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Edgewater Romance #2.2
Glass Box Therapy
Not yet published
Expected 25 Aug 26
Claire Danvers is dead.
Cleo Bennet is Edgewater’s grief specialist, operating out of her own practice, Glass Box Therapy. Cleo’s life is carefully curated—the same routine to check for traps every morning, a gun in the file cabinet just in case, and an escape plan for when the day eventually comes that he finds her again.
Claire Danvers is a relic, a life that ended ten years ago.
Nobody in Edgewater knows her. Nobody in Edgewater will ever know her.
Luke Carter is haunted by his past as an enforcer in an underground network. Now working as a PT in Edgewater, he is pushed to see a therapist by a friend when his PTSD symptoms worsen. But when he walks into Glass Box Therapy to meet Cleo Bennet, it’s like seeing a ghost, because Cleo isn’t her real name—it’s Claire.
Cleo has no idea Luke is the one who took her fiancé undercover to save her, resulting in his death, and the longer Luke keeps the truth from her, the harder it gets to come clean—especially when he’s falling for her.
By the time her past catches up, putting the lives of everyone in Cleo’s life at risk, she’s already in love with for Luke Carter.
Her escape plan is the only plan.
The problem is, it can’t include Luke.
Cleo Bennet is Edgewater’s grief specialist, operating out of her own practice, Glass Box Therapy. Cleo’s life is carefully curated—the same routine to check for traps every morning, a gun in the file cabinet just in case, and an escape plan for when the day eventually comes that he finds her again.
Claire Danvers is a relic, a life that ended ten years ago.
Nobody in Edgewater knows her. Nobody in Edgewater will ever know her.
Luke Carter is haunted by his past as an enforcer in an underground network. Now working as a PT in Edgewater, he is pushed to see a therapist by a friend when his PTSD symptoms worsen. But when he walks into Glass Box Therapy to meet Cleo Bennet, it’s like seeing a ghost, because Cleo isn’t her real name—it’s Claire.
Cleo has no idea Luke is the one who took her fiancé undercover to save her, resulting in his death, and the longer Luke keeps the truth from her, the harder it gets to come clean—especially when he’s falling for her.
By the time her past catches up, putting the lives of everyone in Cleo’s life at risk, she’s already in love with for Luke Carter.
Her escape plan is the only plan.
The problem is, it can’t include Luke.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication August 25, 2026
About the author
Evita Wren
15 books63 followersEvita Wren is a queer, auDHD indie romance author.
She writes heartfelt, spicy, and funny contemporary romance that'll hurt your feelings a little (or a lot) before you get to that sweet HEA.
She enjoys crafting relatable and realistic emotional conflict, character-driven intimacy, and the odd suspense-adjacent twist here and there.
Evita’s favorite things to write are witty banter, well-earned spice after a good slow burn (with tons of consent), emotionally resonant character arcs, and realistic bodies (you won’t find washboard abs here unless it fits a character’s lifestyle, which is almost never, sorry!). She loves to include realistic representation of disability and mental health issues, a lot of which stems from her own experience with ADHD, autism, hypermobility, Raynaud's, migraines, anxiety... just to name a few. 😅
She mostly writes MF contemporary, but also MM, FF, and MMF triad/poly relationships (throuples, if you don’t dislike the term like she does).
Her current project is the Edgewater Romance series, beginning with Harper's Landing!
She writes heartfelt, spicy, and funny contemporary romance that'll hurt your feelings a little (or a lot) before you get to that sweet HEA.
She enjoys crafting relatable and realistic emotional conflict, character-driven intimacy, and the odd suspense-adjacent twist here and there.
Evita’s favorite things to write are witty banter, well-earned spice after a good slow burn (with tons of consent), emotionally resonant character arcs, and realistic bodies (you won’t find washboard abs here unless it fits a character’s lifestyle, which is almost never, sorry!). She loves to include realistic representation of disability and mental health issues, a lot of which stems from her own experience with ADHD, autism, hypermobility, Raynaud's, migraines, anxiety... just to name a few. 😅
She mostly writes MF contemporary, but also MM, FF, and MMF triad/poly relationships (throuples, if you don’t dislike the term like she does).
Her current project is the Edgewater Romance series, beginning with Harper's Landing!
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was SO good! It might be my favorite thing Evita Wren has written, but I say that every time, so... She always does such an amazing job with mental health representation, and I think this one was just really personal for me, and that's why I loved it even more.
I loved that both Luke and Cleo were dealing with their own trauma, grief, anxiety, and PTSD, and none of it felt surface level. Luke's nightmares, his PTSD, the CPAP mask... all of that really resonated with me as a veteran with C-PTSD because it is complex and multi-faceted and yes, contains layers. Evita always handles these topics and any type of representation with so much care, and I think that's one of the things she does best. I also had never heard the term disenfranchised grief before, and I absolutely love when books teach me something new, especially when it's related to mental health and therapy. That was such an interesting aspect of Cleo's job, and I definitely want to learn even more about it.
I was SHOCKED when everything started coming together with the true connection between Cleo and Luke. Looking back, the hints were definitely there, but I still didn't fully put it together, and I loved that reveal.
If you know me, you know my favorite romance subgenre is romantic suspense, so I think my favorite part of this whole book was the suspense storyline. I don't think Evita has written romantic suspense before (or at least I don't remember her doing it), but she nailed it. I loved the mystery and there was enough suspense for me to be really engaged, and I think she found her niche. I would LOVE to see her write more romantic suspense because she executed it so well.
Luke and Cleo's chemistry was incredible, but what I loved even more was how healing their relationship was. They both carried so much trauma, and they slowly began to feel safe enough to be vulnerable with each other and that was beautiful. I especially loved how they worked through some of that shared trauma through sex. It wasn't just hot (and trust me... it was HOT 🥵), but it also felt tender, intimate, and just so healing in a way they both needed. It was about taking back their power and finally feeling safe with another person, and I thought that was so beautifully done.
And yes... the SPICE. Oh, she never fails me on that. The cockwarming, the "good boy", him cleaning her up after because she told him to was beyond HOT.
If I had a complaint or two, it would be that I really wish it had been longer. I wanted more. I wanted more of Cleo's past, more of Luke's history, more of them together, and I especially wanted more with Zach Medina because I felt like there was so much that could have been expanded on. Everything moved a little fast, and while I still loved it, I think another 75-100 pages would've made this even stronger. I rarely say a book should be longer and in fact, I often say they should be shorter and not 500+ pages for a romance novel, but in this case, it would have benefitted from more. But still, I loved it very much and this was certainly not enough to deter me.
I was also pretty apprehensive going into the therapist/patient relationship because that can go wrong SO easily, and there are definitely some blurred ethical lines here. But somehow... it worked and I didn't think it was cringe or handled poorly. I actually think it was executed it really, really well.
I could wax poetic forever about her and what she writes time and time again, but let me just say that I really loved this. It was ultimately such a beautiful story about grief, trauma, forgiveness, and finding the person who makes you feel safe again. Also, it felt like fate that Luke and Cleo ended up together after everything they'd both survived. If Evita keeps writing romantic suspense after this, I will be reading every single one!
Thank you to Evita Wren for the eARC of this book.
I loved that both Luke and Cleo were dealing with their own trauma, grief, anxiety, and PTSD, and none of it felt surface level. Luke's nightmares, his PTSD, the CPAP mask... all of that really resonated with me as a veteran with C-PTSD because it is complex and multi-faceted and yes, contains layers. Evita always handles these topics and any type of representation with so much care, and I think that's one of the things she does best. I also had never heard the term disenfranchised grief before, and I absolutely love when books teach me something new, especially when it's related to mental health and therapy. That was such an interesting aspect of Cleo's job, and I definitely want to learn even more about it.
I was SHOCKED when everything started coming together with the true connection between Cleo and Luke. Looking back, the hints were definitely there, but I still didn't fully put it together, and I loved that reveal.
If you know me, you know my favorite romance subgenre is romantic suspense, so I think my favorite part of this whole book was the suspense storyline. I don't think Evita has written romantic suspense before (or at least I don't remember her doing it), but she nailed it. I loved the mystery and there was enough suspense for me to be really engaged, and I think she found her niche. I would LOVE to see her write more romantic suspense because she executed it so well.
Luke and Cleo's chemistry was incredible, but what I loved even more was how healing their relationship was. They both carried so much trauma, and they slowly began to feel safe enough to be vulnerable with each other and that was beautiful. I especially loved how they worked through some of that shared trauma through sex. It wasn't just hot (and trust me... it was HOT 🥵), but it also felt tender, intimate, and just so healing in a way they both needed. It was about taking back their power and finally feeling safe with another person, and I thought that was so beautifully done.
And yes... the SPICE. Oh, she never fails me on that. The cockwarming, the "good boy", him cleaning her up after because she told him to was beyond HOT.
If I had a complaint or two, it would be that I really wish it had been longer. I wanted more. I wanted more of Cleo's past, more of Luke's history, more of them together, and I especially wanted more with Zach Medina because I felt like there was so much that could have been expanded on. Everything moved a little fast, and while I still loved it, I think another 75-100 pages would've made this even stronger. I rarely say a book should be longer and in fact, I often say they should be shorter and not 500+ pages for a romance novel, but in this case, it would have benefitted from more. But still, I loved it very much and this was certainly not enough to deter me.
I was also pretty apprehensive going into the therapist/patient relationship because that can go wrong SO easily, and there are definitely some blurred ethical lines here. But somehow... it worked and I didn't think it was cringe or handled poorly. I actually think it was executed it really, really well.
I could wax poetic forever about her and what she writes time and time again, but let me just say that I really loved this. It was ultimately such a beautiful story about grief, trauma, forgiveness, and finding the person who makes you feel safe again. Also, it felt like fate that Luke and Cleo ended up together after everything they'd both survived. If Evita keeps writing romantic suspense after this, I will be reading every single one!
Thank you to Evita Wren for the eARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I LOVE Evita Wren’s writing and this book is no different - completing another part of Edgewater’s population, Glass Box Therapy is a fantastic addition to the series.
I am a sucker for book series in which basically a whole village (or group of friends, or a team) slowly but surely all get paired off by an author. This is exactly what Evita’s doing in Edgewater, resulting in characters appearing in each others’ stories. I love catching up with characters whose books ended earlier in time but live on in the fictional universe.
Aside from that, keeping track of who talks to whom in all these books so that a later book can refer to that event accurately, has got to involve heavy-duty planning and is hugely impressive. Never fear though, the foreword explains clearly where in time this book is situated in relation to the already published other Edgewater books.
Cleo is Edgewater’s trauma/grief therapist, and Luke is its physical therapist. They’re much more than that to each other though, although Cleo doesn’t realise this at first, and both are damaged due to their pasts. Despite (or because of?) this, they’re attracted to each other.
Evita’s characters are always ‘real’ - imperfect humans, who react in normal ways to what happens around and to them. Cleo and Luke are no different, and so when Cleo finds out who Luke is, she - of course - reacts strongly. I love how Evita then gets them to come together again - the intensity, the need, the desperation with which Luke’s scene is written is amazing. I found myself hissing yesssss when this scene developed as I wanted it to - clearly a sign that I’d been sucked in deep! More generally I really love that these two characters manage to get together (the spice scenes are hot!) despite their issues, and that the book, despite being a novella, doesn’t just focus on their developing relationship but contains some suspense and shows both Luke and Cleo treating other people, filling out their lives away from each other.
Out of necessity for the story, Luke and Cleo’s background is revealed in bits and pieces, sometimes through flashbacks. It works well, although I did find myself sometimes wanting to understand them better, and wanting a clearer idea of what happened/their lives looked like immediately and in the years after the events in the past prior to their arrival in Edgewater. I also would’ve liked to understand the network and Luke’s role in it a bit more. This might have extended the book beyond its ‘novella’ length though, and didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book overall.
Every one of the Edgewater books has at least one sentence that cracks me up (à la the set of copper-bottomed saucepans from the book The Black Dove (IYKYK - read this book!!). Glass Box Therapy didn’t let me down: Luke’s patient arriving ‘with a smirk like he just woke up in a bed with every single one of his Tinder matches’ had me snorting in my drink (luckily I was alone when I read that one).
All in all a fab addition to the series and I recommend this book, and all the other Edgewater series books, to all!
Thank you to Evita Wren for sending me an eARC.
I am a sucker for book series in which basically a whole village (or group of friends, or a team) slowly but surely all get paired off by an author. This is exactly what Evita’s doing in Edgewater, resulting in characters appearing in each others’ stories. I love catching up with characters whose books ended earlier in time but live on in the fictional universe.
Aside from that, keeping track of who talks to whom in all these books so that a later book can refer to that event accurately, has got to involve heavy-duty planning and is hugely impressive. Never fear though, the foreword explains clearly where in time this book is situated in relation to the already published other Edgewater books.
Cleo is Edgewater’s trauma/grief therapist, and Luke is its physical therapist. They’re much more than that to each other though, although Cleo doesn’t realise this at first, and both are damaged due to their pasts. Despite (or because of?) this, they’re attracted to each other.
Evita’s characters are always ‘real’ - imperfect humans, who react in normal ways to what happens around and to them. Cleo and Luke are no different, and so when Cleo finds out who Luke is, she - of course - reacts strongly. I love how Evita then gets them to come together again - the intensity, the need, the desperation with which Luke’s scene is written is amazing. I found myself hissing yesssss when this scene developed as I wanted it to - clearly a sign that I’d been sucked in deep! More generally I really love that these two characters manage to get together (the spice scenes are hot!) despite their issues, and that the book, despite being a novella, doesn’t just focus on their developing relationship but contains some suspense and shows both Luke and Cleo treating other people, filling out their lives away from each other.
Out of necessity for the story, Luke and Cleo’s background is revealed in bits and pieces, sometimes through flashbacks. It works well, although I did find myself sometimes wanting to understand them better, and wanting a clearer idea of what happened/their lives looked like immediately and in the years after the events in the past prior to their arrival in Edgewater. I also would’ve liked to understand the network and Luke’s role in it a bit more. This might have extended the book beyond its ‘novella’ length though, and didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book overall.
Every one of the Edgewater books has at least one sentence that cracks me up (à la the set of copper-bottomed saucepans from the book The Black Dove (IYKYK - read this book!!). Glass Box Therapy didn’t let me down: Luke’s patient arriving ‘with a smirk like he just woke up in a bed with every single one of his Tinder matches’ had me snorting in my drink (luckily I was alone when I read that one).
All in all a fab addition to the series and I recommend this book, and all the other Edgewater series books, to all!
Thank you to Evita Wren for sending me an eARC.
August 6, 2026
Review of advance copy received from author
💫Some spoilers as this book connects into the larger Edgewater universe!
🛋️🗻🌊🩵
I always love to visit Edgewater in Evita’s books, but Cleo and Luke’s story has been one of my favorites so far.
Two characters who appear in the lives of the rest of Edgewater that we see so briefly before finally having their own moment to shine was absolutely amazing.
Cleo Bennett explodes beyond her world as Edgewater’s grief therapist and Luke Carter becomes more than just another pretty face inside of Rock Salt. Together, they’re two people with a shared past and shared grief, even shared trauma, but more than that- they’re two people allowing one another the space to heal and move forward in the safety of another person.
🛋️🗻🌊🩵
Cleo is the kind of independent FMC who you read and know has scraped and fought to survive every single moment of her existence. You root from her immediately and there’s a final girl / “good for her” energy about her that makes you turn the pages of her story faster and faster.
Luke takes “touch her and 💀” to a professional level. You’ve heard of the golden retriever boy but Luke is a “scary dog privilege” MMC; he’s got bark and ferocity if you look at his people wrong, but back in his four walls, he’s a total lap dog. Luke is the MMC you want to hold by the arms and shake into reality that he’s safe and he can stop running — except Cleo takes care of that for you.
Ghosts, glass, fog, and dreams tie these two together undoubtedly.
🛋️🗻🌊🩵
As always promised, there is a happy ending and seeing Luke and Cleo together at Lexi and Cole’s wedding, believing they’re both good enough for the good thing they have was icing on the (wedding) cake.
Also always promised is plenty of spice and WHEW do Luke and Cleo deliver! More than just spice, every scene is an opportunity to see their trust, adoration, and sense of selves shine.
✨Micro-tropes:
-slutty little glasses
-control freak X control freak
-dreamt of you but woke up alone
💫Some spoilers as this book connects into the larger Edgewater universe!
🛋️🗻🌊🩵
I always love to visit Edgewater in Evita’s books, but Cleo and Luke’s story has been one of my favorites so far.
Two characters who appear in the lives of the rest of Edgewater that we see so briefly before finally having their own moment to shine was absolutely amazing.
Cleo Bennett explodes beyond her world as Edgewater’s grief therapist and Luke Carter becomes more than just another pretty face inside of Rock Salt. Together, they’re two people with a shared past and shared grief, even shared trauma, but more than that- they’re two people allowing one another the space to heal and move forward in the safety of another person.
🛋️🗻🌊🩵
Cleo is the kind of independent FMC who you read and know has scraped and fought to survive every single moment of her existence. You root from her immediately and there’s a final girl / “good for her” energy about her that makes you turn the pages of her story faster and faster.
Luke takes “touch her and 💀” to a professional level. You’ve heard of the golden retriever boy but Luke is a “scary dog privilege” MMC; he’s got bark and ferocity if you look at his people wrong, but back in his four walls, he’s a total lap dog. Luke is the MMC you want to hold by the arms and shake into reality that he’s safe and he can stop running — except Cleo takes care of that for you.
Ghosts, glass, fog, and dreams tie these two together undoubtedly.
🛋️🗻🌊🩵
As always promised, there is a happy ending and seeing Luke and Cleo together at Lexi and Cole’s wedding, believing they’re both good enough for the good thing they have was icing on the (wedding) cake.
Also always promised is plenty of spice and WHEW do Luke and Cleo deliver! More than just spice, every scene is an opportunity to see their trust, adoration, and sense of selves shine.
✨Micro-tropes:
-slutty little glasses
-control freak X control freak
-dreamt of you but woke up alone
Review of advance copy received from Author
Glass Box Therapy is one of those stories where two people shaped by the same kind of hurt collide without realizing just how deeply their pasts overlap. Cleo Bennett is running from memories that still feel too close, and Luke Carter is carrying his own history like a heavy weight. Their connection starts in the most complicated way; he’s her patient, she’s his therapist but the emotional pull between them feels older than that.
What I really enjoyed was how their shared past sits under the surface long before they both know it. There’s this subtle recognition in the way Luke looks at Cleo, the way they react, like their nervous systems already remember something their minds haven’t caught up to yet.
Luke’s protectiveness is one of the most compelling parts of the story. It’s not loud or possessive, it’s instinctive. He watches her closely, steadies her without crowding her, and you can feel how deeply he wants her safe even before he understands why. And Cleo, who’s been bracing herself for years, is the one who calms him. She softens the edges he pretends aren’t there, grounds him in a way he didn’t expect. Their dynamic is this quiet push-pull of safety: she regulates him, he shields her.
The professional boundary makes every moment between them feel heightened, and like every breakthrough, every slip of vulnerability, every conversation that goes deeper than it should is meant to happen. Evita Wren handles their unraveling with restraint and emotional honesty. Nothing feels forced; it’s two people learning how to stop hiding from themselves and from each other.
This is a beautiful story about slow trust, shared trauma that actually matters, and characters who feel like they’re healing each other in real time. They both were compelling and utterly resilient main characters.
A huge thank you to Evita Wren for the early copy!
What I really enjoyed was how their shared past sits under the surface long before they both know it. There’s this subtle recognition in the way Luke looks at Cleo, the way they react, like their nervous systems already remember something their minds haven’t caught up to yet.
Luke’s protectiveness is one of the most compelling parts of the story. It’s not loud or possessive, it’s instinctive. He watches her closely, steadies her without crowding her, and you can feel how deeply he wants her safe even before he understands why. And Cleo, who’s been bracing herself for years, is the one who calms him. She softens the edges he pretends aren’t there, grounds him in a way he didn’t expect. Their dynamic is this quiet push-pull of safety: she regulates him, he shields her.
The professional boundary makes every moment between them feel heightened, and like every breakthrough, every slip of vulnerability, every conversation that goes deeper than it should is meant to happen. Evita Wren handles their unraveling with restraint and emotional honesty. Nothing feels forced; it’s two people learning how to stop hiding from themselves and from each other.
This is a beautiful story about slow trust, shared trauma that actually matters, and characters who feel like they’re healing each other in real time. They both were compelling and utterly resilient main characters.
A huge thank you to Evita Wren for the early copy!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Cleo and Luke were absolutely worth going back for. I was lucky enough to Beta read this book and the way I ate them up and left nothing behind. The citizens of Edgewater are no stranger to hard times and there is no exception here. This book has themes that are quite heavy, especially for the length, but it never feels overwhelming and like something you'll want to put down. In fact, I stayed up until 1am to finish it in one sitting because at no point did I think "this is a good stopping point." At the end of every chapter I wanted to keep going because I was so invested in what was going to happen next. Cleo is running from some really dark stuff. Luke carries demons inside him that would make the best of us crumble. When they come together they have no idea they're running from the same ghost. There's twists, there's secrets, there's decently high stakes and intense chemistry to match. You have to wait a bit to get that spark but baybee when it ignites? Boom! This was an amazing story of hurt/comfort but they both are hurting something fierce. Oh and that dedication? Yeah, Evita grabs me by the throat with each one and says "come with me, I see you." 😩
Another Edgewater couple that just makes me want to move there and never leave. Every time I get to go back I drop everything to do so and every time I have to leave a small piece of me stays behind. Edgewater really is home away from home. 🖤
Another Edgewater couple that just makes me want to move there and never leave. Every time I get to go back I drop everything to do so and every time I have to leave a small piece of me stays behind. Edgewater really is home away from home. 🖤
Review of advance copy received from Author
[I beta read this prior to release]
I don’t think it has ever taken me this long to write a review on a story that Evita has written. I truly had to sit with this one for two reasons: 1- how do I review without spoiling because holy hell and 2- so much happened that I wanted to get my thoughts in order. That being said, per usual, this story had me in my feelings for so many different reasons. We have a few flashback chapters where we get to see where Cleo (then Claire) was in her life at the time, and what she was on the run from. We get to see a little bit of her fiancé, and from that little bit, see how much he loved her and would do anything for her. We also see how Luke’s past starts to affect his present, and going to therapy starts to help him slowly start to, not necessarily make peace with his past, but know that maybe things will be okay. That is until all hell breaks loose...the first time...Cleo and Luke must work through trauma together that they didn’t think they would have to. As life would have it, things don’t settle for long, and it all goes to hell, again. Something I’ve always praised with Evita’s characters is that they feel like real people. They have real problems that you and I would have, or our neighbors would have. Like Luke, our poor guy has sleep apnea...hi, hello, tis I. ha! While the overall may not be something you would see every day, the characters themselves are just like the people you’d see every single day, with the same mental, physical, psychological, etc, health struggles. It’s really refreshing to see, and I think makes it so much easier to get attached to these characters. My one and only complaint, why novella! ha! These two easily could have had a regular length story, but the world Evita has built and continues to build, it makes sense. I loved this story. The suspense theme is a bit different than what we usually get, and I devoured it. I love a good suspense story, and this was a great romantic suspsense.
I don’t think it has ever taken me this long to write a review on a story that Evita has written. I truly had to sit with this one for two reasons: 1- how do I review without spoiling because holy hell and 2- so much happened that I wanted to get my thoughts in order. That being said, per usual, this story had me in my feelings for so many different reasons. We have a few flashback chapters where we get to see where Cleo (then Claire) was in her life at the time, and what she was on the run from. We get to see a little bit of her fiancé, and from that little bit, see how much he loved her and would do anything for her. We also see how Luke’s past starts to affect his present, and going to therapy starts to help him slowly start to, not necessarily make peace with his past, but know that maybe things will be okay. That is until all hell breaks loose...the first time...Cleo and Luke must work through trauma together that they didn’t think they would have to. As life would have it, things don’t settle for long, and it all goes to hell, again. Something I’ve always praised with Evita’s characters is that they feel like real people. They have real problems that you and I would have, or our neighbors would have. Like Luke, our poor guy has sleep apnea...hi, hello, tis I. ha! While the overall may not be something you would see every day, the characters themselves are just like the people you’d see every single day, with the same mental, physical, psychological, etc, health struggles. It’s really refreshing to see, and I think makes it so much easier to get attached to these characters. My one and only complaint, why novella! ha! These two easily could have had a regular length story, but the world Evita has built and continues to build, it makes sense. I loved this story. The suspense theme is a bit different than what we usually get, and I devoured it. I love a good suspense story, and this was a great romantic suspsense.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Another journey to Edgewater, but this one hit different.
Cleo has been through hell. She’s got an obsessive, stalker ex who’s previously kidnapped & held her hostage. Managing to get away during a fire, she escaped to safety. To add to the trauma, her fiancé died in the fire.
10 years on & she’s settled in Edgewater as a grief therapist. She is hyper vigilant with checking her surroundings, still living knowing she could be found again.
Luke is the PT at the local gym. Luke lost his friend in a fire whilst searching for his fiance, & is encouraged to seek therapy to help. But when he steps foot into Glass Box Therapy & sees Cleo for the first time, he knows it’s her. The fiancée of his friend who he couldn’t save. However, Cleo never met Luke so she is unaware of the role he plays in her story. Needless to say, when the link is finally revealed it blows everything up.
Despite the trauma between them, the deception of Luke’s omission, the guilt over the fire & death of their friend & fiancé, there is still a pull towards each other they are unable to ignore.
When the dam finally breaks, Cleo surprised me so much! I loved the spice between the pair, & their shared trauma really does bring them together.
Cleo has been through hell. She’s got an obsessive, stalker ex who’s previously kidnapped & held her hostage. Managing to get away during a fire, she escaped to safety. To add to the trauma, her fiancé died in the fire.
10 years on & she’s settled in Edgewater as a grief therapist. She is hyper vigilant with checking her surroundings, still living knowing she could be found again.
Luke is the PT at the local gym. Luke lost his friend in a fire whilst searching for his fiance, & is encouraged to seek therapy to help. But when he steps foot into Glass Box Therapy & sees Cleo for the first time, he knows it’s her. The fiancée of his friend who he couldn’t save. However, Cleo never met Luke so she is unaware of the role he plays in her story. Needless to say, when the link is finally revealed it blows everything up.
Despite the trauma between them, the deception of Luke’s omission, the guilt over the fire & death of their friend & fiancé, there is still a pull towards each other they are unable to ignore.
When the dam finally breaks, Cleo surprised me so much! I loved the spice between the pair, & their shared trauma really does bring them together.
July 31, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ARC REVIEW 💌✨
Thank you to Evita Wren for the ARC!
This was one of those books I flew through in one sitting because I needed to know how everything was going to unfold. 😭💖 The emotional tension?? The chemistry?? The healing journey?? It all had me completely hooked.
I loved how the romance balanced the sweeter moments with the heavier emotional themes, and the characters felt so easy to root for. Watching them slowly let their walls down had me kicking my feet one minute and clutching my Kindle the next. 🥹📖
✨ Tropes
🩷 Emotional healing
🩷 Small-town romance
🩷 Slow-burn chemistry
🩷 Found family vibes
🩷 Emotional baggage & vulnerability
🩷 Protective love interest
🩷 Mental health representation
If you love romances that make your heart ache before putting it back together, definitely add this one to your TBR! 💕📚
Thank you to Evita Wren for the ARC!
This was one of those books I flew through in one sitting because I needed to know how everything was going to unfold. 😭💖 The emotional tension?? The chemistry?? The healing journey?? It all had me completely hooked.
I loved how the romance balanced the sweeter moments with the heavier emotional themes, and the characters felt so easy to root for. Watching them slowly let their walls down had me kicking my feet one minute and clutching my Kindle the next. 🥹📖
✨ Tropes
🩷 Emotional healing
🩷 Small-town romance
🩷 Slow-burn chemistry
🩷 Found family vibes
🩷 Emotional baggage & vulnerability
🩷 Protective love interest
🩷 Mental health representation
If you love romances that make your heart ache before putting it back together, definitely add this one to your TBR! 💕📚
Review of advance copy received from Author
I read thus as an ARC (my 3rd ARC from this author) and really enjoyed it.
I'd actually say the editing has improved from her other books in the series.
I wound up reading most of this series out of order, but I do recommend reading in order to get the full backstories on the characters and avoid spoilers.
I liked the characters and the storyline. The spice was good, though there was much less than some of the other books in this series (not necessarily a bad thing). The chemistry among the characters was sparking, as usual.
I look forward to reading the next one!
I'd actually say the editing has improved from her other books in the series.
I wound up reading most of this series out of order, but I do recommend reading in order to get the full backstories on the characters and avoid spoilers.
I liked the characters and the storyline. The spice was good, though there was much less than some of the other books in this series (not necessarily a bad thing). The chemistry among the characters was sparking, as usual.
I look forward to reading the next one!
August 3, 2026
I loved this installment of the Edgewater series!! Cleo and Luke have certainly faced dark times, but they bring such happiness to each other. Luke is so protective, and Cleo is determined to take care of herself. The entire series is great, but I think this is one of my favorites!
Review of advance copy received from Author
As with the rest of this series I loved this book. I did figure out the connection before anything was really said but I am not sad about it. I am glad they got their happily ever after.
I love this whole small town and how close everyone seems to be even if they do get nosey...lol l.
I love this whole small town and how close everyone seems to be even if they do get nosey...lol l.
July 28, 2026
Cleo & Luke
RTC
RTC
August 10, 2026
I absolutely flew through this book. I just needed to know what was going to happen next.
I found the romance balanced out the emotional themes with the sweeter moments perfectly. It was so easy to read for the characters and watch them slowly let their walls down and fall for each other.
I found it a quick Facebook with great descriptions of the setting. I loved all the characters including the side character who all added something to the story and no two characters were the same.
This is not the first book I’ve read by this author and it definitely won’t be the last.
I found the romance balanced out the emotional themes with the sweeter moments perfectly. It was so easy to read for the characters and watch them slowly let their walls down and fall for each other.
I found it a quick Facebook with great descriptions of the setting. I loved all the characters including the side character who all added something to the story and no two characters were the same.
This is not the first book I’ve read by this author and it definitely won’t be the last.
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