Smalltownromance Stories

Eight years ago, Bailey ran from the small town that broke her heart. She left behind a love that once felt unbreakable, a boy who chose rumors over trust, and a town that turned its back on her when lies painted her as a sinner. Now she's back-pulled home by a will she never expected and a past she tried to forget. Ashton, the mayor's golden son, has moved on. He's successful. Respected. And engaged to the best friend who betrayed her. What no one knows is the secret Bailey carried with her when she left. A child. Ashton's child. In a town where gossip never dies and forgiveness comes at a cost, Bailey must face old wounds, buried truths, and the question she's been avoiding for years. Can first love survive betrayal... or is some damage permanent? Some love stories don't end...they wait.

Five years ago, Hudson Walker left without a goodbye. No calls. No letters. No explanation. He just disappeared, leaving Tully to pick up the pieces on the ranch they grew up on, the place where they were inseparable, where storms were chased and promises were made under open skies. Now he's back. Back with regret in his eyes, ghosts in his past, and a history neither of them knows how to talk about. Tully doesn't trust him. Hudson doesn't trust himself. And the space between them feels just as dangerous as the storms rolling in. But some bonds don't break cleanly. Between rain-soaked nights, stolen glances, and the quiet pull of everything they used to be, Tully and Hudson are forced to face the one question neither of them wants to ask: Can you fall in love again with the person who once shattered you?

[COMPLETED - Mercy Falls Book Two] Harper Ellis has spent her whole life being the safe one. The soft one. The girl with perfect flower arrangements and a perfectly guarded heart. She knows her place-on the sidelines, never the one anyone chooses. So when firefighter Noah Santiago-town golden boy and casual flirt-offers to be her fake date for a wedding where her ex is showing up engaged, Harper agrees... with rules. No touching. No feelings. No forgetting it's all pretend. But Noah's not pretending. And the closer they get, the harder it is for Harper to believe this isn't just another joke she's the punchline of.

Cliff McAden hasn't been home in four years, and wasn't expecting to meet a woman as gentle and quietly beautiful as Annie Edwards when he finally came back. It's hard for him to believe anyone could be interested in a scarred, disheartened man like him--and thanks to the secrets he's keeping, it's impossible for him to believe he deserves it. * * * * * Being an ugly duckling isn't easy, and Annie Edwards knows that firsthand. Thanks to her new job in Red View, she's finally moved away from her hyper-critical family and is getting the hang of adulthood--but love, the one thing she's always wanted, still escapes her. She doesn't expect to fall head over heels for her best friend's older brother, the mysterious musician who's been away from home for years, and has no idea how to handle her new feelings. Cliff McAden hasn't been home to McAden Orchard in four years, not since he left the country for the most important audition of his musical career and ended up in an accident that left him permanently marred. By the time he comes home for his sister's wedding, the scars that litter his face and body have healed--but the emotional wounds are as raw as ever. Spending time with the orchard's newest employee Annie is the only thing that soothes the pain, and he wants her more than he's wanted anything in a long time. But if the truth about his accident is revealed, he doesn't think anyone will want him to stick around.

She came to the mountains to escape her past. What she found was the life she never dared to dream. After years of surviving Wall Street's cutthroat demands and a relationship that dimmed her shine, Madeline Vale finally chooses herself. She walks away from the noise, the pressure, and the man who molded her into someone she no longer recognizes. Her destination? A quiet Alpine village tucked between the pines-where snow falls softly, strangers smile without wanting anything in return, and a small bookstore with warm lights in the window feels like a promise she's been waiting to keep. Here, Madeline discovers: • a community that sees her • a creative spark she thought she lost • a gentle, slow-burn connection she never expected • and the unfamiliar, breathtaking freedom of choosing her own life But healing is not a straight line. Doubts whisper. Old fears follow. And the question rises: Will she keep hiding in the shadows of who she used to be, or finally step into the light of a life-and a love-she deserves? The Love She Never Expected is a heartwarming tale of courage, quiet magic, second chances, and the beautiful transformation that begins when a woman listens to the truth inside her own chest.

Tropes: Second Chance Romance • Small Town • Secret Baby • Childhood Best Friends to Lovers • Slow Burn • Forced Separation • Miscommunication • Found Family • Emotional Angst • Quiet Devotion He let her believe she didn't matter-so she would leave. Indigo Hale and Jake Calder were supposed to escape Cedar Ridge together. Best friends turned first love. One scholarship. One truck. One last night before dawn. Jake never showed. Instead, he shattered her with words meant to hurt-because telling the truth would've made her stay. Indigo left anyway... and weeks later, discovered she was pregnant. Years pass. Cedar Ridge doesn't change. The ranch still stands. And Jake-older, quieter, bound by responsibility-never stopped carrying the weight of the choice that broke them both. When Indigo returns with a daughter who has Jake's face and none of his answers, the past refuses to stay buried. The town watches. Assumptions form. And love-unfinished, unhealed-demands to be faced. This isn't a story about forgiveness that comes easy. It's about love that survives silence. About fatherhood found, not claimed. And about the slow, aching truth that sometimes home is the one place you had to leave to understand.

A New Adult Coming-of-Age Romance. Finding Love. Finding Home. Finding Yourself. Love doesn't always point north-sometimes it points inward. At twenty-two, Eleanor "Nell" Brooks feels unmoored-finished with college, uncertain of her future, and quietly exhausted from living the life everyone else planned for her. When a fractured family tie and an unexpected opportunity pull her away from the city to a small coastal town she once swore she'd never return to, Nell hopes only for distance and clarity. Instead, she finds Cal Rowan-steady, intuitive, and rooted in a place she's still afraid to claim. As Nell rebuilds herself piece by piece, Cal challenges her to stay present, to stop running from who she's been and who she's becoming. Together, they navigate first real love, adult choices, grief, ambition, and the terrifying beauty of choosing a life on purpose. But when the road forward demands sacrifice, Nell must decide: follow the map she was given-or trust the compass of her heart.

When Clara Bennett returns to Fort Worth for what should be a short stay, she promises herself she won't get attached-to the city, to the memories, or to the man who never left. Fort Worth was supposed to be a chapter she had already closed. A place of unfinished dreams and quiet heartbreaks. Now, standing once again among the Stockyards, rodeo lights, and familiar streets filled with music and dust, Clara feels something stirring that she didn't expect: belonging. Ethan Cole has built his entire life on staying. A third-generation cowboy, he carries the weight of his family's ranch, the loyalty to his town, and a past that taught him one painful truth-leaving always costs more than staying. Reserved, grounded, and fiercely devoted to Fort Worth, Ethan has no intention of chasing dreams elsewhere... or falling for a woman who might walk away. As Clara's future pulls her in one direction and Ethan's roots hold him firmly in another, they find themselves caught between desire and reality. The closer they grow, the more inevitable the question becomes: What if love means staying-even when leaving feels safer? Under wide Texas skies, amid slow dances, shared silences, and choices that can't be undone, Clara and Ethan must decide whether home is a place... or a person. Sometimes, love isn't about where you go. It's about where you choose to stay.

She didn't come to Ashby Lake to rest. She came to remember who she was. Bunny Malone is running from burnout, grief, and a life that stopped feeling like hers. Ashby Lake was supposed to be temporary-a quiet place to breathe. Then there's Caleb Prescott. What unfolds is a slow, tender summer of shared moments, unexpected laughter, and a love that grows quietly... until it changes everything. Lakeweed is a cozy, emotionally rich romantic novella about new beginnings, courage, and falling in love when you're finally ready to feel again.

Diana always thought she belonged in the big city, a place where everything feels possible and every door seems to open just for her. Moving to the quiet village where her mother will take over her grandmother Alice's beloved bakery is far from the life she imagined. Jonas has always lived in Bentleaf, yet the emptiness left by a past accident has kept him distant from everyone. His focus is clear: finish school and escape to the big city to pursue his football career. Between the cosiness of Bentleaf and the opportunities of the city, would Diana and Jonas be able to meet in the middle or will the distance between them keep their worlds apart?

Liza Reyes is a no-nonsense astronomy tutor who lives by star charts and schedules - until she stumbles into Mama Celia's Café and runs into Nico Dela Cruz, a free-spirited graphic designer with ink-stained fingers and a passion for Filipino folk tales. When Nico reveals his dream to create a book blending modern astronomy with local myths, Liza sees an opportunity to share her love for the stars. What starts as late-night study sessions over ube cheese pandesal and hot coffee quickly turns into something more - as they discover that the same magic that lights up the night sky connects their hearts too. Set against the stunning backdrop of Luisiana, Laguna - from Sampaloc Lake to the slopes of Mount Banahaw - follow their journey as they learn that home isn't just a place, but a person who sees all your messy parts and still thinks you're magical. Can two people who see the world in different ways find their place in each other's universe?

A slow-burn second-chance romance about first love, heartbreak, and the secrets we keep to protect the ones we love.

"Why?" she asks. "Because if I'm struggling, it's human but if you are, it's sin?" Spin off of WAKE UP DEAD MAN

A young woman is caught in a love triangle between her crush, and his long lost, identical twin brother.

In Starling Bluff, lost things have a way of finding their way home. Hope West is used to being the one everyone relies on. At twenty-eight, she's balancing a quiet life in a small coastal town, caring for her aging father, running an online vintage shop, and keeping her magic...mostly under control. When a simple spell meant to help her father find his misplaced keys goes spectacularly wrong, Hope becomes an unexpected magnet for everything that's been lost...packages, pets, people, and unresolved feelings included. As chaos quietly unfolds around her, Hope finds herself drawn to Evan, a steady, kind firefighter who seems to appear exactly when she needs him most. But with magic misbehaving and Valentine's Day looming, Hope can't shake the fear that what's pulling him closer might not be real at all. My Spellbound Valentine is a cozy, magical love story about caretaking, trust, and learning the difference between what's found by force...and what chooses to stay. This is book one of the Starling Bluff series

Aaliyah Syed thought she had finally found love, until the man she trusted shattered everything-her marriage, her heart, and her future. Alone, humiliated, and carrying a secret that could change her life, she runs from the only home she's ever known. Nicolas Laurent is quiet, steady, and protective. A café owner in his family's hotel, he's used to keeping to himself-but a couple of months ago, his life was shaken in a way that still haunts him. When their paths cross, neither of them expects sparks... or the chance to heal. Can Aaliyah open her heart again, or has she already lost her chance at love? And can Nicolas heal from the pain that still lingers? [Rankings] #1 convert

Lily Foster's quaint flower shop is more than just a business-it's her grandmother's legacy. Jack Larson's sleek floral boutique across the street? That's her worst nightmare. When a high-profile wedding forces them to work together, their fierce rivalry turns into something neither of them expected. Between stolen customers, late-night brainstorming sessions, and one disastrous bouquet incident after another, sparks start flying in more ways than one. Can two sworn enemies create something beautiful together, or will their differences wilt whatever fragile feelings are blooming between them?

One week. One wedding. One more shot at forever. Claire Bennet left Siloam Springs nearly twenty years ago with big dreams and no intention of looking back. Now one of Dallas's top wedding planners, she's built a life around picture perfect celebrations, and walls high enough to keep love at a safe distance. But when a high profile wedding takes her back to her hometown, Claire's carefully planned week is thrown into chaos the second she steps onto Cedar Sky Ranch. That's when she comes face to face with Tyler Owens. Her first love. Her first heartbreak. The one man she's never quite been able to forget. Tyler traded the thrill of chasing storms for the steady rhythm of life on his family's struggling ranch. He's poured everything into keeping it afloat, and the last thing he expected was for the girl who once stole his heart to be the one who might help save it. With a wedding that could make or break the ranch's future, Claire and Tyler are forced to work side by side. As old memories spark and new feelings take root, they'll have to decide if this is just business or the beginning of the forever they've both been waiting for.

After a devastating injury, Jake returns home to rebuild his life, broken in more ways than one. When he reunites with Kaitlyn - the woman he never stopped loving - their connection reignites, but her violent husband stands in the way. Caught between the past and a future they desperately want, Jake and Kaitlyn must fight for their second chance... before it's too late. A story about love, survival, healing, and choosing each other - no matter what.

Scarlett Emerald Montgomery is just a typical seventeen year old with an ordinary life. Until one summer changes everything. Sent to spend the season with her grandmother in a town she expects to be boring, she arrives with low expectations and a packed return date. But the tables slowly turn, and luck seems to find her when she least expects it. In a place where days feel warmer and time moves differently, Scarlett finds herself caught between who she was before and who she is becoming. Laughter lingers longer, moments feel heavier, and feelings arrive without asking. And then there is him. The boy who makes a hopeless romantic believe again, who invites her to accept romantic love for the first time. What once felt like someone else's movie suddenly becomes her own. Some summers change nothing. Others leave a mark you carry long after the season ends. The question is, will she leave with just memories, or with a part of herself she never meant to give away? ⚠️DO NOT COPY MY WORK!!!⚠️