The Anchor Holds

A Small Town, Grumpy Sunshine Romance

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Calliope Derrick is in trouble. Not that she’ll admit it. She’d sooner go to her grave than ask for help—especially from a man. Wall Street’s wolf in heels, Calliope built an empire, shattered egos, and earned a reputation as the woman who made grown men cry in their private jets. But after a betrayal that threatens everything she’s worked for, she trades skyscrapers for lighthouses and flees to Jupiter, Maine. She tells her family it’s just a break. A vacation. A reset. She’s lying. She’s here to plot revenge. Not to fall in love. And definitely not with a charming fisherman like Elliot Shaw. He’s not her type—too easygoing, too noble, too sincere. Or so she thinks… until she discovers the depths beneath his quiet strength. Until he begins to unravel the cold, calculated woman she spent years becoming. The carefree fisherman reveals a side of herself she never dared explore. And the more tangled up she gets, the more she realizes Elliot isn’t just a temptation— he might be a lifeline. An anchor. To a better life. It may be too late to guard her heart, but she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her family—and Elliot—even if it’s from herself. Because Calliope knows one thing for sure, she doesn’t deserve an easy life with a good man.

SA, Violence, Grief, Childhood cancer

Black cat x golden retriever, small town romance, grumpy sunshine, morally grey heroine