Running Back To You
(2026)(The third book in the Hemlock Grove Romance series)
A novel by Lia Bradford
A second chance small-town sports romance with fake dating, forced proximity, wedding chaos, and an NFL running back who never stopped wanting the woman he lost.
Delaney Hart does not give second chances easily.
She has spent years building a life that belongs completely to her. Her salon is thriving. Her home is tucked away on her family’s land. Her roots in Riverton are steady, intentional, and exactly where she wants them. She does not chase love. She does not compete for attention. And she definitely does not let the man who broke her heart walk back into her life just because he looks good in a tux.
Even if that man is Mason Keller.
Mason is the hometown football star who made it all the way to the NFL. As a running back for the Cincinnati RiverHawks, he is used to pressure, attention, and getting what he wants. But the one thing he never figured out how to keep was Delaney.
Years ago, when his career took off, Mason assumed she would stay. He never asked her to come with him. Never made her feel chosen. Never proved she came first.
So Delaney walked away.
Now his sister’s wedding has brought them face-to-face again, and avoiding each other is impossible. Especially when a fake dating arrangement puts them in the middle of every family gathering, every wedding event, every lingering look, and every almost-kiss they both know better than to want.
Pretending to be together should be simple.
A few public appearances. A little hand-holding. Enough chemistry to convince everyone watching.
But forced proximity has a way of making old feelings feel dangerously new, and Mason is not interested in pretending anymore. He wants the second chance he should have fought for years ago. The real relationship. The future. The woman he never stopped loving.
Delaney knows better than to fall for promises.
She trusts actions. Consistency. Being chosen when it matters.
And if Mason wants her back, he will have to prove he is not just running back to her because he can.
He is running back because this time, he plans to stay.
Running Back To You is perfect for readers who love:
Second chance romance
Small town football romance
Fake dating
Forced proximity
College exes with unfinished history
Wedding weekend tension
Found family
Emotional slow burn
Swoony, soft open-door romance
Heroes who fall first—and never really stopped
Readers will love:
‘He never got over her’
‘She needs proof, not promises’
‘Fake dating that starts to feel dangerously real’
‘A swoony football hero determined to win back the woman he lost’
‘Deep emotional tension with non-explicit intimacy’
Genre: New Adult Romance
Delaney Hart does not give second chances easily.
She has spent years building a life that belongs completely to her. Her salon is thriving. Her home is tucked away on her family’s land. Her roots in Riverton are steady, intentional, and exactly where she wants them. She does not chase love. She does not compete for attention. And she definitely does not let the man who broke her heart walk back into her life just because he looks good in a tux.
Even if that man is Mason Keller.
Mason is the hometown football star who made it all the way to the NFL. As a running back for the Cincinnati RiverHawks, he is used to pressure, attention, and getting what he wants. But the one thing he never figured out how to keep was Delaney.
Years ago, when his career took off, Mason assumed she would stay. He never asked her to come with him. Never made her feel chosen. Never proved she came first.
So Delaney walked away.
Now his sister’s wedding has brought them face-to-face again, and avoiding each other is impossible. Especially when a fake dating arrangement puts them in the middle of every family gathering, every wedding event, every lingering look, and every almost-kiss they both know better than to want.
Pretending to be together should be simple.
A few public appearances. A little hand-holding. Enough chemistry to convince everyone watching.
But forced proximity has a way of making old feelings feel dangerously new, and Mason is not interested in pretending anymore. He wants the second chance he should have fought for years ago. The real relationship. The future. The woman he never stopped loving.
Delaney knows better than to fall for promises.
She trusts actions. Consistency. Being chosen when it matters.
And if Mason wants her back, he will have to prove he is not just running back to her because he can.
He is running back because this time, he plans to stay.
Running Back To You is perfect for readers who love:
Second chance romance
Small town football romance
Fake dating
Forced proximity
College exes with unfinished history
Wedding weekend tension
Found family
Emotional slow burn
Swoony, soft open-door romance
Heroes who fall first—and never really stopped
Readers will love:
‘He never got over her’
‘She needs proof, not promises’
‘Fake dating that starts to feel dangerously real’
‘A swoony football hero determined to win back the woman he lost’
‘Deep emotional tension with non-explicit intimacy’
Genre: New Adult Romance
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