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Down Man
In the sun-soaked perfection of San Diego, Emily Johnson thought she had found her happily ever after. A successful dentist with her own practice, she was married to Layton McCoy, a charismatic former Marine whose intensity first drew her in during their shared passion for triathlon. Their love story began like a fairy tale—two athletes finding each other through training, building a life of adventure and ambition.
But beneath the surface of their Instagram-perfect existence, cracks are forming. Layton's combat trauma has manifested in ways that grow darker by the drinking, lying, and an emotional volatility that leaves Emily walking on eggshells in her own home. When his behavior escalates from concerning to dangerous, Emily finds herself trapped between the man she fell in love with and the stranger he's becoming.
Enter Harper Carlson—a stunning content creator with a seven-year-old son, struggling to escape the adult entertainment industry that has defined her survival. When she meets Layton, she sees not just a conquest, but a ticket to the secure, respectable life she's always craved. What begins as calculated seduction evolves into something more complex as Harper finds herself genuinely falling for the troubled veteran, even as she deliberately dismantles his marriage.
As Layton spirals deeper into addiction and infidelity, Emily must confront an impossible continue sacrificing herself to save a man who may be beyond saving, or find the strength to walk away from everything she's built. Meanwhile, Harper discovers that getting what you want and keeping it are two very different battles—and that some victories come at a price too high to pay.
Down Man is a devastating exploration of trauma, manipulation, and the lengths people will go to when drowning in their own lives. It's a story about the moment when love becomes survival, when compassion becomes enabling, and when the strongest thing you can do is let go. Told through the alternating perspectives of three people caught in an increasingly destructive triangle, this novel examines how we carry each other—and when that weight becomes too much to bear.
Raw, unflinching, and ultimately redemptive, Down Man How do you save someone who's determined to drown? And at what point does trying to rescue them mean losing yourself?
But beneath the surface of their Instagram-perfect existence, cracks are forming. Layton's combat trauma has manifested in ways that grow darker by the drinking, lying, and an emotional volatility that leaves Emily walking on eggshells in her own home. When his behavior escalates from concerning to dangerous, Emily finds herself trapped between the man she fell in love with and the stranger he's becoming.
Enter Harper Carlson—a stunning content creator with a seven-year-old son, struggling to escape the adult entertainment industry that has defined her survival. When she meets Layton, she sees not just a conquest, but a ticket to the secure, respectable life she's always craved. What begins as calculated seduction evolves into something more complex as Harper finds herself genuinely falling for the troubled veteran, even as she deliberately dismantles his marriage.
As Layton spirals deeper into addiction and infidelity, Emily must confront an impossible continue sacrificing herself to save a man who may be beyond saving, or find the strength to walk away from everything she's built. Meanwhile, Harper discovers that getting what you want and keeping it are two very different battles—and that some victories come at a price too high to pay.
Down Man is a devastating exploration of trauma, manipulation, and the lengths people will go to when drowning in their own lives. It's a story about the moment when love becomes survival, when compassion becomes enabling, and when the strongest thing you can do is let go. Told through the alternating perspectives of three people caught in an increasingly destructive triangle, this novel examines how we carry each other—and when that weight becomes too much to bear.
Raw, unflinching, and ultimately redemptive, Down Man How do you save someone who's determined to drown? And at what point does trying to rescue them mean losing yourself?
278 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 23, 2025
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