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Charlotte Douglas has spent far too long trying to stitch her life back together after a single betrayal shattered her place in the community that once adored her. With every polite nod and measured smile, she shoulders the same whispered story: she is not the young lady she ought to be — and certainly not the kind any respectable man would escort into a ballroom.
Then a flat tire on a warm afternoon brings Elias Navarro to her gate.
A hardworking mechanic with steady hands and a restless heart, Elias has lived safely, sensibly, and without surprise. Until Charlotte. With her quiet fire, careful poise, and eyes that dare him to look closer, she becomes the first woman in years to make him want more than the life he knows.
What begins as a returned plate and a shared cup of coffee becomes something neither expected: late-afternoon walks, borrowed laughter, the charge of almost-kisses, and the slow, undeniable pull toward something tender.
But Charlotte’s past is a room full of watching eyes—and the Winter Soirée is coming.
When Charlotte hesitates to invite Elias, terrified he will judge the truth she’s never said aloud, he mistakes her quiet fear for rejection. And when cruel words at the ball turn her reputation into spectacle, Elias steps into the fray without hesitation—proving himself steady, fierce, and nothing like the man who once broke her heart.
What follows is a reckoning of truths:
her fear of being unworthy,
his fear of not belonging in her world,
and the choice they must face—
whether love found by chance can become love fought for on purpose.
Read an Excerpt
Charlotte shouldn’t have taken the car—not with the sun already dipping low behind the rooftops, not with rush hour thickening, and certainly not in that dress.
By morning, the dread had rotted into something uglier. Louder. She couldn’t sit with it anymore.
So she took her father’s automobile keys and drove—south past the quiet boulevards and polished shopfronts her mother preferred, into a stretch of narrow blocks where everyone knew your name and no one asked questions. An hour later, she left with her long curls on the floor and tight ringlets pinned close to her scalp, neck bare, shame and freedom crawling the same path down her spine. The gold flapper dress shimmered when she moved—too beaded, too clingy, and entirely deliberate.
If they were going to whisper, let them whisper for something new.
The light shifted—amber, then rose-gold. She should have turned back.
She didn’t.
A delivery truck pulled too wide at the corner. She swerved—too fast, too sharp—and the front tire struck something jagged. The pop split the air, sharp and final. The car shuddered, then sagged, boneless as a broken doll.
Charlotte’s hands clung to the wheel. Her chest cinched. Heat pressed behind her eyes.
“Oh, isn’t this the bee’s knees,” she said thinly. “Just grand.”
She stumbled out, skirt snagging, heel catching, dignity unraveling by degrees. One look at the tire and the world tipped.
Then a voice—low, steady.
“You alright, miss?”
She startled, spine lifting as if she could will herself composed. A man stood nearby—tall, broad-shouldered, sleeves rolled, eyes warm and unguarded. He looked at her like the street had gone quiet.
And she didn’t look away.
About the Author:D. Taylor is a passionate storyteller with a love for multicultural romance, adventure, and historical fiction. She independently wrote and toured with her novel Allied Hearts, a compelling romance that explores love, identity, and the strength of human connection.
Beyond writing, D. Taylor is a devoted wife of 18 years and a loving mother who cherishes time with her children. She finds joy in cooking, creating delicious meals that bring her family together. When she’s not writing or in the kitchen, she enjoys researching history, discovering new cultures, and embracing the ever-changing world of storytelling.
D. Taylor believes that every story has the power to transport, transform, and inspire. Her work celebrates strong heroines, captivating heroes, and the resilience of love in all its forms.
Find out more and get bonus book material or join her mailing list.
Website:
https://dtaylorwrites.com
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/D.-Taylor/author/B0DXDLMHJJ
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/PerfectFairytales/
By Chance:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GHY48M3T
Reckless:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGY69THC
Allied Hearts:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DWQTVJD6
Rescued:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008NOY9UC
