For ten years, Riley Maddox and his twin sister, Noelle, have carried the weight of their fractured family. After a tragic accident pushed their father into a dangerous opioid addiction, the twins became the heads of the household—working nonstop to keep their lives from unraveling.
Despite the chaos at home, Riley has carved out pieces of happiness. He loves his job as a small-town mechanic, has a loyal circle of friends, and a sister determined to end his single streak. But Riley isn’t interested in meaningless hookups—he wants real love. A partner. A future.
Then fate—and a broken-down car—introduce him to Callum Reed, a rookie EMT with a quiet confidence and a smile that hits Riley harder than he expects. The pull between them is instant, undeniable, and everything Riley has been searching for.
As their slow-burn romance deepens over the course of a year, Riley finally gets a glimpse of the love he’s always dreamed of. But while his heart opens, the world around him starts to fall apart. His family is crumbling, secrets surface, and Riley must face a devastating question:
When life falls to pieces, will love be strong enough to survive the fallout?
A deeply emotional LGBTQ+ contemporary romance about love, family, resilience, and the courage to choose happiness—even when the world is burning.
