THE INN AT MAGNOLIA BAY

When celebrity chef Harper Monroe inherits her grandmother’s crumbling coastal inn, she has six weeks to save it or lose everything—and the contractor hired to fix it is Cole Brennan, the single dad she kissed at prom sixteen years ago before leaving town without explanation.

Harper doesn’t do small towns anymore. She chose a Michelin star over the boy who loved her. But her grandmother’s will forces her back to Magnolia Bay for six weeks, her Manhattan restaurant is failing, and she’s out of options.

Cole has spent twelve years building a life without Harper. He’s got his twin daughters, his business, and a town that didn’t abandon him. He doesn’t need the girl who shattered him reminding him of what they lost. The problem? Six weeks. Daily renovations. His daughters falling for her. Late-night conversations where neither can pretend the feelings died.

Harper’s grandmother left letters hidden throughout the inn, each one saying “that boy is your person—don’t let him go twice.” When Harper’s partner demands she return to New York immediately or lose her restaurant, she packs her bags. She drives to the airport. Sits at the gate reading those letters. And realizes she doesn’t want New York. She wants Cole, the daughters who need her, the messy beautiful life she’s been too scared to choose.

She doesn’t board the plane. She drives back. She stands up at the town council meeting and publicly rejects a million-dollar developer offer to keep the inn and stay forever. Cole kisses her in front of the whole town. Six months later they’re engaged. The twins call her Mom. And home isn’t a place anymore—it’s them.

TROPES:
• Second Chance Romance
• Forced Proximity 
• Single Dad Hero (Twin Daughters)
• Small Town
• Inheritance with Strings
• Found Family
• Grandmother’s Matchmaking from Beyond
• The One That Got Away
• Chef Heroine
• Contractor Hero

HEAT LEVEL: Sweet / Fade to Black