The Story Between Us

Best friend's older brother. The almost-kiss summer. And one bestselling manuscript that's years overdue.

Livvie Fox has spent six years being too nice for New York publishing-bringing cupcakes to the man who stole her promotion, watching senior agents take credit for the books she fought for, smiling while the bestseller list ticks past her name and lands on someone else's.

Then her agency drops the bomb: bestselling reclusive author Ian Rivers is two years past deadline. The contract is about to die. The agency is about to take a hit it can't afford. And if Livvie can't fix it, she's the one out the door.

Someone like the woman who knew him before he was Ian Rivers.

Before the bestsellers. Before the funeral. Before the night on a Maple Lake dock when she told him exactly how she felt and he just stood there, frozen, while every star in northern Minnesota watched her heart break.

Nate Rivers shouldn't open his door.

Not for the publisher. Not for the lawyer. Not for the woman who walked off his sister's dock seven years ago and took half the world with her.

But Livvie Fox is back in Maple Lake. With stolen soup. With his sister's name in her mouth. With a publisher's deadline that could cost him the only house left where Emma still feels real.

The town is gearing up for the Flannel Festival. The maples are turning. The dogs already love her. And the chapter Nate has been refusing to write for three years is suddenly demanding a co-author.

Some what-ifs deserve a second chapter.

Tropes you'll love

• Best friend's older brother
• The almost-kiss summer (second-chance romance)
• Grumpy reclusive author × sunshine literary agent
• Forced collaboration (agent × her bestselling author)
• Found family + faith arc

Falling for Flannel-some stories are worth coming home for.

Author: Susan May Warren,Sarah May Warren
Publisher: Sunrise Publishing
Published: 09/29/2026
Pages: 348
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.87d
ISBN: 9798950225055

About the Author
Warren, Susan May: - "Like mother, like daughter! Susan and Sarah May Warren are proof that the writing gene runs strong in this family. With nearly 2 million books sold and 100+ published novels, USA Today bestselling author Susan May Warren has been spinning faith-filled tales of romance and adventure for decades, collecting RITA, Christy, and Carol awards along the way. Her daughter Sarah grew up surrounded by story magic and, despite her best efforts to resist, caught the writing bug while falling in love with her own real-life romance hero. When they're not crafting swoon-worthy stories of faith and love, you might find this dynamic duo plotting their next novel over coffee, debating character arcs at family dinners, or thanking God for the gift of storytelling that brings them together - proving that the greatest story of all is the one God writes in our lives."Warren, Sarah May: - "Like mother, like daughter! Susan and Sarah May Warren are proof that the writing gene runs strong in this family. With nearly 2 million books sold and 100+ published novels, USA Today bestselling author Susan May Warren has been spinning faith-filled tales of romance and adventure for decades, collecting RITA, Christy, and Carol awards along the way. Her daughter Sarah grew up surrounded by story magic and, despite her best efforts to resist, caught the writing bug while falling in love with her own real-life romance hero. When they're not crafting swoon-worthy stories of faith and love, you might find this dynamic duo plotting their next novel over coffee, debating character arcs at family dinners, or thanking God for the gift of storytelling that brings them together - proving that the greatest story of all is the one God writes in our lives."