She came to Sweetfern Hollow for a fresh start. What she found was a grumpy handyman with muscles, secrets… and the only set of tools in town. When Lena Rhodes walks away from her toxic ex and buys a crumbling Victorian, she’s convinced independence will finally feel like freedom. But the house has a mind of its own—flickering lights, busted locks, shadows that don’t make sense. Enter Gideon Blake. Broody, scarred, and very much not a people person. He fixes what’s broken with his hands, but he keeps his heart locked up tighter than her faulty attic door. The problem? Sparks fly every time they’re in the same room. Banter turns into stolen touches. Fixing the house turns into fixing each other. And the more she learns about Gideon, the harder it is to pretend she doesn’t want him. But in a small town full of whispers—and with Lena’s past closing in—trusting him might be the riskiest thing she’s ever done. Because some cracks can’t be patched, and some walls are hiding more than secrets. A small-town, slow-burn romance with spice, banter, and a swoony grump who knows exactly how to use his hands.