Fresh Start

Claire Parker didn't move to a new city for love. She moved for a fresh start.

A twenty-something, armed with a brand-new job and a carefully packed life, Claire is determined to prove she can stand on her own. New apartment. New career. New rules. Falling for the guy next door is not one of them.

Especially when that guy is Aiden Fox.

Aiden is tall, gorgeous, and infuriatingly rude. He blasts music through the wall, and seems to have mastered the art of emotional unavailability.

But thin walls have a way of blurring first impressions. What starts as mutual annoyance turns into late-night conversations, unexpected laughter, and a friendship neither of them saw coming. Beneath Aiden's exterior is a man still bruised by past heartbreak, one who keeps love at arm's length, even as he's drawn closer to Claire with every shared moment.

As attraction deepens and defenses fall, Claire must decide if she's ready to risk her heart again in a city that already feels uncertain, and Aiden must choose whether running from love is safer than finally letting it in.

Because sometimes, the fresh start you're looking for lives right next door.

Note: This is Book #2 in the Next Chapter series, but can read as a standalone story. Book #1 is titled Second Wind and is about Claire's mother.