly turns into something neither of them expected. As walls come down and feelings grow, Emilia is forced to confront a past she's spent years outrunning, while Rowan learns that not everything broken can be fixed with enough effort.
Because love isn't always about finding the right person.
Sometimes it's about becoming someone brave enough to let another person stay.