It’s Release Day! The Spy Keeper of Marseille

It’s Release Day! The Spy Keeper of Marseille

by | Jul 7, 2026 | Announcements, Book News, Books, Fantasy

Welcome to the Launch Day Celebration
for The Spy Keeper of Marseille!

Squeeee! It’s release day for this beautiful book, my second World War 2 historical romance!

This story is super special…because it’s based on a true story. I took some liberties, of course, fictionalizing the love story and compressing some things for the sake of a coherent novel–and mashing a bunch of historical figures into just a few characters. You’re welcome. 😉

But this is the story of an unsung heroine who changed the tide of the war. The female head of France’s largest intelligence network, Alliance. I mean, did you even know that a WOMAN was in charge of France’s biggest intelligence group? I didn’t, until I began the research for The Collector of Burned Books, and as soon as I learned about the historic Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, I knew I wanted to tell a version of her story.

My heroine is Zelie Bellarose, a widow, mother of two small children, and not convinced that she’s the “man for the job” when the founder of Alliance hands her the reins and then is arrested. But she steps up, because she wants her kids to grow up in a free France. She uses the gifts God has given her–a sharp mind, a commanding personality, and a beautiful face–to do the job. And when people continually underestimate her? Well, she uses that too.

Then there’s my heart-throb hero, Marcel Laurent. A concert pianist, a POW who returns to Paris in a prisoner exchange…and soon realized his release was arranged so that he could join Alliance as their laision to the arts sector. Because you see, Alliance wasn’t filled with trained spies. They were filled with ordinary people going about their daily lives…but with eyes and ears open. Ordinary people who passed along everything they saw or heard that had to do with the German military. And those in the arts were brushing elbows with them constantly. Marcel is also tagged to conduct a Youth Orchestra, which will allow him to travel freely all over the country…and use their weekly radio transmissions to send coded messages to the Allies.

Music has always spoken to Zelie’s soul…but she’s determined that Marcel won’t. Even if he seems to see in her what no one else does.

Marcel knows that loving Zelie is like chasing a shooting star–he could never catch her, and if he did, he’d be burned. But he can’t stop chasing, can’t stop hoping, can’t stop loving her for the flash of light she is in the darkness.

The music of The Spy Keeper of Marseille

With a professional musicial as a hero, OF COURSE we have lots of music mentioned in the book. In fact, music becomes a bit of a love letter from Marcel to Zelie, part of the language they speak with each other. And you can listen along! The Spy Keeper of Marseille’s playlist is available on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music. Click the links below to go straight to the platform of your choice.

YouTube
Spotify
Apple Music

What Early Readers Are Saying

September, Goodsreads Reviewer

This book is a great mix of romance and twists and turns you will not expect. It kept me on my seat until the very end!

Kaetrianne R.

The Spy Keeper of Marseille was, once again, a five-star read by Roseanne M. White. Her novels always blow me out of the water as she manages to mix heartfelt faith, interesting characters, spellbinding plots and sweet romance like only her novels can.

Ashli R.

With suspense, rich historical detail, and characters who stay with you long after the final page, this is an outstanding and deeply moving read for fans of Resistance stories and powerful women in history.

Alyssa M.

There is so much redemption and forgiveness and faith woven into these pages. It’s hard to put down with characters that become like friends. It will also change how you think about certain things in the best ways. Add The Spy Keeper of Marseille to your TBR immediately. It’s truly exceptional WWII fiction.

Exciting and romantic! With a strong baseline of little-known history, a sweet melody for Marcel and Zelie’s building love, the rich harmony of Zelie’s personal growth, and jarring notes of danger and betrayal, The Sky Keeper of Marseille thrills. Roseanna M. White has written another stellar World War II novel.

Sarah Sundin

Bestselling, Christy Award-winning author of Mists over the Channel Islands

Rich with tension and tenderness, The Spy Keeper of Marseille captures the quiet ferocity of a woman and mother who lives out the dangerous beauty of doing what’s right–even when it could cost her everythin. Roseanna M. White delivers a story as brave as its heroine, proving that love and courage can change the course of history.

Jaynre Tromp

Bestselling author of Darkness Calls the Tiger

The Spy Keeper of Marseille

In occupied France, a woman becomes a spy for the Resistance and rises to lead the largest intelligence operation in the country in this propulsive new World War II historical novel by bestselling author Roseanna M. White.

Marseille, France, 1941. Zelie Bellerose never fit the mold of an army officer’s wife. She was too passionate in her convictions, too indifferent to societal expectations. After her husband is killed in the war, Zelie focuses on securing a brighter future for her children, hoping to help free her country from the Nazi regime by joining the Resistance. She is soon one of the most trusted operatives in Alliance, and when their leader is imprisoned, she takes command, hiding her identity from all but a few. With enemies closing in, Zelie must earn the trust of her network and prove herself to those who doubt a woman’s place at the helm of France’s largest spy ring.

Marcel Laurent was a renowned concert pianist before joining the French army and being sent to a POW camp. Freed in a prisoner exchange by a wealthy businessman with ties to the Resistance, Marcel agrees to spy for Alliance by conducting a youth orchestra, gathering intelligence from patrons who are loose-lipped Nazi sympathizers. Marcel’s weekly radio broadcasts introducing the orchestra’s performances give him the perfect cover to send coded messages over the airwaves.

As Zelie and Marcel grow closer through their shared love of music, she begins to rely on him. But betrayal from within Alliance puts everything they’ve fought for at risk. When a double agent infiltrates their ranks and the two are captured, their bond faces its greatest test . . . and any misstep could jeopardize not only Alliance but the very outcome of the war.

 

Giveaway

Title Reveal!

Title Reveal!

by | Jul 2, 2026 | Books, Thoughtful Thursdays

Okay, I’ve never actually done a title reveal before…because usually I just talk about the books I’m writing, and I often just use the title as it ends up.

For my next World War 2 historical romance, which will come out in July of 2027, I’d been calling it The Memory of Freedom. I knew it was likely to change, though. It didn’t quite fit the others I’ve done with Tyndale, and I couldn’t for the life of me come up with something better. 

If you read my newsletters, however, you might remember me talking about it as I was writing. About how I structured this one a little differently, with scenes every few chapters from later in the war, when the heroine is in a concentration camp. In fact, the first chapter begins with her intake at Ravensbruck. So we know from the start where she ends up–and we see both how she got there and what shaped her into the person who becomes a leader, an inspiration, in the camp.

Don’t worry! As always, this book has a happy ending, I promise! 😉 And also as always, this “war book” has very little actual war in it, LOL. My reader friends and I were just talking about this recently.

So here’s the character board I was using for inspiration as I wrote the story–I’d already shared it in a newsletter, but if you haven’t seen it yet…

Amalie is my heroine, and I just LOVE the contrast of those two photos–Amalie chic and soft and happy in Paris when the story begins in 1943. And then Amalie bold and brave and defiant in Ravensbruck in 1944. Same girl, same war. And yet what a change.

Amalie, you see, is a translator. She’s also a spy–gathering intelligence from the German military men she meets through her job with the French Industrialists Syndicate. And what sets her apart is that she has perfect recall. Everything she sees. Everything she hears. Everything she’s ever done is filed away in her mind. My Amalie is based on a real person who did the very things I wrote about, and it’s her adventures I’m telling here through my fictional lens.

Jules, my hero, is also based on a real person. He and Amalie went to university together, fell out of touch, and then ran into each other on a train…where he recruited her into his intelligence work.

The other characters you see pictured here are Yves (pronounced Eve, but a traditional male name in French) and Rosette–also university chums; Trudie, the daughter of a German officer with whom Amalie becomes friends; and Helene, a comtesse whose mansion is a safe house for Jules’s intelligence cell, called the Druids.

My editor and I threw out ALL SORTS of words and images to try to find the perfect title for this one. Here are a few of our suggestions:

  • Call
  • Call Sign
  • Sparrow
  • Remembrance
  • Informant
  • Agent
  • Operative
  • Operation
  • Translator
  • Pact
  • Project
  • Network
  • Target
  • Agency
  • Undercover
  • Bureau
  • Radar
  • Waves
  • Transmission
  • Equation
  • Science
  • Formula
  • League
  • Baltic Islands
  • Enemy Shores

So…are you ready to see what we decided on? I love it! Here it is!

The Translator’s War.

I love the simplicity of it. The to-the-point-ness. And it’s a perfect match to what the story is really about. Amalie was determined to use her skills with language to make a difference in the war. She sought out opportunities to help, refused to accept this was France’s future, and deliberately tossed herself “into the lion’s den,” as the real woman, Jeannie Rousseau, put it. This is one of those stories that it was an honor to tell, and I am so excited to see it come to life over the next year!

I just turned in my cover questionnaire for it, so I’ll have that to show you in a few months. For now…I’m so excited to have the title set and hope you love it just as much as I do!

Fathomed Cover Reveal!

Fathomed Cover Reveal!

by | Jun 25, 2026 | Cover Designs, Fantasy, Thoughtful Thursdays

It’s cover reveal time!

Now, I know my usual cover reveals lately have been rather involved, as I share about the characters and show you some of the images I’ve generated.

This one is a bit different…because I’ve already shown you all the characters, LOL. This is for Fathomed, which is the compilation of my three Awakened bonus-stories. (I call them novellas, but Consecrated is actually too long to be a novella…it’s a short novel.) So you’ve already met:

Brenn

Electra

Luciana

And we’ve also already seen the awesome illustrated covers for each that my daughter, Xoe, created for them–which I LOVE!!

Brenn

Electra

Luciana

Now I adore this artwork and love my daughter’s style for these shorter books…but her style is different from the style of Caroline, who does the character art for my full-length books in the series. As I was debating what to do for the compilation cover, I decided that since this book would be in print, it needed to look like the other books in the series stylistically, so that when they’re all together on a shelf, they look like a set. So I reached out to Caroline to say, “Hey, um…can I have you do another illustration super quick?” And Caroline, lovely friend that she is, said, “Of course!”

So we got going. =)

This time, we did things a bit differently. Before, she did the character art first and then I found/created a background to go with it. But this time, I’d already been playing around with images (trying to create this cover without imposing on her for another illustration at the end of the school year, when I knew things were crazy for her) and had a background I already liked:

So I sent this to Caroline, and she said it was SO NICE to have the background–it allowed her to scale and position the character to fit it. So that’s what we’ll be doing from now on, for sure! We tried a couple different positions, because I thought I knew what I wanted…but ended up liking another she tried better.

What I thought I wanted…

What we both liked far better…

So Caroline got to work making that sketch into a full character design. She first played with (again) the colors I told her  I wanted…

Which is GORGEOUS. I would have been totally content with that. But then Caroline texted one day to say, “What about a pearl overlay over her top?” She sent as an example these stunning bridal tops from Catherine Dean.

How was I supposed to say no to THAT?? Soooooo pretty! So of course, I said, “YES, let’s try that!!”

The results were stunning. We debated whether to do the pink tail with it but ultimately decided to stick with the color scheme from the stories and went with a pebbled ray-skin in more muted colors. Which gave us our final illustration! I had only to put the text on, and voila!

So here it is–the cover of Fathomed: The Awakened Mer Novellas.

Isn’t she pretty?? And just look at how beautiful the series is together!

Here’s the official back cover copy for the compilation:

Power flows beneath the surface of the deep…but so do the secrets that could undo it.

In the waters of the Atla and Calm Water mer, magic is both a gift and a burden—binding rulers to duty, testing loyalties, and demanding sacrifices that echo across generations. From a princess on the brink of a crown she never wanted, to a queen who has borne its weight for nearly a century, to a distant kingdom where ancient laws threaten to destroy everything they were meant to protect, these three stories reveal a different thread in the fragile tapestry of the Awakened world.

Because beneath the surface, love, faith, and destiny are always at war with the cost of power.

CAPTIVATED

Brenn has spent her life dreading the crown—and the responsibility it demands. But when her father’s failing health makes her ascension inevitable, she seeks guidance from the one ruler she trusts: her cousin beneath the sea. Instead, she finds a kingdom on the brink of rebellion…and the one man she has never been able to forget. Atlas chose the mer over her years ago, and now he may be the only one who can help her survive long enough to claim a throne she never wanted.

CELEBRATED

For nearly a century, Queen Electra has led her people with strength and faith—but even the strongest rulers cannot escape loneliness. Each year at Holytide, she allows herself one night to remember joy…one night with the man she should never have loved. But when strangers arrive from distant waters with an offer that could reshape their world, the fragile balance she has fought to maintain begins to shift—and the past she thought she understood may no longer hold true.

CONSECRATED

In Soltierra, Crown Princess Luciana is slowly giving her life to sustain her kingdom—while her sister refuses to accept that such a sacrifice is necessary. Far beyond the desert, King Koa of the Calm Water Mer faces a different crisis as his people’s magic begins to fail. When land and sea come together in search of answers, both must confront a truth they have long avoided: the laws meant to preserve their world may be the very thing destroying it.

Here’s what the full cover will look like too. My new gauge for deciding if these covers are done is if looking at them just brings me joy–and this one definitely does. I love the colors!

This print compilation will be coming this summer…we need to see when the printer can squeeze us in, and then we’ll be creating a printed-edge design! You can, of course, go ahead and pre-order the paperback now, and they’ll ship as soon as we have them in hand!

Pre-Order Now
Cover Reveal of The Christmas Courier

Cover Reveal of The Christmas Courier

by | Jun 4, 2026 | Announcements, Book News, Books, Cover Designs

It’s Time!

For Another Cover Reveal!!

Okay, so…this cover’s actually already out there, LOL. There was a bit of an issue nailing down the rights for the model image (it all turned out nicely!) that put everything behind a bit, and Tyndale had to then rush to get the final version submitted everywhere. But that’s okay. We’re going to pretend this is a reveal as usual, on the assumption that you weren’t haunting Amazon just waiting for it to show up, LOL. And it’s SUCH a great cover!!

This is, of course, for this year’s Christmas novella, set in Lyon, France of 1943. It’s inspired by a true story, which makes it extra fun. But for now, let’s get to know my fictional version.

You’re going to love the undaunted

Madeleine Perrin

Madeleine is a history teacher. She’s a courier for the Resistance. And she is going to make you laugh when she just says things that most people wouldn’t dare to say. And this woman isn’t about to let the Nazis take any more from her–they already killed her father in a raid-gone-wrong, and she hasn’t seen her best friend, Daniel, since. But when Daniel shows up injured, days before Christmas, ready to make things right…well.

Nothing is going to steal her chance of happily-ever-after. 

A Resistance agent with a secret…

Daniel Raymond

Daniel Raymond’s very existance in France is illegal, given that his mother is Jewish. But he’s been hiding in plain sight, careful to avoid the old neighborhood where people would recognize him and know that his mother was Jewish. He’s still working…and very much involved in Lyon’s flourishing Resistance. Which is how he came by an injury that’s gotten infected and needs attention. That’s what draws him back to the Perrin door a few days before Christmas. He doesn’t intend to see Madeleine while he’s there–there’s no way she could have forgiven him for the raid the took her father’s life, the raid surely looking for him.

But then, Mado has never done the expected thing.

An evocative setting

Lyon, 1943

Lyon was a hotbed of Resistance activity in large part because of its unique history and architecture. A silk city in centuries past, it has a fascinating system of interior corridors, walkways, and hidden staircases designed to help people transport bolts of silk from one part of the city to another without having to go out on dirty streets. Called traboules, these warrens are well known by natives but impossible for foreigners to navigate…which made them the PERFECT paths for Resistance agents. And of course, they play a key role in my story!

A festive

World War II Romance

With themes of Advent and Christmas and the Light coming into a world of darkness, The Christmas Courier will light a spark of hope and have you cheering for these indomitable heroes.

Ready? Here it is!
The cover of The Christmas Courier!

What do you think??

I absolutely love it! First, it’s got a small nativity, and the creche plays a vital thematic role in the story. Second, Madeleine is wearing a green sweater. Which I know they did solely because it was festive, but guys. She has hazel eyes, and she wears a green sweater in the book that Daniel always called her “magic” sweater because it makes her eyes look green. So when they showed me this, my first thought was, “She’s wearing her magic sweater!” LOL

I also ADORE this font! It’s so classic but also festive! And the hint of Lyon out the window?? Perfection. I also love the little bit of glitter they put over it.

Pre-Order Now!

The Official Description

1943. Lyon, France. After bidding her students farewell for the holidays, Madeleine Perrin is looking forward to a quiet, simple Christmas at home with her mother. With the war raging on and rations tight, she knows it will be up to her to make the day festive and find special ways to remember the papa she lost and honor his love for Christmas. But first, Madeleine must smuggle secret messages hidden in her students’ essays to the Resistance network. She never expects the person waiting to receive them is her childhood best friend, the man who broke her heart.

Daniel Raymond has thrown himself into his work as courier for the Resistance, carefully concealing his Jewish ancestry that, if discovered by the Nazis, could put his life at risk. Haunted by regret about the day Madeleine professed her love and he turned her away, Daniel longs to make things right. When he sees her again, he dares to hope for reconciliation―and realizes the love he once denied has only grown deeper.

As Christmas nears and Daniel recovers from a wound sustained in a courier run, forgiveness and romance soon blossom between Daniel and Madeleine and the two begin planning a future together. But when a mission goes wrong and Daniel is captured by the Gestapo, Madeleine must turn to her Resistance allies―and a centuries-old law―to attempt a dangerous rescue before it’s too late.

Cover Reveal of The Christmas Courier

Cover Reveal of Consecrated

by | Apr 16, 2026 | Announcements, Book News, Books, Cover Designs, Fantasy

It’s Time!

For Another Cover Reveal!!

‘Tis the season for cover reveals! This one is for another “bonus” story in the Awakened world. I wrote it over Christmas and then had to wait for my darling daughter to have time to work on the character art for me, which didn’t happen until spring break. But she’s finished it, and I have the cover, and it is SO BEAUTIFUL, so naturally, it’s time to share!

Consecrated will be available in May as an eBook all by itself, and I’ll also be getting a PRINTED EDGE PAPERBACK of the THREE novellas ready to go soon too! (Maybe not at the exact same time, but hopefully close.) The paperback will combine the two novellas already out, Captivated and Celebrated, with this newest on, Consecrated. Together, the paperback will be called Fathomed: The Awakened Mer Novellas.

The compilation will have a cover all its own, but I don’t have that quite ready yet. So…below you’ll get a peek of what the background and printed edges might end up looking like, but the full reveal for that one will come after my other illustrator friend, Caroline, works her magic on the character art. =)

But for now…CONSECRATED!

Let’s meet…

Luciana

As the Crown Princess of Soltierra, Luciana’s role is to summon the water from the desert every week. And every week, it nearly kills her. The waters barely heal her. She knows she’s too weak to see her kingdom into the future…while her little sister is exactly what they need. But the law of inheritance is immutable. The only way for Solara to inherit instead is if Luciana dies without another heir.

And so, she has made up her mind to do just that. And to remove herself from the path of a visiting prince with strong magic to try to encourage him to fall for her little sister. She’ll simply go with the consecrated brides to Isla Anahi for the annual Meeting…and pray the Voice of the Wind will show mercy to her people and bring the next generation magic enough to sustain them.

A king who knows his own weakness…

Koa

Koa, the first king of the Alliance of the Seven Tides, learned his weakness twenty-five years before, when he met the Atla mer and the king of Daryatla. He left the encounter with a new faith in the One…and a realization that while magic had strengthened on the other side of the continent, their own had grown weak. Every year, he leads the consecrated grooms to Isla Anahi, where new marriages are made in the hope of a stronger tomorrow.

But Koa fears that the very tradition that was meant to guarantee that both the Calm Water mer and the Sun People of Soltierra had Awakened enough to secure their future will be the thing that destroys them. And with a growing threat from pirates pressing on his territory, he doesn’t know what to do but pray that the One will show them the way through these tumultuous currents.

A visiting prince…

Bleu

Son of King Seidon and Queen Arden of Daryatla, Bleu knows very well that he’s been invited to Soltierra for a matchmaking venture with the younger princess, Solara. And that’s fine–he’s ready to find the wife the Triada has in store for him, one who can match him in magical strength. And when he hears a whisper in his soul promising him just that, he knows true hope.

Except…nothing ever seems to go to plan.

The inseparable duo…

Solara & Iraja

Princess Solara and Iraja have been best friends, practically sisters, all their lives. And they both know exactly what they need to do.

Solara needs to convince Bleu to forget about her and leave, because she has no intention of playing into her mother and sister’s plans to be the one to carry on the line while Luciana sacrifices all chance at happiness–and life.

And Iraja needs to convince Solara to fall in love with the prince. Because Iraja owes everything to the queen, and the queen has spoken. And how hard can it be to help Soli see how perfect Bleu is…and how much Soltierra needs the strength he can bring?

Evocative settings

Soltierra

In this novella, we have several settings. First we see Aureluz, the capital city of Soltierra, a desert oasis with lush gardens and a sprawling palace.

Then we move to the tropical Isla Anahi, where sparkling sands meet turquoise waters, palm trees waving in the wind.

And finally, we dive with the mer into the depths of the Calm Waters and explore the sea in the pearl-pod caravans of the nomadic mer.

A Bonus Story in Roseanna’s

Awakened World

I did something crazy in this, guys. It’s just a short novel. Came in around 56,000 words. That’s less than half the length of Awakened.
(But more than twice the length of Celebrated.)

But I, um, kinda did two romances and four points-of-view. So it’s kinda like a two-in-one.

And I hope you love it as much as I do!

Ready? Here it is!
The cover of Consecrated!

What do you think??

Not surprisingly, I LOOOOOOVE it!! Xoe did such a fantastic job on the character art, and those tropical colors in the background…ah.

Since this one has three settings, I decided that for the cover, I wanted the “in between” one–Isla Anahi, where the sea-dwelling Calm Water mer and the desert-dwelling Soltierrans meet. 

Xoe went all out researching the styles for Luciana, combining Native/South American designs with a bit of Pacific Island beauty for the character herself. Isn’t the result just stunning??

NOW…

THE PAPERBACK!

I’ve had many of you ask if the novellas will be available in print, and the answer is YES! Not individually, but as a compilation. Fathomed will be available soon and will have Captivated, Celebrated, and Consecrated in it. If you want the ebook, you can get Consecrated separately…if you want that pretty printed-edge paperback to match the others in the series, then you can pre-order that now too!

 I don’t have the design finished–Caroline is working on her version of Luciana for the cover of that one. But I’ll reveal it as soon as I have it, and I expect to ship these this summer! (Aiming for June, but I need to see when the press can fit us in.)

It might end up looking something like this (with, you know, Luciana on there too). Or it might not. We’ll see. But regardless, here’s a placeholder image. 😉

Pre-Order Consecrated!
Pre-Order Fathomed!

The Official Description

Two kingdoms. One fragile magic. A sacrifice that could save them—or destroy them all.

Every week, Crown Princess Luciana drains her life to summon water from the desert—and every week brings her closer to death. But while Luciana is ready to do whatever is necessary for Soltierra, her sister refuses to accept that they ought to put the kingdom above each other. A visiting prince may well be the key to renewing their kingdom’s strength…but only if Luciana is willing to sacrifice any hope of her own future.

Beneath the waves, King Koa of the Calm Water Mer faces a different kind of desperation. His people’s magic is fading, pirates threaten their shores, and the ancient traditions meant to preserve life may instead ensure their extinction. He and the group of mer grooms travel to Isla Anahi for the annual Meeting with Soltierra’s consecrated brides convinced that something must change if they have any hope of their two kingdoms surviving into the next generation. The law governing them all is immutable…but what if the only way forward is to break the tradition that has governed them for centuries?

As faith, love, and duty collide, the fragile bond between land and sea begins to fracture. And unless the ancient laws are rewritten, both kingdoms may fall beneath the weight of the very magic meant to sustain them.

Welcome to The Island Bakeshop!

Welcome to The Island Bakeshop!

by | Mar 26, 2026 | Announcements, Book News, Books

Book

The Island Bakeshop

Contemporary Romance with a Historical Thread

COMING IN MAY!
Pre-Order Now

Are you ready to go back to the Outer Banks?

If you joined me in Avon, North Carolina, part of the gorgeous island chain called the Outer Banks, in The Island Bookshop, then you not only met my main characters, Kennedy and Wes, but also their best friends. And if you saw my post about that first book last May, then you may also remember that more books were in the works.

Well, today I’d like to introduce you to the next one, The Island Bakeshop! This book will release in May from Guideposts, and I just got it up for pre-order on my site two weeks ago, so I figured it was a grand time to do an intro post. =)

ABOUT

The Island Bakeshop

Harper Dailey thought her future was set like a perfectly done cake…until she’s called home to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to help run her family’s business, Sunshine Bakery. When the ex-fiancé she’d put behind her years ago shows up on the island, he threatens not only the bakery’s future, but her own fragile return to a safe and contented life.

After his stint in the Navy, Beckett Mills settled in Avon, where he could lose himself running fishing charters during the summer—and hunkering down to ignore the world in the winter. But old instincts have him playing hero when a routine stop at his favorite bakery puts him squarely between its beautiful owner and the guy who’s trying to intimidate her.

Neither Harper nor Beckett have any intention of getting distracted by romance, real or otherwise. But as their friendship turns to something deeper and unexpected, they learn their lives are more intertwined than they could have imagined. Together, with a love built to weather any storm, they may just find the peace their hearts have been seeking all along.

Come back to the sun-drenched shores of the Outer Banks and immerse yourself in another exciting and inspiring tale from Roseanna M. White. This dual-timeline, clean romance will have you reading late into the night to find out what happens next.

Let’s meet…

Harper Dailey

After years living in Savannah and acquiring a bit of local fame for her pastries, Harper moves back to Avon to help her parents run the family business, Sunshine Bakery, after her dad’s heart attack forces him to slow down. What she hasn’t told anyone is that the move also helped her escape an ex-boyfriend who was not the picture-perfect guy he appeared to be. So when Jay shows up in Avon, claiming to own the building the bakery’s in? That’s the kind of bad news that sends Harper spiraling right into a panic attack.

Our Resident Grump…

Beckett Mills

Beck moved to Avon several years ago to run a fishing charter business after his stint in the Navy, and he doesn’t mind talking about those years in uniform. But the rest of his life? He’s about as forthcoming as a crab. The old instincts to protect, though, come rearing up when he sees a jerk threatening his favorite baker, and he steps in without thinking. And kinda claims to be her boyfriend. Which might not have many consequences if the Jerk were just a vacationer. But apparently he means to stick around all summer. Which means Beck really made a mess of things this time.

In 1846…

Sophie Dailey

In 1846, Sophie should be in the bliss of her recent marriage. But instead, her husband, Alex, has gone distant–and not just because he’s often away at sea. Even when he’s home, he’s avoiding her. And somehow, she knows her old friend Erasmus Salter is to blame. She’d thought to sweeten Alex’s temper with the baking she’s becoming known for–after all, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right? But when he won’t even take a bite, what’s a girl to do but get tricky?

FAKE DATING TROPE!

So, yes, we’ve got a classic fake dating trope going on here. But what brought me especial delight was the fact that with two sisters in the story who run a bookstore, this would not just pass them by without demanding comment. So the moment they hear what happened, they are very quick to call out the trope with much giggling. Which leads to more delightful moments like Beck declaring, “We’re not lying, not faking, not…troping.” Which, naturally, sets off more peals of laughter.

And some Grumpy/Sunshine too…

Beck already established himself as the Grump in the previous book, so what choice did I have but to make Harper’s personality match the name of her family’s bakery? And I gotta say, the Sunshine was soooo much fun to write. As was the dynamic between the two, who have a fabulous rapport and lots of teasing, including ever-revolving fake endearments.

And of course, some secondary characters you’ve already met…some of whom will be ready for taking the lead in book three, The Island Bikeshop. 😉

Kennedy is one of Harper’s good friends. She just moved home a year ago to help out at the Island Bookshop, and thanks to wedding planning and such, she and Wes have established weekly dinners for the six key friends.

Wes is still helping run his family’s real estate company, and thoroughly enjoying this new chapter of his life with Kennedy by his side. He’s also having a bit too much fun needling Beck, who has always sworn off romance.

Asher Quidley owns a beach equipment rental shop specializing in bicycles and anything else with wheels. He’s all about the therapy we can get from spending time out in nature…and is not above hitting Beck with the well-deserved, “Bro. You should hear yourself right now.”

Kennedy’s sister, Lara, is still recovering from the traumatic brain injury that came along with last year’s concussion. It means migraines nearly every day, but she’s still determined to enjoy life–especially when it means rooting for her friends’ trope-filled romance.

Ahhh…the setting

Avon, Hatteras Island

We’re back in Avon, one of my favorite places in the world! Yay!! So naturally, we’ve got the beach and this wonderful little vacation community. But this time, we’ve also got a hero who pretty much lives and breathes the water, so lots of boats—both Sportfisher style and a small sailboat. But we also get to delve into the world of bakeries.

Now, I have long been an avid home baker. I go through phases where I’m baking something almost every day. For a while there, I almost toyed with the idea of a recipe blog (and compromised by adding some recipes to my site that tie in with my books). I love baking…but y’all, I am not a commercial baker. For starters—their hours! Yikes! I’m a morning person, but that morning needs to follow a solid night’s sleep, and these lovely crazy people tend to start their days during the night instead.

I actually wrote most of this book in Avon last fall during my second week of (working) vacation, and I knew I needed some help from an actual local baker. I emailed a couple, then when I was in Buxton Village Books talking to Gee Gee (who helped me with The Island Bookshop…and who recently passed away, leaving such a legacy of books and community behind her), I asked her for her favorite local bakery. She didn’t hesitate. “Scratchmade Snackery down in Hatteras,” she said. “Talk to Kitty.”

So I looked it up and emailed Kitty, the owner of this bakery. Kitty surprised and delighted me by sending me a very long, detailed email walking me through her day hour by hour, naming all her equipment, and telling me about the joys and pitfalls of a business like this in a vacation spot. A few days later we popped into Scratchmade and chatted in person…and I sampled her goods. Oh…my…gracious. Best French pastries I’ve had outside of France!! (So if ever you’re in Hatteras, stop by. It’s way down at the bottom, one of the last stops before the ferry.)

Now, Harper’s setup isn’t identical to Kitty’s, of course. Because #plot. And their whole family runs the bakery and has been doing so for generations, along with employees, which is different from Kitty and her husband running it all by themselves. Because I needed Harper to have time for her fake-dating. ?

The Island Bakeshop

Contemporary Romance with a Historical Thread

COMING SOON
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