The Summer We Came Back

At twenty-nine, Lina never expected to return to Seabrook. Eight years ago, she fled the sleepy coastal town before sunrise with two duffel bags, a broken heart, and a vow to never look back. But when her beloved grandmother passes away, leaving Lina a half-share of her historic beach cottage, she has no choice but to face her past.

She just didn't expect her past to be waiting on the front porch.

Noah Mercer hasn't forgotten the girl who vanished without a goodbye. He's spent nearly a decade building a quiet life as a local contractor, pouring his energy into fixing things that are broken. When he discovers he's been left the other half of the cottage, he has no intention of walking away from the only place that ever felt like home—even if it means sharing microscopic square footage with the woman who shattered him.

Trapped together in a house falling apart at the seams, the rules are simple: renovate the cottage, split the profits, and stay out of each other's way.

But as the heavy July heat settles over the coast, the thick tension between them begins to shift. Old secrets unravel, accidental brushes in the tiny kitchen feel like lightning strikes, and Lina realizes Noah is still the only person who truly sees her.

They promised each other they were done. But in a town where nothing changes, can a summer of forced proximity prove that some loves are built to last?