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The Year We Fell. Book One

Joseph Batten, Melissa Batten

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Hartford City, Indiana wasn’t much more than a dot on the map—a place where Friday night lights lit up the town, everyone knew everyone’s business, and memories stuck as stubbornly as the smell of fresh-cut cornfields in late summer. For Joe, it was home.

Joe had his crew—Braxton and Jon, the kind of friends you never had to question, the kind who’d be there whether you were running late to practice or running from trouble. Life was predictable, tied together by football fields, backroads, and the fragile comfort of routine.

Katie was part of that routine too. Their relationship was a mess of on-again, off-again drama, the kind that burned hot but left more ash than warmth. Still, Joe kept circling back, never quite ready to close the door.

Then came Melissa. A freshman cheerleader and a star on the softball diamond, she was the kind of girl whose beauty wasn’t just skin deep—it glowed from within. Sweet, genuine, and unexpectedly magnetic, Melissa wasn’t supposed to change everything…but she did.

What began as glances across the gym and chance conversations quickly grew into something undeniable. Joe was falling hard, even as Katie tightened her grip and did everything she could to pull them apart.

In a town where reputations lasted longer than the seasons, Joe would have to choose not just who he wanted to be with—but who he wanted to become. The question in the face of jealousy, small-town rumors, and the weight of first love, would Joe and Melissa be strong enough to hold on?

160 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2025