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The Anchor: A Sapphic Second Chance Romance
Her body recognized the voice before her mind caught up.
Cable news anchor Helena Richards is live on television when her new executive producer says her first word into her earpiece — and Helena recognizes that voice instantly. Cool. Professional. Completely familiar. Her hand tightens on the desk. She delivers the next line of copy perfectly. The audience sees nothing.
Helena has spent thirteen years becoming the most controlled woman in primetime. Three executive producers have fled her show in eighteen months. The fourth one has just walked into her control room — and nobody warned her it was her ex.
Valerie Clark, Peabody Award-winning documentary journalist, took the job for the money. That's the lie she packed first. She left Helena thirteen years ago — and she's only starting to understand how wrong she was to leave.
Now Val is in the control room, and her voice lives inside Helena's head for hours every broadcast night. Professional instruction that lands too close. Camera cues that sound like something else entirely. Every word dragging up memories Helena buried a decade ago — some that still ache, some so sexy they burn.
The audience only sees a flawless broadcast. They have no idea that Helena is unraveling one whispered word at a time.
The Anchor is an ice queen, second chance, forced proximity sapphic romance from the author of Collision Course and Cabin Fever. Slow burn. High heat. Emotionally devastating. For readers who like their ice queens complicated and their happy endings earned.
Cable news anchor Helena Richards is live on television when her new executive producer says her first word into her earpiece — and Helena recognizes that voice instantly. Cool. Professional. Completely familiar. Her hand tightens on the desk. She delivers the next line of copy perfectly. The audience sees nothing.
Helena has spent thirteen years becoming the most controlled woman in primetime. Three executive producers have fled her show in eighteen months. The fourth one has just walked into her control room — and nobody warned her it was her ex.
Valerie Clark, Peabody Award-winning documentary journalist, took the job for the money. That's the lie she packed first. She left Helena thirteen years ago — and she's only starting to understand how wrong she was to leave.
Now Val is in the control room, and her voice lives inside Helena's head for hours every broadcast night. Professional instruction that lands too close. Camera cues that sound like something else entirely. Every word dragging up memories Helena buried a decade ago — some that still ache, some so sexy they burn.
The audience only sees a flawless broadcast. They have no idea that Helena is unraveling one whispered word at a time.
The Anchor is an ice queen, second chance, forced proximity sapphic romance from the author of Collision Course and Cabin Fever. Slow burn. High heat. Emotionally devastating. For readers who like their ice queens complicated and their happy endings earned.
- GenresLesbian Fiction
269 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 5, 2026
Thirteen years ago Valerie and Helena were finishing journalism school, getting their degrees, having been together for the previous two years. They dreamed of becoming famous together, making their mark in the world with independent journalistic integrity. But then Helena was offered a job at the top cable news network in DC as a starting anchor. Valerie was devastated, and left, implying Helena was selling her soul to get famous.
Thirteen years later, Valerie had become a top investigative journalist, working in some of the most dangerous and war-torn places in the world, winning a coveted award for her reporting. But she never made much money. And when suddenly the documentary unit she founded was defunded, she had nowhere to go. Until she was offered the job of executive producer for the cable station where Helena was now the top anchor.
Helena had worked her way up, and was now the most watched news anchor in the country. She was called the ice queen; with her direct and brilliant questions she devastated even the most difficult guests, and the list of executive producers she had had fired was growing longer. After the departure of the stations latest EP, Helena was waiting to see who they would hire next. Until one day she recognised the voice in her earpiece, and couldn’t help her involuntary response.
This is a brilliant book. The mix of broadcast technicalities, news station procedure, internal politics, and romance is just right. The story moves at a steady pace, with a good amount of necessary detail without waffling. Both Helena and Val are good strong characters - I really liked Val, her way of being a strong woman, but also having a level of vulnerability. Also Helena covering her past hurt from Val’s actions by becoming the ice queen, and being able to accept Val’s deep apologies so they can move on.
There were one or two minor continuity errors, especially towards the beginning of the story, but nothing that overshadowed the excellent writing.
Thirteen years later, Valerie had become a top investigative journalist, working in some of the most dangerous and war-torn places in the world, winning a coveted award for her reporting. But she never made much money. And when suddenly the documentary unit she founded was defunded, she had nowhere to go. Until she was offered the job of executive producer for the cable station where Helena was now the top anchor.
Helena had worked her way up, and was now the most watched news anchor in the country. She was called the ice queen; with her direct and brilliant questions she devastated even the most difficult guests, and the list of executive producers she had had fired was growing longer. After the departure of the stations latest EP, Helena was waiting to see who they would hire next. Until one day she recognised the voice in her earpiece, and couldn’t help her involuntary response.
This is a brilliant book. The mix of broadcast technicalities, news station procedure, internal politics, and romance is just right. The story moves at a steady pace, with a good amount of necessary detail without waffling. Both Helena and Val are good strong characters - I really liked Val, her way of being a strong woman, but also having a level of vulnerability. Also Helena covering her past hurt from Val’s actions by becoming the ice queen, and being able to accept Val’s deep apologies so they can move on.
There were one or two minor continuity errors, especially towards the beginning of the story, but nothing that overshadowed the excellent writing.
May 24, 2026
when the unthinkable happened
When the network thinks they have control and fires Val they think that’s the end. Surprise Helena has other plans. If you like stories about strong women this is a must read.
Two women Val and Helena have a history, college, same major, a relationship, love. Val thinks Helena is selling out when she takes an interview for network news. While Helena is at the interview Val moves out. Why.. Helena knows what she wants has direction and Val has no idea what her future holds and she’s afraid when Helena realizing this she’ll be the one leaving. Thirteen years later their paths cross again when Val is hired as the producer of The Capital News where Helena has been the anchor since college. Seems the same chemistry and love hasn’t died.
Wow.. I’ve become a big fan of Tessa’s. Her novels have believable characters, interesting storylines, and the progression through the story makes them an enjoyable read. The Anchor is no exception.
When the network thinks they have control and fires Val they think that’s the end. Surprise Helena has other plans. If you like stories about strong women this is a must read.
Two women Val and Helena have a history, college, same major, a relationship, love. Val thinks Helena is selling out when she takes an interview for network news. While Helena is at the interview Val moves out. Why.. Helena knows what she wants has direction and Val has no idea what her future holds and she’s afraid when Helena realizing this she’ll be the one leaving. Thirteen years later their paths cross again when Val is hired as the producer of The Capital News where Helena has been the anchor since college. Seems the same chemistry and love hasn’t died.
Wow.. I’ve become a big fan of Tessa’s. Her novels have believable characters, interesting storylines, and the progression through the story makes them an enjoyable read. The Anchor is no exception.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews