When Army Veteran, Brandon Bradley, sets out on his cross-country road trip, he’s not sure what he’ll find. As fate would have it, his journey takes an unexpected detour when he wrecks his motorcycle in a small Wyoming town. With some convincing from her cousin, Everett, Max Abrams, a local repair shop owner and rancher gives him a place to stay.
As Max repairs his bike and Brandon waits for his injuries to heal, he discovers more in the heartland of Wyoming than he could have ever expected. Left in the company of Max’s horses and stranded on her ranch for most of his days, he finds peace there he hadn’t known was missing from his life.
Max’s native culture and her intrinsic view of the world become the foundation he’s been missing all along. But war is waged in his heart as he struggles to accept that he can ever truly be rid of his haunted past. He must decide whether to trust in this new way of life he’s found and feelings he’s developed for Max or return to the life that leaves him with nothing to lose.
“…when I tell you this book broke me and healed me in the best ways, I mean it!
The story was beautiful, heartwarming, and full of growth! The way she describes the characters and things happening in the book makes you feel like you are actually living the story!”
—@KayThe BookLover
“This is Shawn’s best work yet, and I cannot wait to read the final version. Max and Brandons’s journey can only get better and better and I am so grateful for Shawn asking me to be a beta! She inspires me every day!!”
—Author Stefanie Steck
Gabriel Creed, a former architect lost everything when his wife passed away suddenly three years earlier. When the house he built on the land of their vacation home for his wife’s writing binges ends up on the wrong side of a property line dispute, fate threatens to take even more from him. The new owner of the home rents out the small cabin and Gabriel must bide his time as he seeks a way to get the property back. In the meantime, Norah Murphy has just moved in, and her presence is a direct insult to his wife’s legacy. He wants nothing to do with her, but she has other plans.
Norah has found her way back to Aden Brook after attending a life changing writer’s workshop there three years ago. It’s what moved her to try her hand at novel writing in the first place. When inspiration escapes her, she turns to a writing prompt from the workshop to spark inspiration. She’s going to be the sunny counterpart to her grumpy neighbor and see what inspiration their interactions ignite.
Just when Gabriel has had enough of his new neighbor’s shenanigans, Norah discovers the reason behind his cold and reclusive behavior. When she falls apart under the weight of his heartbreak, he does the exact opposite of what he’s wanted since she arrived. He asks her to stay.
“Guys, this one is so special. i absolutely adore Norah and Gabriel…and smokey, too. their story is full of heartache, grief, angst, hope, endurance, forgiveness, acceptance, friendship, love, family, and so much more.”
—@BookishBeachBabe
“What a WONDERFUL story. I was invested from page one. Couldn't put it down. Enjoyed it SO much. I'm in love with Gabriel. Loved seeing his growth as well as Norah's throughout the story. All in all, it's a wholesome read, which is expected from Shawn's work.”
—Author Alejandra Andrade
“In a few words, Shawn’s upcoming novel 𝑩𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 is gorgeously descriptive, elegantly emotive, thoughtfully constructed, deeply creative, incredibly intimate and the kind of effortlessly seamless that requires an 𝒂𝒃𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 of heartfelt effort.”
—Goodreads Reader
Jocelyn Larsen returns to Virginia for the first time since she was a little girl to oversee repairs on her family's old river house. It feels like it’s been at least that long since she followed her heart rather than a carefully laid plan. With room to breathe and time to think, she hopes for the chance to reflect on a life she’s uncertain she still wants for herself. When she is reunited with Jack, her childhood bully, her intentions to relax and recenter herself are threatened by feelings she is resolved to get under control. He might have changed, but her determination to see all of her hard work through to the end has not.
Jack Evans is a contractor in Farnham, Virginia along the Rappahannock River, where he was born and raised. His life is far from what he imagined it would be a year earlier. In fact, most days he feels as transient as the houseboat that he calls home. Ungrounded, detached, and at risk of drifting out to sea. But when Jocelyn, his childhood crush, unexpectedly renters his life, her light delivers hope of guiding him back to solid ground once again.
As the space between Jocelyn and Jack grows smaller, and the need to rediscover one another grows stronger, they must both decide which life they want; the one they built for themselves, or the one that they built together.
“While reading this book I had a smile on my lips. 1 because it’s soooo cute and 2 because it’s beautiful.
The story deals with the grief of losing a parent and how some deal with that grief. And even though I haven’t myself experienced that, I could very much feel the emotions through the words.”
—@BooksWithBrie
“I loved it. It was amazing. I will never be over Shawn’s writing.”
—@ModernMissGranger
“This was such a sweet story with a sweet ending! I loved the descriptive writing! The author not only makes you visualize the house on the river but you feel like you’re actually there. The scenic imagery transforms you to Virginia. We have a childhood crush turned possible love interest and also home renovations involved; I’m a sucker for a good reno and romance! I was sucked in by the setting and its ‘life on the river’ vibes. The strong family element, dealing with loss and the grieving process gave this story even more passion.”
—@bookish.nurse_jess