From USA Today bestselling author Laura Pavlov comes a story about found family and the power of acceptance, all wrapped up in a sizzling romance set in the frozen north.

My new landlord’s a real hard-ass. And I can’t keep my hands off him.

Charlie Huxley’s the best—and grumpiest—general contractor in Blushing, Alaska. He built the venue for the wedding-planning business my bestie and I share. After I accidentally flood my home, he offers me his guesthouse while he handles the repairs. But when he starts to take charge, I feel myself losing control.

Unable to resist, we casually hook up. We both know once will never be enough.

Between us, we carry plenty of baggage. I’ve got the absent father, drunk mother, and estranged sister. He grew up in foster care and is single-handedly raising a daughter whose mom visits just once a year.

But Charlie makes me feel like I belong. And for the first time ever, I picture myself with a real family.

Before I go all in, I need to learn to set some boundaries. Question is: Am I strong enough?

Laura Pavlov is best known for writing swoony, emotional stories with a side of angst and a dash of humor. A hopeless romantic at heart, she likes to take her characters on a journey that always leads to happily ever after. Pavlov is happily married to her college sweetheart and devoted to her two amazing kids who are now adulting. She’s also a dog whisperer to one temperamental Yorkie and one wild Bernedoodle. The author resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she is currently living her own happily ever after.