The Bitter Season

She came back to save her grandmother's lodge. She didn't expect to save her heart.

Reese Holloway swore she'd never return to Cedarstone-the mountain town that holds her most painful memories and the man who shattered her heart eight years ago. But when her grandmother's beloved ski lodge faces foreclosure, Reese has six weeks to save it or lose her family's legacy forever.

The problem? The only contractor skilled enough to pull off a miracle renovation is Holden Winter-her first love, her biggest regret, and the last person she ever wanted to see again.

Holden has spent eight years building walls around his heart. He's sober, successful, and determined to keep his distance from the woman who left him at his lowest point. But when Reese walks back into his life with those determined eyes and impossible dreams, every carefully constructed defense begins to crumble.

Forced to work together, they can't ignore the chemistry that never died.

Late nights refinishing floors turn into stolen glances. Shared coffee becomes lingering touches. And when a winter storm traps them alone in the lodge, the truth they've been hiding for eight years finally explodes.

He never stopped loving her.
She never stopped needing him.
But can two broken people rebuild more than just a lodge?

In a race against time, impossible budgets, and their own traumatic past, Reese and Holden must decide: let fear win, or fight for the love they thought they'd lost forever.

Perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Lucy Score, and Colleen Hoover. A deeply emotional, slow-burn second chance romance with found family, small-town charm, and a swoon-worthy hero who'll make you believe in happily ever after.