Margot Wade built her life around getting everything right—fastest promotion, youngest editor, the woman who never misses. But when her anonymous manuscript is rejected by her own publishing firm, the façade cracks. With her career in pieces, she does the one thing she swore she’d never do: she goes home. Bluebell Cove is the town Margot left behind but never really outgrew—a place full of familiar faces, old wounds, and one unexpected return. Including Teddy Bowman, the boy who once made leaving feel impossible. Teddy’s spent years chasing stories around the world, but when he’s assigned to cover Bluebell Cove’s Fallfest, he can’t resist the pull of home—or the chance to see Margot again, the girl he once let slip through his fingers. As falling leaves give way to falling hearts, Margot learns that showing up for the people she loves—her friends, her family, and maybe even the boy who broke her heart—means letting go of perfection and embracing the beautiful, messy kind of love that feels like home. This is the second book in the Bluebell Cove Series but can be read as a standalone. For fans of closed-door slow burns, witty banter, and small-town second chances. Tropes include: second chance romance - found family - she fell first, he fell harder - black cat x golden retriever - family secrets/estranged parent - small town charm - estranged parent