Amazon Amazon Kindle Store Amazon.com Category:  Romance Publisher: Independent ISBN-10:  B0F3Y26T3F Type: Fiction Pages: 272 Copyright: June 1, 2025 ISBN-13: 9798285392699 His dream job brought him home. The love of his life has moved on. Is it too late to rekindle those intense feelings they shared? Ethan’s chance to restore the historic lighthouse in his hometown and reconnect with his high school sweetheart proves irresistible.   He’s never stopped loving the woman he left behind. Determined to rebuild his future, he soon finds himself with unexpected responsibilities when he gains custody of his four-year-old niece.   Mia has moved on with Ethan’s former best friend Troy—or so she thought. Torn between her comfortable relationship with Troy and the undeniable pull of first love, she’s caught in a storm of emotions she never saw coming.   As Ethan faces a ruthless rival determined to sabotage his bid on the lighthouse and an unresolved past with Mia, he must decide if the lighthouse is the only thing worth fighting for—or if love deserves a second chance, too.   A heartwarming tale of love, redemption, and the unexpected twists that bring us home.       Excerpt Seven Years Later Mia Reynolds loaded stacks of dirty breakfast dishes, cups, and utensils as she cleared tables to prepare for the noon rush in the Slice of Haven Café. She flicked a stray curl of light brown hair away from the corner of her mouth that had been bothering her all morning. The café was short-staffed because the state’s colleges had resumed classes, and most high schoolers could only work on weekends. Mia didn’t mind waitressing or busing tables to keep the business running smoothly until the new hires arrived. Twenty-six-year-old Mia had assumed responsibility for running the business shortly after her father passed away. Her mother, Patricia Reynolds, had always let her husband handle the business side of the café. Her knowledge of balance sheets, payables, and cash flow was limited, and she liked it that way. Patricia’s talents lay in her culinary skills. Even now, she did the baking and helped in the kitchen. She could bake a mean apple pie, and her pot roast was to die for. Mia carried the bus tub full of dirty dishes to the loading table in the kitchen. As she scraped off the leftovers into the trash, the back door opened, and her younger sister Haley waltzed in. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be at work,” Mia said as she soaked the dirty utensils in hot water and began loading the dishwasher. “I’m on my way. I wanted to stop by and say hi. Where is everybody, anyway?” Haley said as her eyes roamed around the kitchen. JoJo, the temperamental cook, spoke up from across the room. “What do you mean by everybody? What am I, chopped liver?” “Sorry, JoJo. No insult intended. I meant it’s kind of vacant in here. Where’s the bus staff and the other waitress?” “We sent you away to college for four years, and you came back with amnesia,” Mia said and left the rest of her thoughts unspoken. At least her sister had come back home, and that’s more than she could say about some people. At this time of year, Mia’s mind went to the path not traveled. Seven years ago, in September, she had been getting ready to head off to college with her high school sweetheart to conquer the world. Yeah, some world I’ve conquered. Mia had never left Haven’s Reach, and that high school heartthrob was long gone. She had adjusted and still had her memories, a business that wasn’t in the red, a loving mother, and good friends. Yes, she thought, I’m content. “Where do you think everyone is? It’s September,” Mia said, as she threw her hands in the air with an exaggerated exasperated sigh and hid a smile. “Geez, what side of the bed did you get out of this morning? I know it’s September, but I thought you’d worked around the temporary staff going back to school by hiring more permanent staff.” “It appears the permanent staff in Haven’s Reach are smarter than I am.” She took one look at Haley’s crestfallen face and immediately felt contrite. “I’m sorry. I’m bitchy this morning. And I’m taking it out on you. Agnes finally retired, and the gal I hired to replace her has little kids. Kids get sick. So, she’s coming in later, after her husband gets home. And as you can see, the busboy is running late too. Car trouble or a hangover. I’m not sure which. As you know , I’m still looking for more wait staff.” “Let me help you. I’ll be happy too,” Haley said, a big smile spreading across her face. “You’ve got a job. An important one in city government.” Mia put her arm around Haley and said, “I’m so proud of you. Assistant to the mayor. I can’t believe you chose to come home. With your degree, you could have gone anywhere.” “This is home, Mia. You’re here. Mom’s here. Besides, things are getting interesting.” “What do you mean?” “You haven’t heard about the plans for the lighthouse?” Mia rubbed the worry line between her eyes and said, “No, what’s going on there? Nothing bad, I hope.” The lighthouse had always held a special place in Mia’s heart, and she still went there sometimes when she needed solace. “It’s up for sale. Some fancy construction company from New York named LC Construction wants to restore it.” “You’re kidding. It’s falling apart. A couple of years ago, I heard a rumor that some developer from California wanted to buy it, tear it down, and build a high-rise condo building on the property,” Mia said with a hint of censure in her tone. “Now, someone here in town wants to tear it down and use the land to construct some kind of tourist attraction.” “What? Like a mini-amusement park with rides and such?” “Yeah, and there’s a bidding war between the interested parties. That’s what the inside scuttlebutt says.” “You’re the mayor’s assistant. You are the scuttlebutt.” “The mayor is keeping this close to the vest, since he’s related to the other bidder, Ronald Quincy.” Mia’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “His brother-in-law?” “One and the same.” “That doesn’t sound quite on the up and up.” “I’m sure the fancy New York guy will have his lawyers make sure there are no under-the-table shenanigans.” “It doesn’t make much sense. Why would someone want to restore it? Only automated lighthouses are in use along this coast now, and there are very few of those. I wonder what shenanigans Mr. New York is up to.” “Don’t be a Negative Nelly. The guy could be legit.” “I’m not being—” “See you later. Gotta run,” Haley said as she dashed out the back door. “Negative Nelly,” Mia muttered as she glanced at the cook, who was shaking his head. She gave him a toothy smile, pushed through the swinging door into the dining room, and rammed it into her mother. “Hello, sweetheart,” Patricia Reynolds said as she blocked the door with one hand and steadied Mia with the other. “You’re certainly in a hurry. I always wanted your father to do something about that door. Someday, it’s going to knock someone flat.” “Mom, I’m really sorry. I wasn’t paying any attention, and you’re so right. It’s definitely a hazard. Why did you come in the front way?” Patricia lowered her voice to a whisper and said, “I drove by that fool old coot Lyle who was walking into town. His car’s on the fritz again, but would he ask me for a ride? No, and the man lives two houses down from me but is too proud to ask.” That old coot Lyle, Mia thought, was probably ten years older than her mother and had plenty of money. Although he was a bit eccentric, he was nobody’s fool. Lyle had begun crushing on her mother after he learned she was a widow, and the man used every available excuse to get close to her. Mia wouldn’t put it past Lyle to pretend his car wasn’t working and take out walking at the exact time he knew her mother would be on her way to work. “And why is he here?” Mia whispered back. “To eat, silly. Why else would he be here?” Mia relaxed her shoulders and tried not to roll her eyes as she said, “Where was he going since he didn’t have a car?” “He was coming here.” “Oh, stupid me. I’ll go see what he wants to eat.” “I already took care of that. I was on my way to the kitchen to give his order to JoJo. Since I’m here now, why don’t you take a few minutes to relax? You look frazzled.” “You know what? I think I’ll do that.” Mia walked through the kitchen toward her small office to grab her purse and keys and then headed for her car. Today’s talk with Haley about the lighthouse had stirred up long-ago feelings, and she needed to put them to rest. An hour spent away from work and a peaceful drive would help. ~~~ Mia turned her small, blue Nissan Versa onto the rutted dirt road overgrown with weeds and trash that led to the lighthouse. A sudden blast of wind from the rocky shoreline hit her as she opened the car door. The lighthouse stood defiant against the relentless elements, exactly as it had for as long as she could remember. Its once-pristine white stone, now weathered and worn, had faded into a cracked, dingy gray—a testament to time and the unyielding forces of nature. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a black pickup truck with a sturdy toolbox bolted to the bed alongside a ladder rack loaded with equipment parked several yards away. She hadn’t noticed it when she first pulled onto the road. Evidently, she wasn’t alone. She shielded her eyes with her hand as she squinted into the bright sun and surveyed the area, finally settling on the beach. A man stood there looking toward the ocean as a large black dog paced in front of him with its pink tongue lolling back and forth. Maybe he was someone from the company bidding on the property, she thought. But then she realized there was something familiar about the way the man held his head as his dark hair blew in the breeze. Did she know him? Mia’s heart began to beat rapidly in her chest, and for some inexplicable reason, the air around her thickened, and she was suddenly wary. “No,” she said to herself. “It can’t be.”

Wonderful
I have read and enjoyed all of the books by these authors. This is the one I love the most - really.
Misunderstandings, local politics, family relationships, vivid characters, and everything resolves in such an unexpected way. I didn’t want to stop reading after just a few pages and made time to read for two days. Lovely escape read. Lovely!

Another Delightful Book
September Sunrise is absolutely delightful from start to finish. This book would make an excellent Hallmark movie. Rich, full characters and a storyline to lift your heart. What a great way to spend your time and steal your imagination.

My Kind of rRmance Book
I love the books in this series. September Sunrise has a sweet love story, a precious child, and a dog. All the elements I really enjoy in a romance novel. Don’t miss this one. It’s a keeper.