Tropes: Single Dad, Second Chance, Forced Proximity
Friends to Lovers, Small Town, Found Family
Release Date: August 30, 2026
BLURB
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…
Nothing says welcome home like accidentally moving in with your first heartbreak…and his little girl.
Coming back to my small Wyoming hometown was supposed to be temporary. I only planned to stay long enough to help my ailing mother and sort through the mess of my family’s old belongings.
Instead, I somehow ended up living in Evan Ricci’s house. The single dad now owned a bunch of properties and one of them was the place I’d rented. He’d taken it off the market and moved in before I got there. I just never got the memo. Unfortunately, there was no other place in town available, so Evan let me stay.
Evan—the guy my parents took in years ago after his mother died.
The same Evan who used to dare me into ridiculous challenges that somehow always made me stronger—a game we’d dubbed The Challenge.
The same guy who ultimately rejected me before I left for college after I’d finally garnered the courage to shoot my shot.
Now Evan was a rugged single dad with an eight-year-old daughter, a cocky attitude, and a dangerous ability to make me forget every reason I should still hate him.
Sharing a house with him should’ve been unbearable. Instead, it felt dangerously familiar, nearly making me forget that I had a life and a job to get back to in Chicago. I realized the biggest challenge wasn’t surviving living with Evan Ricci.
It was not falling in love with him all over again.
A model-cover paperback will be live on release day
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
SINGLE DAD
SMALL TOWN
FRIENDS TO LOVERS
SECOND CHANCE
FORCED PROXIMITY
FOUND FAMILY
AUTHOR BIO
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
Riley Hart’s love of all things romance shines brightly in everything she writes. Her primary focus is Male/Male romance but under various pen names, her prose has touched practically every part of the spectrum of love and relationships. The common theme that ties them all together is stories told from the heart.
A hopeless romantic herself, Riley is a lover of character-driven plots, many with flawed and relatable characters. She strives to create stories that readers can not only fall in love with, but also see themselves in. Real characters and real love blended together equal the ultimate Riley Hart experience.
When Riley isn’t creating her next story, you can find her reading, traveling, or dreaming about reading or traveling, and spending time with her two perfectly snarky kids, and one swoon-inducing husband.
As head of the O’Shea family, I don’t make mistakes.
I certainly don’t become obsessed with a guy. Stalk him. And then proceed to kidnap him to a secluded cabin when an attempt on my life is made.
But that’s exactly what I did.
While my family hunts down the men who tried to kill me, Doctor Preston Abbott is trapped with me, and I expect him to nurse me back to health before paying the ultimate sacrifice. Abbott…who is also the governor’s son.
Each day my interest in him grows. He cares for me, shares parts of his life with me, willingly gives his body to me and begs for more…even though he knows he’ll die by my hand.
I never thought I would want someone again this way, that I would crave another person the way I do Abbott. He’s too good for the violence of my world, and all the sinful things I revel in. I’m a monster but he’s mine until the end.
Mine to crave…mine to touch…mine to kill…
Craving Sin contains MCs dealing with grief, violence, darker themes, and morally gray characters with no redemption arc. This is still a Riley Hart romance, so you can expect a happily ever after for our guys.
Craving Sin ( Sinful Things Book 1 ) I loved seeing Rian rebuild his relationship with Cillian! That part was perfect!
The confused but sweet way Rian handled Abbott was absolutely addictive. His obsessive and possessive nature toward Abbott, even when he didn’t fully understand his own feelings, made me keep turning the pages!
And Abbott… who is an extremely gentle soul, you want to wrap him up and give him all the love he so deeply deserves.
I finished this one in a single sitting because I couldn’t put it down. I loved everything about it! Definitely a book to pick up and devour—much like Rian and Abbott devour each other.
Wonderfully written, I fell into the Mafia world again!
Tropes: Mystery, Age Gap, Workplace Romance, Hot Detective, Canadian Romance
Trigger/Content Warnings: "While there aren't explicit descriptions, there are mentions involving homophobic comments, there is a beating, and there is a kidnapping that has elements of violence."
The Attercop is the fourth book in the Declan Hunt Mysteries series.
Charlie Watts has found the perfect partner in Declan Hunt, and he hopes that they can spend the rest of their lives together. But when your boss is sexy and talented, sometimes you're not the only one who wants to tie him down.
The Attercop, a clever adversary who is good with disguises, starts to spin a web of lies and deceit to get Declan for his very own. And as the two detectives look into a break-in where nothing is taken, and a random beating at a gay bar, their perfect partnership begins to unravel.
Will Charlie be able to stop the worst from happening, or will The Attercop get his wish and take Declan away from Charlie forever?
Colin shifted in his seat. “I’m afraid of things.”
She looked down and made a note. “What sorts of things?”
“May I have a glass of water, please?”
“Of course.”
She got up and went to the small fridge by her desk. “I hope you don’t mind bottled water?”
“No, that would be all right,” he said as she returned and passed him the bottle.
His hands trembled as he took off the cap, set it down, lifted the bottom of his mask and took a sip of water.
When he was finished, he put the mask back into place. He stayed silent.
“Are you all right, Colin?” Michael asked gently.
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
“Would you like to continue?” she asked.
He nodded.
“So, Colin, you said you’re afraid of things. What sorts of things?”
He wrung his hands before whispering, “Nightmares. I’ve been having nightmares. I had them as a kid, but they only lasted a night or two and then they went away, but now…” His eyes widened. “They’ve come back, and with a vengeance. I’m terrified to go to sleep.”
She gave him a reassuring smile. “Colin, I’m so sorry to hear that. That must be very difficult.”
“Yes.”
“So, Colin, do they occur every time you go to sleep?”
“No. But at least three or four nights a week.”
“I see,” she said. “And how long have you been having these dreams?”
He paused. “Months now. Two, maybe three.”
This is going to take some time, she thought.
“Colin, do you feel like you can tell me what your dreams are about?”
He started to breathe deeply, and his eyes began to water.
“I’m standing in my bedroom and I’m staring at my hands. I’m holding the world. And this world in my hands…I can see the clouds moving, and the world is shaking. And I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, but I know that something bad is going to happen and only I can stop it.”
“What do you think is going to happen, Colin?”
“The world is going to…explode or something. I’m not sure. I just know it’s going to be really bad. And then…”
Colin started to shake. “And then the world starts to split open…like an egg that’s hatching. And from inside the glowing world, they come streaming out.”
He stood and began to pace around the room.
Michael kept her voice even and calm. “Colin, you’re all right. You’re safe here. I’m going to try and help you. So you said they come streaming out. What are they, Colin? Can you tell me?”
He stopped and turned to her with a look of terror in his eyes. “Spiders. Hundreds of spiders.”
EARLY REVIEWS:
“This series is perfect for fans of Detective/Mystery Romance!” Tosha – Goodreads Review
“The first two books in this series were exceptional as far as I was concerned. They were funny, had some excellent characters, they moved along at a cracking pace and were over way too soon. But with the third, and now this fourth book, the author has chosen to take a slightly darker slant to his writing. These last two books have amped up the suspense and the author has layered up the mystery with a much more deft hand.” “This has been a great series and I do adore Peter Fenton’s writing, humour and wonderful characterisations.” SebFox – Goodreads Review
“Loved this series! It’s quirky and fun, the writing style is unique, and the characters make the books exciting and suspenseful.” Pontiki – Goodreads Review
about the author:
Peter’s first novel, The Woodcarver’s Model was released by Pride Publishing in April of 2022 and was a four time nominee in the Goodreads M/M Romance Readers’ Choice Awards.
Following the success of the first book, Pride Publishing released The Declan Hunt Mysteries series which includes Mann Hunt (nominated for a Goodreads M/M Romance Readers’ Choice Award and recently translated into German, Italian and Spanish), Hoodoo House, (also a Goodreads M/M Romance Readers’ Choice Award nominee and now available in Italian and Spanish), and The Burnt which came out in August of 2025 in English, Italian and Spanish with Entwined Publishing. The Burnt was recently nominated for a Goodreads M/M Romance Readers' Choice Award in the Mystery/Whodunnit category. The Attercop marks the fourth and final novel in The Declan Hunt Mysteries series.
2024 also saw the release of the critically acclaimed teen novella Not Not Normal, published by Lorimer Press. This book was also nominated for a Goodreads M/M Romance Readers' Choice Award.
Peter's previous work was focused on writing for the stage, with award-winning productions of The Giant’s Garden, Newfoundland Mary, Bemused, and The Detective Disappears being produced across the country.
All of his novels are proudly set in Canada and are filled with humour and heart.
He spent many years working in palaeontology in remote locations including the Canadian Rockies, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
There was so much I wanted to know about his life. More than anything, I wanted to ask what he’d dreamed about when he called my name. I was also tempted to ask about Effie’s mother. He’d said they were divorced, but was she still in the picture? Why was Effie living with him full time?
But instead of unloading all my questions, I scratched my pounding head and asked, “Do you have coffee here, by any chance?”
Rather than answer, he stalked over to a cabinet above the fridge—the one place I hadn’t checked.
With my arms wrapped around my chest, I watched as he pulled out a filter and placed it in the machine before scooping some grounds. I admired how the muscles in his back moved with the motion of his arms, the way his jeans hugged his ass.
After he started the pot, the room filled with the bubbling sound of coffee brewing. Evan turned toward me, and we stared at each other in tense silence.
“How did you sleep?” he finally asked.
“Not bad, all things considered.”
“All things being me?” He arched a brow.
“I have nothing against you, Evan.”
“Oh really? Because that unhinged letter you wrote me says otherwise. It’s not like time could change all that. Especially when we haven’t been in touch since then. I never reached out. And you never called, either.”
“I was very emotional when I wrote that letter.” I gulped. “And drunk. I wasn’t supposed to send it. It was just meant to be a way to let out my feelings.”
“So, why did you send it?”
“I wish I understood…”
“You mean to tell me you don’t still feel that way, even a little?”
My gaze fell to the floor. “It’s been a decade. Like I told you, I’d been drinking, so I don’t entirely remember what I wrote.”
Evan scratched his chin. “I don’t know if I believe that.”
I looked up. “Regardless of what unkind words I expressed in a drunken, regrettable moment…I’ve moved on.”
“Doesn’t seem like you’ve moved on given the way you raced out of here yesterday to find another place, just so you didn’t have to look at me.”
“Well, you weren’t exactly welcoming.” He was right that I’d raced out of here. But his assumption that I didn’t want to look at him? No. After all these years, it was still hard not to look at him.
The coffee gurgled to signal the end of its cycle. Saved by the gurgle.
Evan opened the cabinet. To my surprise, he set down two mugs and began preparing my coffee just the way I liked it: two sugars and heavy cream. He stirred and then handed it to me.
“Thank you.”
I didn’t have to ask how he knew the way I took it. Back when he’d been living with us, Evan and I had often caught up over coffee in my family’s kitchen before the crack of dawn while everyone else was asleep. So this was far from the first time he’d prepared a cup for me. Little did he know, I’d actually had my very first cup of coffee with him. When I’d started getting up early to join him, I hadn’t tried coffee yet. But I’d pretended to need the caffeine just as much as he did, though the only morning jolt I’d wanted back then was Evan. The smell of coffee right now, the smell of him... I was drowning in nostalgia, tinged with a bittersweet knowing that so much had changed.
We stood across from each other, silently sipping our coffees as if this was some sort of duel—who could drink it the fastest without saying anything?
Eventually, Evan set his mug down. “There are fresh towels in the linen closet off the hallway. Effie has some girly bodywash in the shower, if you need it. Pomegranate scent or some crap.” He lifted his mug again and added, “You look like you could use a shower.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Thank you. I guess I’ll take a shower before I head out to look for a place. I’ll let you know if I find one, so I can get out of your hair.”
He took a sip and saluted me with his mug. “Good luck with that.”
It was embarrassing to think I hadn’t taken a shower since I left Chicago. I grabbed a couple of towels from the closet and headed into the small bathroom.
After sliding the shower curtain open, I smiled at the sight of both masculine and “girly” bodywash side by side. As the warm water rained down on me, I squeezed pomegranate shower gel into my hand and thought about how cute and honest Effie had been last night when she’d come into my room. Closing my eyes and trying to relax, I took my sweet time lathering my body and massaging my neck. After I finished what turned out to be a twenty-minute shower, I stepped out and wrapped myself in a towel. But a loud crash just outside the door caused me to jump. “Is everything okay?” I called.
The current paperback preorder is for the alternate cover only.
A model-cover paperback will be live on release day.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
SINGLE DAD
SMALL TOWN
FRIENDS TO LOVERS
SECOND CHANCE
FORCED PROXIMITY
FOUND FAMILY
BLURB
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…
Nothing says welcome home like accidentally moving in with your first heartbreak…and his little girl.
Coming back to my small Wyoming hometown was supposed to be temporary. I only planned to stay long enough to help my ailing mother and sort through the mess of my family’s old belongings.
Instead, I somehow ended up living in Evan Ricci’s house. The single dad now owned a bunch of properties and one of them was the place I’d rented. He’d taken it off the market and moved in before I got there. I just never got the memo. Unfortunately, there was no other place in town available, so Evan let me stay.
Evan—the guy my parents took in years ago after his mother died.
The same Evan who used to dare me into ridiculous challenges that somehow always made me stronger—a game we’d dubbed The Challenge.
The same guy who ultimately rejected me before I left for college after I’d finally garnered the courage to shoot my shot.
Now Evan was a rugged single dad with an eight-year-old daughter, a cocky attitude, and a dangerous ability to make me forget every reason I should still hate him.
Sharing a house with him should’ve been unbearable. Instead, it felt dangerously familiar, nearly making me forget that I had a life and a job to get back to in Chicago. I realized the biggest challenge wasn’t surviving living with Evan Ricci.
It was not falling in love with him all over again.
AUTHOR BIO
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
Ella Frank is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Temptation series, including Try, Take,Trust, Tease, Tate, and True, and is the co-author of the fan-favorite PresLocke Series. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”
Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Philips.
Brooke Blaine is a USA Today Bestselling Author best known for writing romantic comedy and M/M romance. Her novels lead with humor and heart, but Brooke never shies away from throwing in something extra naughty that will scandalize her conservative Southern family for life (bless their hearts). She’s a choc-o-holic, lives for eighties bands (which means she thinks guyliner is totally underrated), believes it’s always wine o’clock, and lives with the coolest cat on the planet—her Ragdoll/Maine Coon mix, Jackson Agador Spartacus.
Red, White & Royal Blue meets a modern-day Downton Abbey in this forbidden royal romance about a newly crowned king who falls for the sunshine footman assigned to serve him.
Nicholas
Being king was never the life I wanted. But it was the one I inherited.
Every decision I make belongs to Valoria. Every smile, every appearance, every promise.
Including the one that says I’m expected to marry a prince I’ve barely met.
It’s the perfect match.
The perfect alliance.
The perfect future.
Until my new footman starts reminding me there’s a difference between being loved by a nation… and being truly seen.
Noah
Serving the king is my job. Wanting him is my biggest mistake.
I’ve spent years standing just out of sight—straightening cuffs, opening doors, making sure the man carrying the crown never has to carry anything else.
He’s kind when no one is watching
Lonely in ways the world never sees.
But kings don’t fall in love with footmen.
They marry princes.
No matter what my heart wishes every time he looks at me.
When duty collides with desire, we’ll have to decide whether some fairytales are worth rewriting.
I already know the answer, though. I’ll never be Fit for a King.
Nicholas never thought he’d find himself in the role of king. To him, it always felt like more of a burden than a blessing. But now that he’s next in line, he has to step up and embrace this new chapter in his life.
With the pressure to marry a prince for the sake of Valoria, his future seems pretty set—until he meets Noah, the cheerful footman who’s been assigned to help him. Noah has a knack for seeing through Nicholas’s royal facade, uncovering the lonely heart beneath.
He knows that falling for the future king is a complicated situation; after all, kings are meant to marry princes, not footmen. Yet, there’s an undeniable spark between them that neither can ignore Nicholas and Noah find themselves at a pivotal moment: will they follow their hearts and shake up the rules of royalty?
After all, the best love stories are often the ones that surprise us! This delightful read is wonderfully visual and full of romance, the incredible talents of authors Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank.
