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This Time Around
Heidi
My marriage wasn’t a fairytale, but it was familiar—and I was content. Then six months ago, I became a 45-year-old widow with a bruised heart and no roadmap for starting over. Moving to a small town gave me a fresh a job I love, a community that feels like home, and just enough peace to start figuring out who I want to be.
Love? That wasn’t part of the plan. Especially not the passionate kind that scorches your skin and leaves you craving more. But one unforgettable night with a ridiculously hot football coach cracked something open in me. I’m not sure I’m ready—but I’m starting to wonder what it would feel like to be wanted for real.
Drew
People think professional football players are all charm and no commitment. Not me. I spent years in Chicago playing hard and loving harder—until my ex-wife traded our family for fame. Now at 42, I'm divorced, retired from the league, and coaching at a small college in a small town, trying to rebuild a life that feels like mine again.
I didn’t expect her. The curvy little brunette with sharp wit and sad eyes. One shot, one grilled cheese, one explosive night—and I’m hooked. She’s healing. I’m jaded. But I know what I want, and I’m not afraid to fight for it.
This Time Around, the debut novel from Autumn Michaels, is a dual POV, open-door romance about two grown-ups with baggage, chemistry, and a shot at something real. No third-act breakup. Just meddling friends, a cat that's never missed a meal, and figuring out life this time around. If you love second chances, small towns, and spicy scenes with heart, this one’s for you.
My marriage wasn’t a fairytale, but it was familiar—and I was content. Then six months ago, I became a 45-year-old widow with a bruised heart and no roadmap for starting over. Moving to a small town gave me a fresh a job I love, a community that feels like home, and just enough peace to start figuring out who I want to be.
Love? That wasn’t part of the plan. Especially not the passionate kind that scorches your skin and leaves you craving more. But one unforgettable night with a ridiculously hot football coach cracked something open in me. I’m not sure I’m ready—but I’m starting to wonder what it would feel like to be wanted for real.
Drew
People think professional football players are all charm and no commitment. Not me. I spent years in Chicago playing hard and loving harder—until my ex-wife traded our family for fame. Now at 42, I'm divorced, retired from the league, and coaching at a small college in a small town, trying to rebuild a life that feels like mine again.
I didn’t expect her. The curvy little brunette with sharp wit and sad eyes. One shot, one grilled cheese, one explosive night—and I’m hooked. She’s healing. I’m jaded. But I know what I want, and I’m not afraid to fight for it.
This Time Around, the debut novel from Autumn Michaels, is a dual POV, open-door romance about two grown-ups with baggage, chemistry, and a shot at something real. No third-act breakup. Just meddling friends, a cat that's never missed a meal, and figuring out life this time around. If you love second chances, small towns, and spicy scenes with heart, this one’s for you.
359 pages, Paperback
Published November 10, 2025
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 12, 2025
Quick, spicy read from a new author. Loved the journey Heidi went through to re-define herself. It was good to read about a woman my age learning that happiness is still possible.
Displaying 1 of 1 review