Maybe This Time

by Ann Roth

Shock of her life...

It’s a lot to process. Rose Shafer’s husband of less than two years asks for a divorce, walks out, and says he’s selling the house she’s called home since the wedding. Then, as he leaves town to move in with the new love of his life, he asks Rose to stay in the house and supervise the carpenter he’s hired to do renovations for the sale! Rent-free, as if that makes up for his despicable behavior.

Imagine contractor Kenny Martin’s surprise when he unlocks the door to the house and finds a beautiful woman fighting back tears brought on by her husband’s upsetting announcement. The man who hired him never mentioned a wife.

He sympathizes with Rose, who’s reeling over what her rotten spouse has pulled. She unloads on Kenny, who’d rather not get involved. He’s finally moved past his own miserable divorce and is thinking about dating again. Besides, he recently opened his own construction company, and he has enough on his plate.

As livid as Rose is, she can’t help but notice that Kenny is attractive. Not that it matters. She’s done with marriage and family. She’s never wanted kids anyway. No more depending on a man for income or anything. She’s going to finish her degree in interior design and build her own business.

But with Kenny and his crew showing up to work on the house five days a week, they see each other often. Soon, their reluctant collaboration turns to friendship, and then becomes something more.

Can love happen when two people moving in different directions and fighting for different dreams find themselves in a head-on collision of their own desires?

236 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 3, 2024

About the author

I'm a bit of a voyeur. I love to stick my nose into total strangers' business and observe how they deal with life's hurdles and whatever obstacles fate throws at them. I can't think of anything more challenging or interesting than delving into a character's psyche to discover what makes her/him tick. The surprises and insights are amazing.

The people who interest me most are the ones I know will triumph despite life’s problems and challenges. For me, writing their stories is both rewarding and a whole lot of fun.

Publication didn't come easy for me--just ask my family! That took seven-plus years, during which I worked full-time as a banker, complete with an MBA in finance and human resources management. I wrote evenings and weekends, spending countless hours hunched in front of the computer while I painstakingly honed my craft, and collected folders of rejections. In 1999 my efforts at last paid off. That summer, I won the Golden Heart for best long contemporary romance. Sadly it is now defunct. Six months later, just four days before Christmas, I sold my first book to Silhouette Special Edition, also now gone. That book, STRANGER IN A SMALL TOWN, was a 2000 Romantic Times nominee (another loss) for best first long series novel.

Since then I have sold multiple novels to publishers and tried my hand at indie publishing.

But things change, so check back often for updates.

Thanks for stopping by, and come back soon!

Reviews

[Quinn Fforde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose gets a shock when her husband announces that he is leaving, having the house renovated, and selling it. She gets a little of her own back by insisting that he pay her to manage the renovations and furniture selling. Still, she is still pretty distraught when the contractor, Kenny, walks in. He is very kind and sympathetic. They develop a friendship that turns into something more over the weeks. Kenny is worried that Rose is on the rebound and will hurt him. Rose is focused on going back to school to finish her degree and on being financially responsible for herself. They figure they'll just mess around a little until the renovations are done. But feelings get caught while more obstacles are revealed. How will they work this out?

[Bonnie Blackledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book and decided it sounded like a story I wanted to read. I was certainly not disappointed! From the moment I started reading, I was drawn into the situation. It was well-written with excellent character development. Rose’s husband has contracted Kenny to renovate his home. The day Kenny was supposed to start working, Rose’s husband told her that he wanted a divorce. Rose works hard to start a new life by returning to college and making enough money to pay for a new place to live. Kenny and Rose fight their attraction to each other, trying instead to remain as friends.
One of the best things about reading this book, is that I’ve discovered a new “favorite” author. I was happily surprised to find that Ann Roth has written many books and I’m excited to read them.

[Cassandre Thornbro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this episode in the series. Cute story and easy to read. Loved seeing bits of characters from the first book, looking forward to the next one!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

What started as a disaster ends in triumph in this enjoyable romance, as Rose scrambles her way through the horrific events thrown her way on her birthday. The cold and merciless announcement that her husband is divorcing her and leaving her for........good grief! Not only that, but he is selling the house and requires her to oversee the renovations and pack up his belongings to send to him. Fortunately, Rose is a survivor and for the first time stands up to the arrogant man and makes demands that he has no choice but to accept. The contractor commissioned to do the renovations on the house walks into that mess and considering his own past experiences would dearly like to make his escape, but he realizes that the woman with tears running down her face is in shock. As Rose begins to pick up the pieces of her life and forges a new path for herself, Kenny can only admire her pluck and gives her practical advice that enables her to lay a new foundation. The attraction between Kenny and Rose develops amidst a certain amount of chaos, but there is one stumbling block that they both have to deal with if their relationship is going to be successful, Fortunately, love finds a way, bringing this novel to a happy conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift through BookSprout and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Sahar's Honest Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

--Neither Was Looking for Love, But It found Them

In this contemporary romance, a chance encounter would change two lives. Kenny had a renovation job, but he thought the house was empty. Rose just had a bomb drop on her head. Her husband told her he was gay, and he was filing for divorce. She was not expecting anyone at her doorstep. Kenny’s appearance in her life would be a blessing, but it might take her a while to realize it.

As Kenny and Rose got to know one another, they began to fall in love. However, they had different goals for their lives. Could they find common ground, or would they lose each other? If you like contemporary romance, you might enjoy this story.

[Marie Bourgery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure about Rose from the last book. I could tell she married her husband for security and when he tells her wants a divorce and leaves in this book, she was upset but not heartbroken. Enter Kenny likes to rescue people as he did with his ex and he is attracted to her but she doesn’t want kids and he does. I thought Rose was too quick to say they could have a fling while he dated other women. Even though she tells him her heart is not involved it quickly is. But they both must decide what’s important in this steamy second chance at love romance.

[Vilma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose Shafer, newly separated and Kenny Martin, divorced meet when Kenny shows up to do renovations scheduled by her ex.

Rose’s vulnerability is at first a deterrent for Kenny, but as he gets to know her there is a real spark between them.

Both agreeing to a friends with benefits relationship… until real feelings get involved.

There is a happy ending after much personal introspection about what each Kenny and Rose want for their future.

[Lisa H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hot mess..

Rose is dumped unceremoniously and told their house is being sold by her husband who is divorcing her and selling the house. She’s a mess, crying and that’s Kenny meets her. He’d rather be anywhere but there. He’s had his own issues to work through. I thought the timing was way, way off for them to meet and that Rose really needed to stand on her own two feet for years before even thinking of dating again.

[Michelle Stricker · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book sounded original and I was so ready to love it, but I didn't. It was really hard to get into. I am not sure if the author has ADHD or wants her readers to think that they do, but the spastic nature of writing was so distracting that the story was underwhelming.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Leah Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute, fast paced romance with the perfect amount of steam. The characters are good and a little frustrating. I yelled at my Kindle. A lot. I really enjoyed the ending.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Suzette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is set in a small town where two people are thrust into a very awkward situation. Rose suddenly finds herself getting a divorce and having to figure out life as a single woman. Kenny is a contractor who walks into a situation that he was not prepared for. The plot slowly builds from them becoming friends, to lovers and then much more. The conversations are sharp and interesting as they share their dreams and get to know each other.