Release Date: April 25, 2024

Genre: Steamy Contemporary Romance

Tropes: small-town romance, second chance, forced proximity, bodyguard hero

How could Dolan’s stupid wink and a barely-there smile send such a scorching blaze through her?

It’s Claire Rayhill’s turn. All her siblings have found true love in Maplehaven. Clearly, she’s next. She’s been on a ton of dates since moving to small-town Vermont, but those guys haven’t given her that forever vibe. None of them have made her feel like she did six years ago on her one and only night with Dolan Fairmont. Her brother’s sexy bodyguard shifted her world right off its axis. Then he left. Claire has been spinning ever since, but she’s determined to find a nice guy who wants to make a home with her.

Until Dolan returns with the brick walls around his heart higher than ever. The mere sight of him has insults flying out of Claire’s mouth every time they are in each other’s company. Which is far too often. His singular focus on his job pisses her off, but the way he tracks her with those serious gray-blue eyes does something else entirely.

Dolan isn’t sure his brick walls will hold now that he’s back in Claire’s orbit. The sass that comes out of her mouth doesn’t affect him half as much as what that same mouth did to him six years ago. He’s never forgotten the power of her kiss or the fire of her touch, but his line of work is risky. He knows all too well that putting people he loves in danger is always a mistake. Better to not have Claire at all than to lose her.

When Dolan gets hurt, however, Claire surprises them both by volunteering to help. Will she regret that good deed? Will he?

Is one kind home enough to tear down all the walls around their fragile hearts?

One Kind Home is a second-chance, forced-proximity, small-town, contemporary romance with a bodyguard hero and a boudoir photography stylist who might just be picture perfect together.

First Chapter Peek here: https://christinedepetrillo.weebly.com/first-chapter-peeks.html

Excerpt

Of all the ways she’d pictured spending her thirtieth birthday night, alone hadn’t been one of them.

Well, she hadn’t been completely alone actually. At around 2:00 a.m., a noise outside had made her crawl out of bed. She’d shuffled to the sliding doors that opened to a small deck off the back of the cottage. After turning on the floodlight back there, she’d been greeted by a fox. One with the tip of its left ear missing. It had apparently knocked over a pot of mums she had on a low garden table. Oddly, it hadn’t run off when it noticed her watching. Instead, the fox hopped up onto an Adirondack chair and settled into a tight circle, cat-like, on the flowered seat cushion.

Quietly, Claire had opened the door and slipped outside to sit in the other chair. She sat with the fox for about twenty minutes, the September night air cool, but cleansing somehow. When she’d bought the pair of Adirondack chairs, she’d pictured one for the soul mate she was sure to find soon. Sitting there with a wild fox instead seemed silly, but the critter wasn’t half-bad company.

Rubbing her eyes now and focusing back on the ceiling, Claire wondered if that fox was free tonight. Maybe if she kissed him, he’d turn into a prince or something.

About the Author

Christine DePetrillo can often be found hugging trees, conversing with dragonflies, and walking barefoot through sun-warmed soil. She finds joy in listening to the wind, bathing in moonlight, and breathing in the fragrances of things that bloom. If she had her way, the sky would be the only roof over her head.

Her love of nature seeps into every story she tells. As does her obsession with bearded mountain men who build, often smell like sawdust, and know how to cherish the women they love. Today she writes tales meant to make you laugh, maybe make you sweat, and definitely make you believe in the power of love.

She lives in Vermont with her husband and many woodland creatures who defend her fiercely from all evils.

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