Everyone knows falling for your best friend’s brother is a disaster waiting to happen...
Good thing I can’t stand him.
River Ashburn has all the makings of a main character — striking looks, seductive charm, and a career as modern art's reigning prince. But to me, he’s a villain.
For the last nine years, the only passion we've shared is mutual loathing. As for the other tension I occasionally feel around him? That's just my body confusing fury with foreplay, easy to ignore.
Until a plot twist changes everything.
When I arrive for my writing residency at a secluded retreat in Northern California, the last person I expect to cross paths with is River. Now he's derailing my dream from the other side of a paper-thin wall.
Seeing him every day is a distraction I don't need. Listening to him shower? Torture. But the real danger of forced proximity is a truth unveiled over days and weeks: beneath our hostility lies powerful chemistry.
With every shared smile, vulnerable confession, and not-so-accidental touch, the magic between us grows. So does my fear. Writing happy endings isn't the same as believing in them, and surrendering my heart means risking more than I can afford to lose.
Except River isn’t the villain in my story anymore.
He’s the hero.
And he’s about to steal my pen.
_________________________
If you love banter, slow burn tension, summer camp vibes, emotional romance with humor, and a hero who falls first and hard, you won’t want to miss RIVER & RUE.
Tropes:
Good thing I can’t stand him.
River Ashburn has all the makings of a main character — striking looks, seductive charm, and a career as modern art's reigning prince. But to me, he’s a villain.
For the last nine years, the only passion we've shared is mutual loathing. As for the other tension I occasionally feel around him? That's just my body confusing fury with foreplay, easy to ignore.
Until a plot twist changes everything.
When I arrive for my writing residency at a secluded retreat in Northern California, the last person I expect to cross paths with is River. Now he's derailing my dream from the other side of a paper-thin wall.
Seeing him every day is a distraction I don't need. Listening to him shower? Torture. But the real danger of forced proximity is a truth unveiled over days and weeks: beneath our hostility lies powerful chemistry.
With every shared smile, vulnerable confession, and not-so-accidental touch, the magic between us grows. So does my fear. Writing happy endings isn't the same as believing in them, and surrendering my heart means risking more than I can afford to lose.
Except River isn’t the villain in my story anymore.
He’s the hero.
And he’s about to steal my pen.
_________________________
If you love banter, slow burn tension, summer camp vibes, emotional romance with humor, and a hero who falls first and hard, you won’t want to miss RIVER & RUE.
Tropes:
- Brother's best friend
Forced proximity
ALL the yearning
Slow burn
He falls first
Soulmate magic
Dramedy (comedy + drama)
RIVER & RUE is a standalone spin-off within the Breaking Love universe. As such, it contains characters and minor spoilers from prior books in the series. Content warnings are available at the beginning of the book and on the author's website.
Genre: Romance
Used availability for L M Halloran's River & Rue