In the small town of Liberty Rose, where life is steeped in tradition and secrets are as sweet as the tea served at the Sit-N-Spill, Annie Faye Carter has always been guarded. As the proud owner of the family-owned tea bar, Annie has learned that trust is a luxury she can't afford-especially when it comes to the local city council.
When Councilman Davis and his ambitious colleagues set their sights on Annie's family land for a new development project, Annie finds herself in a fight to protect her legacy. But the odds are stacked against her, and it seems as though every road leads to the same sinister truth: her town's leadership is corrupted, and they're willing to do anything to get what they want.
Enter Kane Mercer, a lawyer with his own reasons for standing against the system. A native of a nearby town, Kane has seen the damage that unchecked power can do. Reluctantly, Annie turns to him for help, and together they uncover a far-reaching conspiracy involving corrupt politicians, ruthless developers, and shadowy corporations-forces far more dangerous than they ever anticipated.
As the two work side-by-side, the tension between them shifts from professional to something more-something neither expected. Their growing connection becomes a source of strength, but also a reminder of how much is at stake. The danger surrounding them intensifies with break-ins, anonymous warnings, and an ever-present threat to everything Annie holds dear. But the closer they grow, the harder it becomes to keep their feelings buried.
With the stakes rising and time running out, Annie and Kane must navigate a town divided, confront old fears, and uncover the truth before the council's plans tear everything they love apart-while learning how much they mean to each other in the process.
[2021 Wattys Shortlist]
Monica Kelly returns to her hometown years after abandoning it, only to bump into and befriend Liam Belkin-who, despite his walls and issues, cannot help but draw himself closer to someone he can't have.
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After being screwed over too many times, Monica Kelly ran from her hometown as soon as she graduated high school, leaving her brother and former life behind. But it isn't until four years later when she returns, and in need of money and a distraction, she gets a job at the local diner. She swears this isn't a forever thing-when the summer is done, she'll go get her masters and become somebody, far away from the people who screwed her over.
But when Liam Belkin, the towns residential brooding man who hides behind a baseball cap, steps into the diner every night, she finds herself breaking down her one rule: don't get close to anyone. And although he doesn't talk, or even smile for that matter, he finds himself doing so every time Monica is around.
But when two people with broken pasts come together, there's no telling if two wrongs can make a right-especially when betrayal is right around the corner.