The Root of It All

by Alia Smith

Grief. Guilt. Gardening. And one very inconvenient crush.

She came back to fix her life. She didn’t expect to inherit half a garden centre—and a love triangle.

Jess Bennett thought she'd left small-town Ashcombe behind for good. But when her London life goes up in flames, she returns home to sort out her mum’s affairs… and discovers she’s now co-owner of Fletcher’s Garden Centre.

Unfortunately, the other owner is Callum Fletcher—grumpy, buttoned-up, and inconveniently handsome. Even worse? His younger brother Jamie just joined the team, bringing charm, chaos, and smoothie-related flirtation.

Now Jess is knee-deep in compost, gossip, and complicated feelings. She doesn’t want to fall for anyone—especially not two someones—but the more time she spends in the greenhouse, the harder it is to stick to the plan.

With the business at risk and old emotions resurfacing, Jess must does she follow her head, her heart… or her own roots?

A small-town love triangle romcom full of family drama, flirty banter, and just the right amount of emotional mess.

This is a closed door/low spice romantic comedy.

251 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 1, 2026

About the author

Alia Smith writes heart-warming romantic comedies filled with wit, charm, and just the right amount of chaos. When she's not crafting love stories, she can usually be found curled up with a book, getting emotionally invested in reality TV, or attempting to keep Galaxy—her cat and chief muse—from sitting on her keyboard. She lives in a cosy Oxfordshire home, where she firmly believes that every great romance starts with a good cup of tea.