Cherreads

The Town Where Love Waits

sammiebraveheart
There’s a saying in Maplewood Hollow, that charming little town tucked between sleepy hills and winding rivers: “No one leaves without finding love.” Most call it superstition. Some call it fate. But for Camille Hart, it’s her last resort. At thirty-four, Camille has everything her younger self dreamed of—corner office, city skyline, power suits, and a calendar bursting with boardroom battles. But to her high-society mother, none of that matters if there’s no ring on her finger. Emotionally drained from failed relationships and tired of the pressure, Camille’s best friend—the fiery and intuitive Tasha Monroe—proposes something wild: “Take a month off. Go somewhere love might actually find you.” So against every instinct, Camille packs a single suitcase and heads to Maplewood Hollow, a place she vaguely remembers from a childhood visit. Her plan? Rest. Regroup. Return. But fate—and love—have a different itinerary. Enter Jude Maddox. The town’s reluctant handyman and ex-travel photographer with a haunted past and eyes that see right through your armor. Jude avoids tourists, especially the high-heeled, high-powered kind. But when Camille storms into town with her sharp tongue, vulnerable heart, and a broken sink he can’t ignore, their worlds begin to collide. What starts as harmless sparring turns into starlit walks, coffee-fueled confessions, and slow-burning chemistry even the town’s gossip mill can’t keep up with. But Maplewood’s magic always comes with a price. There’s Mrs. Lillian Gray, the town’s elderly innkeeper, who once believed in love until her husband vanished fifty years ago. Now, long-lost letters begin appearing mysteriously, forcing her to relive what she buried—and offering Camille an unexpected mirror. Then there's Beau Reynolds, Jude’s childhood best friend, back from the military with scars of his own and a quiet longing for Tasha—the only woman who’s ever seen past his charm. And just when things couldn’t get more curious, a mysterious columnist known only as “The Hollow Heart” begins posting cryptic, romantic riddles around town, eerily reflecting Camille and Jude’s unfolding story. At the heart of it all? The Midnight Festival. A once-in-a-decade event when the veil between longing and fulfillment is said to be at its thinnest. But as Camille begins to surrender to Maplewood’s magic and Jude’s steady, scarred heart, a thunderbolt arrives: her mother’s ultimatum. Return to the city by the end of the month, or lose the company she’s spent her life building. Now Camille must choose between the ambition she’s poured everything into—or a life that pulses with slow dances, warm bread, whispered secrets, and the kind of love that’s messy, healing, and true. And Jude? He must face the guilt that’s kept him from loving again and confront a truth that could either free them both—or fracture everything they’ve begun to build. The Town Where Love Waits is a heart-stealing journey of fate, choice, and second chances. With vibrant characters, sizzling tension, and a town that seems to know your heart better than you do, this is the place where love lingers—quietly, patiently—until you’re ready to see it.
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