Chantal knows all about starting over. After beating cancer and losing her beloved grandmother, she’s come to Sunshine Bay to ready her grandmother’s cottage for sale. She has no plans to stay, and no intention of adopting a cat. But when Brioche chooses her, something tells her she has to say yes.
Anderson has spent too long carrying burdens he doesn’t talk about. When his marriage ended, it was the woman next door — the adopted grandmother his two children adored — who helped hold his family together. Now she’s gone, his daughter is grieving, and Anderson is doing his best to be strong for everyone.
Then Chantal arrives with a calico cat, a cottage full of repairs, and a promise to pick up the knitting lessons her grandmother left unfinished. Helping her is the easiest thing Anderson has done in months. Letting her matter is another story.
They’re grieving the same remarkable woman. Chantal has learned that life is too short to wait. Anderson has learned that he must be the rock for his children — and keep his own heart safe. And the cottage will soon be sold. Can two people who have already lost so much risk their hearts again?
Book 2 of Pages and Paws: a sweet, closed-door second-chance, single dad romance with a matchmaking rescue cat, a fresh start by the sea, and the found family of Sunshine Bay. Can be read as a standalone.
Jeanine Lauren is a USA Today bestselling author of women’s fiction and closed-door romance. Her novels explore second chances, belonging, and love in the second half of life, all set in the interconnected world of Sunshine Bay, inspired by Canada’s Vancouver Island.