Tony Vance has everything: a successful career, more money than he could ever spend, and a sex life with no shortage of willing participants. Returning to Heartwood means family, lifelong friends, and village gossip he prefers not to feature in. Love isn’t on the agenda. After watching his father repeatedly break his mum’s heart, Tony knows better than to give anyone that kind of power over him.
Rodrigo Silva isn’t interested in casual sex. The Brazilian gym owner wants romance, commitment, and someone who sees more than his body. Unfortunately, he has a weakness for rich city men in expensive suits, even when experience tells him they come wrapped in red flags. Tony Vance might be the biggest one yet… and Rodrigo can’t stop looking.
Tony expects Rodrigo to fall for his usual charm. Instead, he’s forced to do something unfamiliar: date him. As their heated banter becomes something deeper, Tony discovers Rodrigo is more than the hottest man he’s ever met, while Rodrigo starts to believe the notorious Heartwood playboy might finally be ready to choose one person.
Then Tony’s carefully controlled life implodes. Convinced he’s protecting Rodrigo, he ends their relationship with five devastating words and shuts everyone out.
Three months later, an angry confrontation leaves Tony fighting for his life, and Rodrigo is the man who saves him. Recovery offers them a second chance, but healing Tony’s heart will take more than surgery. Can he break the cycle that has controlled him since childhood and trust Rodrigo with his future, or has he already destroyed the best thing that ever happened to him?
After losing his mum, Liam returns to Heartwood: a charming English village with an inclusive community and gossip that travels faster than the speed of sound. Taking over Sylvie’s Slice was always the plan, just not this soon. Between keeping the ovens going, supporting a father who’s lost his soulmate, and juggling a demanding day job, Liam barely has time to breathe, let alone date.
Austin isn’t looking for romance either. Turning forty, widowed, and determined to give his daughter the same close knit community he had for his childhood, he moves back to Heartwood to be surrounded by his lifelong friends and a legion of surrogate uncles. Love isn’t on the agenda… until he meets Liam Wells. And it’s not just Liam’s chocolate orange muffins he’s interested in.
Austin recognises the grief behind Liam’s smile and realises now isn’t their moment. But he’s only felt this instant connection once before, and he can’t ignore it. Something brought them both back to Heartwood at the same time, and Austin is prepared to wait.
Liam assumes Austin is straight. When he learns the truth, he’s torn between disbelief that his perfect guy is offering to woo him and the reality that he’s already an award winning juggler of life’s chaos. How is he supposed to add dating into the mix?
When the wooing begins, things heat up quickly, but beneath the sweetness, Liam’s unresolved grief is simmering. When it finally boils over, will it draw them closer… or prove that this still isn’t their time?