Her ex blamed their break-up on her reading too many romance novels.

She set out to prove him wrong.

When journalist Meredith Hale's dreams of happily ever after—or Nora Roberts Land as she calls it—go up in smoke, she leaves the big city to return to her family and their small town newspaper. A new start? Yes please! Not to mention that it’s a chance to prove her ex wrong. She will find her own romantic hero, prove that true love exists, and publish a story about her quest—even if it kills her.

Tanner McBride has just returned stateside to work for a major newspaper. The last thing he expects is blackmail. His assignment? Make his boss’s ex-wife fall for him and then break her heart. Her article about discovering love à la Nora might air dirty laundry about her marriage to the media mogul, threatening his senate run.

When the two meet, the sparks between them are undeniable. Could Tanner be her Roarke? As they work together to uncover the truth behind a suspicious death, the depth of their feelings unfolds and both realize they've kept their secrets for far too long. But before the truth can be revealed, their investigation takes a deadly turn, one that might make Meredith's personal Nora Roberts Land go up in flames.