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Brax Adler is a complete liar. He’s also the love of my life. So, when he ends up in my emergency room after a car accident, I can’t resist helping him—but only long enough to get him healed. And then I’m out of there.
He’s broken my heart before.
I’m not giving him the chance to do it again.
But the more time I spend with him, the more it feels like coming home again. He swears he’s changed and that we can start fresh. And it feels so good to be in his arms.
I long to believe him.
But what if this is just another of his lies, and I end up with a broken heart anyway? Is it worth the risk? Or should I walk away?

102 pages, ebook

First published March 1, 2022

240 people are currently reading
939 people want to read

About the author

Kristen Proby

139 books16.3k followers
Kristen Proby is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over seventy published titles. She debuted in 2012, captivating fans with spicy contemporary romance about families and friends with plenty of swoony love. She also writes paranormal romance and suggests you keep the lights on while reading them.

When not under deadline, Kristen enjoys spending time with her husband and their fur babies, riding her bike, relaxing with embroidery, trying her hand at painting, and, of course, enjoying her beautiful home in the mountains of Montana.

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5 stars
935 (41%)
4 stars
797 (35%)
3 stars
426 (18%)
2 stars
73 (3%)
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22 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
Profile Image for Laetitia.
1,303 reviews31 followers
March 10, 2022
Josie Montgomery is a ER nurse and one night during her shift her ex Brax Adler is brought in from an accident. Josie and Brax broke up two years prior and now in the ER, they're seeing each other for the first time since. While Brax is happy to see Josie, she's not happy to see him. I liked Josie, she was smart, independent, beautiful and she lived with her twin sister Maddie who was an accountant. Brax was a musician, he really liked Josie and knew that he made a mistake two years ago when he broke up with her. Because he was hurt and in pain, Josie was more willing to help Brax out and from there they made their way back to each other. Even though it felt as if they were moving very fast, it was different because they dated before and were kind of picking back up where they left off and at the same time starting over. I did love that Josie and Maddie lived together and still did things with just the two of them. The cousins did a cousins night every couple of weeks to just hang out and catch up and act stupid. Josie and Brax spent every waking moment together getting back into the groove of things and falling madly in love with each other again. I loved the epilogue, it was so sweet and I'm very excited about this new series, I can't wait for this next generation of the Montgomery/Williams to find their significant others and cause some trouble. I absolutely loved the parents falling in love and now it's the kids' turn.
Profile Image for itsallaboutbooksandmacarons.
2,274 reviews48 followers
November 19, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed the novella within the series, particularly how it navigated the aftermath of a challenging breakup. The characters' ability to come together, engage in heartfelt conversations, and truly listen after a two-year gap resonated with me. It brought a refreshing and authentic perspective to relationships, steering clear of common romantic drama clichés.

What stood out was the genuine portrayal of emotions, creating a connection with the audience. The gradual development of characters over the two-year period added depth to the storyline, making the eventual reunion more impactful. The performances of the cast were noteworthy, capturing the subtleties of their roles and enhancing the overall storytelling.

In its simplicity, the novella succeeded in conveying the complexities of love without resorting to unnecessary drama. It felt like a perfect piece within the larger series, providing a compelling glimpse into the characters' lives.
2,013 reviews24 followers
November 10, 2022
He gave her an ultimatum 2 years ago and they broke up. He tells her he's sorry, let's get back together and she's like ok. He supposedly ripped her heart to shreds. I guess I wanted more. The rest was ok if not a bit boring
Profile Image for AJ.
3,242 reviews1,070 followers
September 7, 2022
3 short and sweet stars

A short, sweet and drama-free second-chance-romance that forms part of the With Me in Seattle second-generation series, Single in Seattle.

This is a short story for Josie – daughter of Caleb and Jenna from Safe with Me. Josie is an ER nurse who is working the nightshift when a car accident victim is brought in, and it turns out it’s her ex-boyfriend, rising rockstar and the one who got away, Brax.

Brax isn’t too badly injured, and from the moment he lays eyes on Josie, he knows that this is the second chance he wants so desperately. He still loves her deeply, and this is his opportunity to get his girl back for good.

This is a really sweet romance. Josie and Brax are clearly still very much in love, and their break-up was confusing and hurtful for both of them. They’ve lived without each other for two years, they’ve missed each other terribly, and neither of them are prepared to let their second chance get away from them. Josie has fears, which are understandable, but Brax is determined to prove that he won’t let her down again. It’s sweet, sexy and emotional, and I loved watching them come back to together, stronger than ever.

“Ah, babe, don’t cry.”
“It hurt really bad before,” she says and wipes away a tear. “If it doesn’t work again, I don’t want to have to go through that a second time.”
“Me, neither,” I admit. “But there aren’t a lot of guarantees in life. I know if we don’t try, I’ll miss you forever. Let’s try, Jose.”

We get to see other members of the extended Montgomery family. Josie lives with her twin sister, Maddie, which is super sweet, of course we see Caleb and Jenna, and there’s even a cousin night which gives us glimpses of the rest of the crew that will hopefully get books as the series progresses.

I enjoyed this novella. Josie and Brax’s story was short but satisfying, and of course I liked being back with the Montgomery clan once again.

Looking forward to more from the series.

3 stars.

This novella is currently free from Prolific Works


Profile Image for Tanja OMGReads.
2,481 reviews56 followers
May 6, 2022
This was really a great novella to read. I mean come who doesn't love to read a story where our MC solves their problems by talking to each other when a second chance comes knocking on their door.

Brax and Josie haven't seen each other in 2 years and now fate has stepped in to give them a chance to find happiness. They never stop loving each other and now that they're finally together nothing is going to come in between them. They both know what their break up did to them and now they've matured so being apart is not an option. What i loved about this novella was the fact that their family and friends accepted the fact that they're back together without any drama.

I'm getting attached to these characters and I can't wait to see the next cousin getting HEA.
Profile Image for Susan.
1,015 reviews12 followers
July 26, 2024
The Surprise, Kristen Proby's introduction to her newest series, Single in Seattle, was SUCH a surprise!

The Montgomery babies are all grown up, and beginning their single lives in the Seattle area. Josie (Brynna and Caleb's daughter) is a nurse, and one night on shift, ends up with her ex-boyfriend, Brax, as her patient. There's a lot of bickering back and forth over who ended their relationship the first time around, which shows all of their chemistry. Throughout the book, they work to rebuild their relationship.

I loved The Surprise! It was so awesome getting to catch up with the Montgomery gang, and see all the littles now grown up! I can't wait for more!!
Profile Image for Lover of Romance.
3,712 reviews1,123 followers
June 15, 2025
My Review:

The Surprise is part of a connecting series to the Seattle world. This series has characters that are 2nd generation children from many of the earlier main couples of the "With Me In Seattle" books.

The Surprise is a story that features a second chance with some groveling and where groveling was needed. I did enjoy this book for the most part, but I did feel like this book just didn't feel right to me in how their issues get resolved. I think some of the reason why they seperated was more confusion and miscommunication from both of them. But it felt like the heroine twisted the hero's reasons and the heroine was to blame for part of it too and didn't seem to think she needed to apologize for it. That it was all the "man's" fault and she was the only party that got hurt. It just felt so misconstrued in their issues being resolved. I really did love the hero though and the premise was interesting, the plot and relationship aspects just I had some issues with in how it evolved in the end.

So while not my favorite Kristen Proby, it definitely is her signature type of story especially for a novella.
Profile Image for BOOKLOVER_81.
2,317 reviews85 followers
September 20, 2024
Nurse Josie Montgomery didn’t think she would see her ex-boyfriend musician Braxton Adler again, but finding him in her ER as a patient brought back some unresolved issues about why they broke up.

Josie and Brax have not seen each other in the two years since they broke up.

It was impossible to put The Surprise down, and I loved every moment on every page. Who does not love hot sexy men, strong females, loving families, and friends, who always support one another?


**Second chance
Profile Image for Becky.
1,926 reviews65 followers
March 24, 2024
Second chance romance

Second chance romance, single in Seattle cousin and her rocker short read! Sexytimes, HEA, decent quick read. In this story its not necessary to read previous books but I'd still suggest reading in order to know all the background characters!✌
Profile Image for Karen.
5,385 reviews74 followers
March 4, 2023
Loved it!! It's too short to rate as in a book but it had such potential to be a good book with likable characters. Oh.
Profile Image for Whit.
3,639 reviews51 followers
April 2, 2023
Cute!!!! Humorous!!!!!!!! Sassy!!!!!!!

I loved Josie and Brax's story! Josie is Brynna and Caleb Montgomery's daughter from SAFE WITH ME (With Me in Seattle #5).

Josie is about to lose her mind. She just heard a love song on the radio that Brax wrote about her. However, when he tells the interviewer that the song is about a girl who dumped HIM, Josie is done! She left to be a traveling nurse for a year, making triple her salary. Brax didn't take her decision well.

When he turns up in Josie's ER, badly injured in a deadly car accident, will these two be able to forgive and forget? Awesome story!!!!!!
742 reviews2 followers
March 11, 2023
What a great novella in the Single in Seattle series. I’m really enjoying seeing our characters that we’ve fallen in love with, their children grown up and out in the world and looking for and maybe finding love. Josie Montgomery is a nurse and had a relationship with Brax Adler, a musician, and who of all people ends up in the ER when she’s on duty, Brax of course. I did enjoy their banter especially when we find out they haven’t been together for a while and when we find out why they split up. These two are definitely meant to be together and I think their time apart was a good thing for them to grow up and as they say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I loved when they decided to try to be together again but when an opportunity too good to be true comes to Brax and the band, I appreciated that he thought of Josie first and needed to talk to her about it. I also liked when he and Josie were talking that he finally realized that the conversation was eerily similar to the conversation the two had had when they broke up and Josie had needed him to be supportive of her like she was being supportive of him with this amazing opportunity. Definitely looking forward to these two in future books and I love the epilogue from Caleb’s point of view. These amazing women in this series no matter who they end up with they will always have a soft spot for their fathers. Great story!
Profile Image for Stephanie.
863 reviews5 followers
January 6, 2024
The Surprise is the first novella from the Single in Seattle series. This is a second-generation spinoff of the With Me in Seattle Series. I highly recommend that series. It is romantic and swoony. Josie is the daughter of Caleb and Jenna from Safe with Me. Josie is an ER nurse working night shift when her ex-boyfriend, up-and-coming rocker Brax is brought in after a car accident.

The Surprise is a quick read. Filled with sexy times, a bit of drama and all of the "feels." I would have actually preferred a full-length novel as I fell in love with Josie and Brax! I read it in one sitting and look forward to more from the Single in Seattle series!

#KristenProby #TheSurprise #BraxAndJosie #SingleInSeattle #Romance #Steamy
Profile Image for Michele A..
3,135 reviews16 followers
November 18, 2023
Josie finds herself face to face with her ex when he is injured in a car crash and she is his nurse. Brax knows he screwed up 2 years ago and uses this opportunity to try and get her back. It seems both of them were too stubborn to reach out over their 2 years apart. I didn't find it to be insta-love since they were together for 3 years before. I just wanted a bit more of them together. It was nice that Josie was still living with her sister, Maddie, but it seemed like they didn't really see each other that much with their different schedules. It was a quick, easy read and I am intrigued to see what happens with the rest of the cousins.
Profile Image for Mags.
3,034 reviews36 followers
January 31, 2024
Brax Adler is the love of Josie Montgomery's life, or he was until he messed up BIG TIME!!

But when he's in a car accident and is rushed to Seattle ER. He's happy to see Josie is the nurse on duty. And even though she is still hurt and angry with him Josie needs to make sure Brax is ok.

And Brax is determined to use this as his one shot at getting Josie back.

But as a singer on the verge of making it big. What will he do when he's offered the chance to tour with Radiohead?

And with plenty of sweetness and a little spice. This was an enjoyable read. But I wish it had been full length as Josie and Brax deserved so much more.
Profile Image for beth’s bookshelf.
280 reviews4 followers
March 2, 2022
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Kristen Proby is the ultimate comfort author for me.
I love the stories. I love how she flawlessly can tell the stories of 100 family members without the reader getting bored. I love the plots, I love the spice, I love the characters.
The Surprise (was a surprise, pun intended) is a short, sweet, second-chance introduction into Proby's latest spin-off series, Single in Seattle, which tells the stories of the babies from the Montgomery clan now that they are all grown up. It was a great little intro, and I can't wait for the rest of the series!
Profile Image for Becky Wise.
2,835 reviews57 followers
March 10, 2022
The Surprise is a fantastic read. I loved this one so much. I want more Brax and Josie. This is a second chance romance that will own your heart. Josie is a nurse and Caleb and Brynna's daughter. Yes, this is an introduction to the children of our favorite Montgomery family all grow up. Brax is a musician who never got over Josie. I love how Brax and Josie come together again. You feel the love between them as they reconnect after a couple of years. I am so looking forward to more of the Single in Seattle to come.
Profile Image for Ana Paula .
854 reviews29 followers
March 27, 2022
This novella is a wonderful prequel to the new series Single in Seattle. This series is about the second generation of the With Me in Seattle series and this time is about Josie (one of Caleb Montgomery's twin daughters). She is a nurse and like most women of the family is fiercely independent with strong mind. One day at work her ex-boyfrined Brax, a relatively famous singer, appears hurt in an accident and it comes to Josie to help him. Through this pain they come together and their second chance is so lovely. I just loved it!
Profile Image for Kuvio House.
139 reviews17 followers
July 27, 2022
Quick read following the Montgomery clan.
Can be read as a stand alone but helpful to read the series.
Overall I'm giving it a 3.5 to 4 star rating.
I'd summarise the book by saying its an adorable 2nd chance love story with rock star, a hint of the Montgomery strength in the female lead and a kind of more realism to the feel of the story.
If you're looking for depth, this is not the story. However if you want a cute, quick read romance and/or love Kristen Proby and the Montgomery clan, then give it a go.
Profile Image for Kira.
1,032 reviews32 followers
November 7, 2023
This was honestly too short for me to be able to judge it properly and I felt like two people who were broken up for years prior to meeting again definitely would have more to talk about than just a simple 5 minute conversation regarding what caused the said breakup.

Having said that I did like that the hypocrisy was properly addressed in this one and the female MC was not made out to be someone who'd have issues with Brax going on tour. I very much liked how she immediately threw herself in the supportive role.

3 stars.
Profile Image for Nicki - The Overflowing Bookcase .
4,808 reviews176 followers
March 8, 2022
The last person Josie ever thought she would see in the ER where she works would be Brax, the one man her heart never let go. But he is also the same man who lied about why their relationship ended. With many sparks the two hash everything out and in the end the passion they feel for each other reconnects them for a future filled with love. A fabulous beginning to a series I am sure every reader wil enjoy.
Profile Image for Jenn the Readaholic.
2,172 reviews70 followers
March 13, 2022
This was a good glimpse of the second generation of Montgomery stories in Seattle. Josie and Brax had a past and when she heard him lie about how they ended, ON THE RADIO, she was understandably angry. And then Brax came crashing back into her life. Almost literally. And these two had to sort through the pain, the lies, and the misunderstandings to find what they truly wanted for now and forever. It also preps us for The Secret, so I’m excited to see how this all plays out.
Profile Image for Sandra Shipman ~ Two Book Pushers.
2,079 reviews53 followers
March 27, 2022
The Surprise is a FREE prequel to start of Kristen’s new new series, Single in Seattle. If you have been following her With You in Seattle series then you will be extra excited since it’s the next generation’s turn to find love in Seattle. For reference Josie is Caleb and Brynne’s daughter.

Josie knew that voice on the radio. The voice lying to everyone who is listening after playing a song he wrote for her. She was not happy but there was nothing she could really do. It had been two years since she was with the man behind the voice. Brax. What she didn’t expect was to see him later that night as a car accident victim in the ER. Yet, he was still a shameless flirt…

Brax was shocked and relieved to see Josie. It has waited two years to see her again and he wasn’t about to let her walk away again. He needed time to heal and she was just the woman he wanted by her side. Will Josie give him a second chance at love?

These two are adorable, stubborn, and sexy. They have an undeniable connection and for a novella there is a lot of story. It’s a wonderful start to this new series!

Quotes:

God, I’d recognize that voice anywhere. Smooth as silk and wrapped in sin.

“I don’t owe you dick, Braxton Adler, and you know it.”
“You do realize that it turns me on when you’re mad, don’t you?”
“Why are you the way you are?”
That damn smile slips over his stupidly handsome face. “You wouldn’t want me any other way, sweetheart.”

“It’s like playing a guitar,” he murmurs. “When I strum you like this…”

❤️ CAN GET IT HERE: https://claims.prolificworks.com/gg/U...
2,900 reviews6 followers
June 2, 2022
Brax and Josie. She is a nurse and he is a musician. They had a fallout 2 years ago and she has not seen or heard from him since. One night she is listening to the radio and she hears a song that Brax made for her. He is interviewed and states that his ex dumped him. Boy is she pissed! That is not how it went! Then the night she is working at the hospital two accident victims come in. Guess who one of them is? You guessed it. Well this should be interesting. Give him HELL Josie!
Profile Image for Mireille.
748 reviews6 followers
June 2, 2024
I didn’t feel this was as good as the rest of the Single in Seattle series. It was a bit too short. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen but it didn’t. The story itself was nice, the got their second chance after breaking up two years previously. Personally, I’d have made him grovel a whole bunch more than he did. As I said, it was a good book but I wouldn’t go as far as a great one. I don’t regret reading it, it just not on a to be re-read pile.
Profile Image for Sofia.
241 reviews9 followers
July 16, 2024
I like Josie and think it's great that Brax took responsibility for his actions. Because this a a quick read and centres around a second-chance romance I didn't connect with the relationship as much as previous books by this author. They have things they have to work through and that is the main plot, but am glad they could in the end.

I look forward to reading more by Kristen Proby in the future.
Profile Image for Amanda.
151 reviews1 follower
August 18, 2024
It was sweet. It was short. It was okay.

I struggle a bit with novellas because they rarely have enough story for me. Brax is an upcoming rockstar. Josie is an ER nurse. They dated and were in love before Brax broke her heart (the why is revealed part way through the story). It’s been 2 years but Brax is in a car accident and rolls into the ER on Josie’s shift. She drives him home, helps take care of him and they finally have the conversation they should have had 2 years ago…

Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews

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