Falling for Pennington

She came to Pennington Gap to start over-until one man made her want to risk her heart again.
Sadie is fresh off a betrayal she never saw coming, and the only thing she wants is distance-distance from the memories, the questions, and the life she thought she had mapped out. So, she escapes to her grandmother's small mountain town of Pennington Gap, Virginia, determined to spend the summer healing in peace.
But Pennington Gap has a way of softening even the sharpest edges-through porch-swing sunsets, backroad adventures, and Elijah Meyers. Quiet, steady, and impossible to ignore, Elijah makes Sadie feel safe enough to laugh again...then brave enough to want more. And with his best friend Danny always nearby-equal parts charm and trouble-Sadie learns quickly that in a small town; love doesn't come without witnesses.
As Sadie and Elijah grow closer, the chemistry between them turns into something that feels dangerously real-like it could change the shape of her life if she lets it. But just when she starts to believe in second chances, little moments begin to feel...off. A sense of being watched. A whisper of unease that follows her home. The kind of attention that doesn't feel like small-town curiosity.
Now Sadie must decide what she's willing to risk for love: the safety of staying guarded, or the wild, hopeful possibility of trusting again. Because in Pennington Gap, hearts don't break quietly-and when desire turns to devotion, not everyone knows where the line is.
Small-town romance • Starting over • Protective hero • Slow-burn heat • Romantic suspense