All I Ever Wanted

July 25, 2016
Former childhood best friends find comfort in each other while dealing with bitter pasts and learning lessons of forgiveness in Mills's debut novel, which launches her Summer Love contemporary romance series. Schoolteacher Kinsley Bailey returns to her hometown, Staunton, Va., After the death of her absentee father, who'd had nothing to do with her since she was eight years old. The situation was difficult enough without her running into and entering a business agreement with the only other man who'd ever broken her heart: Sebastian "Bass" Harris. The betrayals of his ex-wife and best friend pretty much cemented Bass's single status, but he's perfectly happy to make good no-strings-attached use of Kinsley's remaining time in town. When steamy nights are offset by meaningful conversation and joyous times with Bass's daughter, Kinsley begins to battle those old feelings. She's longer the naïve teenager Bass once knew, and she leaves him with two options: admit his romantic inclinations or let her go. Small-town connections between well-developed, moderately witty characters will leave readers satisfied and anticipating the sequel.