book cover displaying a woman with her back on a tree, a man cupping her cheek standing tall above her

publishing may 30, 2025

She’s fighting her attraction. He’s fighting an old reputation.

Nessa Rabin always puts herself last on the list. She’s responsible. An Ivy League graduate. A successful sex therapist. But after her breakup with a man she calls ‘Satan’s Bikini Waxer’, the only relationships she wants to fix are her clients’. Pushed to unwind during their friend’s wedding, she doesn’t expect to fall into bed with the bride’s brother—a man she’s had claws out for since high school. 

Mateo Santos-Manolo is always up for a good time. But the party stops when one nepo-baby costs him his job. Instead of sulking, this former playboy heads home to spend a few months in Peacock Springs. Determined to forget his big-city woes, Mateo’s looking to start his own firm—and reunite with the one-night stand that he can’t forget.

When they find themselves co-chairs of the upcoming Sunflower Fest, a little white lie pushes Nessa and Mateo to play the part of happy couple—or risk the gentrification of their beloved hometown. Soon, it’s clear they are a force to be reckoned with… so long as they can survive each other.

Content Notes

  • Writing ‘Romantic traum-com’ requires finding the humor in even the most challenging experiences. It has been said that comedy is the sum of tragedy plus time. I’ve never been great at math, so I can’t say what the correct amount of time is to laugh at something tragic. The following sensitive subjects are included directly or indirectly within the context of the story are outlined below.

    • Secondary trauma from being a helping professional related to:

      • Interpersonal Violence (IPV) the subset of Domestic Violence (DV) which happens between romantic partners

      • Sexual Harassment, Molestation, and Assault

    • Direct trauma related to:

      • Stalking and harassment

      • Slut Shaming 

      • Racialized/Ethnic Stereotyping 

    • Open door sex scenes, frank discourse around cannabis, alcohol use, and explicit language.

  • Please note there are multiple ways to experience real-life events and I have done my best, alongside sensitivity readers, to do it justice. Though you may not relate– it does not make it untrue. Additionally, while the main characters have frank conversations around unearned reputations, including past experiences with antisemitism and racism the author does not approve of the derogatory statements. These moments do not reflect my thoughts on members of the Jewish American or Filipino American communities. It is my hope that the team of sensitivity readers employed have ensured that the story you’ll read treats those topics properly.

  • Domestic Violence Hotlines:

    USA

    • Call 800.7997233

    • Text BEGIN to 88788

    Canada: