Blossoms on the Ridge (Elderberry Ridge, book 1)

Emma Collins thought moving to the quiet mountain town of Elderberry Ridge would give her the fresh start she desperately needs. After her beloved school garden program was bulldozed without warning, leaving her students heartbroken and her confidence in ruins, she's determined to play it safe in her new teaching job. No ambitious projects. No getting too attached. Just simple classroom lessons and a quiet life in the charming cottage she's renting.

Her plan for anonymity crashes spectacularly when she charges out at dawn in coffee mug pajamas, wielding a broom at what she assumes is an intruder. Instead, she finds herself face-to-face with Liam Walker, the reserved landscaper hired to maintain her lawn. Despite the mortifying first impression, Emma can't ignore how her pulse quickens during their awkward encounters—or how the neglected garden behind her cottage seems to whisper possibilities she's afraid to acknowledge.

Liam has his own reasons for keeping people at arm's length. His landscaping business is struggling, his engagement fell apart, and he's learned that caring too much only leads to heartbreak. But something about the spirited teacher who defends her territory with cleaning supplies makes him want to break his own rules.

As Emma slowly tends the cottage garden and Liam finds excuses to linger after mowing, both must decide if they're brave enough to risk planting seeds of love in soil still tender from past disappointments.

Some gardens are worth the risk of getting your hands dirty.

Book 1 in the Elderberry Ridge Series

Clean Romance | Teacher Romance | Small Town | Second Chances