Where the Heart Is

by Jenni Simonis

Overview

A desperate woman. An inheritance. A secret love.

Diane

When Diane Gates returns home after ten years, the last thing she expects is to be blindsided by the news that in order to receive her great-aunt's inheritance, she must get married...in ten days time.

After locking away her heart so many years ago in an act of self-preservation, Diane must find a way to meet her family's demands. Even if it means marrying her childhood best friend.

Devlin

After years of trying to rebuild his life, Devlin Connor finds himself at a crossroads when his former best friend shows up after ten years. With the stipulation Diane must wed to claim her inheritance, Devlin offers to help the only way he can...by marrying his former best friend. After all, platonic marriages happen all the time.

But as wedding bells ring, Devlin starts to realize there may be more than just bonds of friendship between him and Diane...

Can they put their past behind them? Or will the love they've fought against for so long finally come to light?

Tropes and other info:

• Friends-to-lovers
• Right person, wrong time
• One bed
• Teach Me
• Virgin FMC
• Inexperienced Bisexual MMC
• Small town
• Mental health rep
• It was always you
• Accidental pregnancy
• A 'f*ck it' moment
• Dual POV
• Third-person

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798341858688
Publisher:	Barnes & Noble Press
Publication date:	12/05/2024
Series:	Connor Family series , #1
Pages:	302
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.68(d)

About the Author

Jenni Simonis, an award winning writer, released her debut novel in December, 2024. It is the first in an ?interconnected generational series. The series will release two more books in 2025.

She specializes in contemporary romance, including small town, mafia, celebrity, and sports. She also enjoys writing holiday stories, with one anthology out already and a full novel coming out later this year.

Ever since Jenni was a young child, the one thing she loved more than just about anything else was ?writing. She loved covering news and working for newspapers, but her love has always been in fiction writing. And after decades of writing in notebooks, she decided it ?was time to stop hiding them on a bookshelf and share them with the world.

Jenni lives in Oregon with her husband, son, and sister. She has two dogs, a yorkipoo named Midnight and a ?GSD/Golden named Jakey, two finches named Houdini and Doyle, and a leopard gecko named Nugget.

Editorial Reviews

This isn't even a story...it's so much MORE. It follows our beloved Devlin and Diane from their young childhoods all the way into their thirties. If it wasn't for her, then they were pulling for him. This book will bring you to high hopes just to smother them all whilst breaking your heart into a billion pieces. Then this book will slowly and carefully, painstakingly, knit together those heartstrings until they're stronger than ever before. I loved every second of it.

GoodReads - Britt Bee

Diane and Devlin were amazing, each with their own flaws and complexities. The novel moved at a wonderfully fast pace, keeping me hooked. The story was filled with unexpected twists, yet it was incredibly comforting and well-crafted, making it a truly outstanding read. I'm not exaggerating when I say you'll fall in love with every character. Each one is so relatable, and I found myself deeply invested in all of them. I honestly didn't want the story to end—it felt like it finished too soon.

GoodReads - Kaneez Fatma

This story was absolutely beautiful! Delvin and Diane caught my heart and didn't let go until the end. There were smiles, there were tears and lots of other feelings in between. I really enjoyed their story. They showed so much growth and vulnerability while also being relatable. The book also progressed at a great pace and the story flowed well. It is told in a 3rd person POV. I cannot wait to see what's next in this series.

Good Reads - Catherine M.

This book follows Diane and Devlin from childhood BFFs into adulthood. I really loved the personal touch of Diane's journal entries. They were raw and uncut and just encompassed everything she was feeling. There was just so much love and history between Diane and Devlin, I was captured and couldn't stop reading. The open door spice scenes were hot and just so well written. I would recommend to all of my friends. I cannot wait for the second book!

GoodReads - Cynthia Cabrera

This book was so much. I loved it. The tropes, the love story, and more than anything that it really told a story of mental health and how unexpected life can go. This is truly a beautiful story of not only survival but also hope and resilience. It's one that is worth everyone reading. Too often, I caught myself crying at part of this story, or I would gasp and cry out, not wanting to believe what was happening. I look forward to seeing what happens in the next books.

GoodReads - Brita Mackay