They’ve been trying to avoid each other.
But this town has other ideas…

When Berkley Carr opened The Love Shack Animal Haven, she thought she’d finally put her past behind her. But sometimes she feels the sting of the scandal from her youth, especially when she keeps crossing paths with her handsome neighbor. So, she keeps her head down and pours all her love into caring for animals.

Lawson Salder moved to Cemetery, Indiana, to escape from the grinding poverty of his childhood. He barely knew Berkley from their old neighborhood, but every time he sees her, the shame and pain come crashing back. He knows she’s got major baggage of her own. They’re better off just avoiding each other.

But that’s downright impossible in a town full of matchmaking busybodies. Then there’s the hard-to-ignore attraction they feel every time they see each other. When the universe is conspiring to bring them together, will Berkley and Lawson let past hurts go and embrace the love they deserve?

EXCERPT

Carrying a colorful bouquet of flowers and a pastry box, Berkley Carr strolled down the sidewalk with her dog, Hero, taking in the sights, sounds and colors of the eclectic little town where she’d recently relocated. A bright afternoon sun heated her shoulders as she breathed in the unique freshness that she’d never experienced anywhere else.

She’d made the right decision when she’d accepted the new job and, basically, a new life. The notoriety that so often haunted her couldn’t possibly bother her here, not in this quaint rural setting bustling with activity and filled with kindness.

As she waved to the owner of the sweetshop, and then, on the opposite side of the street, a seasonal ice cream parlor, she decided that the full-time residents were…almost too good to be true.

Not perfect, no. How boring would that be? They varied in age and ambition, with vocations that spanned the imagination. Most of the businesses were clustered here on the main street, but others were spread out through the town.

None, however, were near her new home and The Love Shack, the amazing animal shelter she now ran. Privacy, that was what she had. Peaceful, wonderful privacy.

As if he’d read her thoughts, Hero gazed up at her, his tongue lolling out one side of his mouth, and his muscular body moving in time with her long strides. The brindle pit bull–boxer mix loved these walks as much as she did.

Berkley smiled down at him. “It’s nice being a stranger, isn’t it?”

Hero licked his chops and then sniffed the air, either smelling a squirrel in one of the mature trees that provided blessed shade everywhere, or perhaps picking up the scent of barbecue that permeated the air from a not-too-distant restaurant.

A vacationer walked by with two kids in tow, no doubt headed for the large recreational lake. As the girl, who looked to be around six, reached out for Hero, the woman asked with caution, “Is he friendly?”

Berkley stopped. “The friendliest.” With his tail wagging, Hero snuffled against the kid and made her laugh. The girl’s shier brother came forward and gave Hero a hug, then the mom knelt and gave him a few pets, too. As always, the dog loved the attention.

After the woman wished her a good day and corralled her kids along, Berkley resumed her walk.

The vacationers were the easiest for her to deal with because they had only a passing interest in her.

The residents, though, they had reason to want to know more about her. Most of them were caring, involved, determined—with a few quirks thrown in. Several were nosy, others liked to gossip, and of course there were often assumptions.

So far, their assumptions about her hadn’t come anywhere near the truth. No one here knew her history, her infamy.

If she could help it, no one ever would.

She no sooner had that thought than she saw Hero go on the alert. Berkley followed the direction of the dog’s stare and encountered a very fine male behind.

Maybe if the guy hadn’t been leaning into what looked like a well in front of a shop, things would have gone differently. But there he was, legs braced with a muscular tush on display in board shorts, his head and part of his shoulders hidden inside the well. She and Hero weren’t the only ones to notice, either. Berkley saw several women taking in the view.

It was her distraction with the other women, as well as the packages she carried, that made her lose hold of the leash when Hero launched forward, already on a mission. She shouted, “Hero, no!” But of course, it was too late.

Hearing her, the man straightened too quickly and smacked his head on the roof frame of the well. Before he could complain, Hero had him by the seat of his shorts, determinedly tugging him a foot away to “safety,” which made the guy lose his footing on the gravel lot. He fell forward with a barely subdued curse.

Filled with dread, Berkley sprinted forward, dropped her flowers and pastry box, and grabbed for Hero’s leash. “He’s fine, bud. I swear. Hero, drop him.”

Obediently, the dog released his grip on the shorts, then wagged his tail, very proud of himself. And damn, she was pretty proud of him, too. He’d gotten much better at following commands. “Good boy.”

Grumbling, the guy pushed to his feet, dusted off his knees and stared down at her.

Holy crap. I know him.

Lawson Salder, in the flesh. She hadn’t seen him in nearly a decade, and honestly, that wasn’t long enough to suit her. She would have been happy to never again set eyes on anyone from her old neighborhood, her old life—anyone who knew of the god-awful scandal that had overtaken her existence.

Why had no one told her he lived in Cemetery, Indiana?

It wasn’t like anyone in the area wouldn’t know Lawson. The man was testosterone on a stick. A walking ad for sex appeal. Windblown blond hair, light brown eyes, drool-worthy shoulders and a “don’t care” attitude that had drawn admiration from all the girls on their street, as well as many of the guys.

Back then, most had struggled in the run-down town, but Lawson had gone about his business as if he owned it all.

Eight years had not only made him older, but also better-looking, with more of an edge—and damn him, he’d always been edgy enough.

How unfair was that?

His thick brows came together in a severe frown. “Your dog is a menace.”

Since she was holding her breath, waiting to see if he’d recognize her, it took a second to actually comprehend his insult.

Then she got annoyed.

“He was trying to save you. You’re welcome.”

“Save me from what?”

She gestured at the well. “He probably thought you were falling in.”

“When it’s only decorative?”

His continued antagonism had her teeth locking. “Well, I’ll be sure to explain the difference to him.” She turned to Hero, who stared back with his intelligent brown eyes alert. “Sweetheart, the mean man wants you to know that the well isn’t real.”

With a disgruntled huff, Lawson muttered, “I am not mean.” Then to the dog, he said, “You almost ripped my shorts, bud.”

The way they hung loose around his lean hips, it was a wonder Hero hadn’t pulled them right off him—and no, no no no, she did not need that image in her head. Small town, anonymity, fresh start—that was her focus. Not a blast from the past in the form of a hot guy with a gruff attitude.

She inhaled a slow breath and said precisely, “Hero is a rescue dog, and he’s sensitive.”

“Odd, doesn’t seem like I’ve hurt his feelings. You’re the only one who’s pissed off.”

New umbrage filled her lungs and she took an aggressive step toward him. “Don’t curse in front of my dog.” Yup, those ridiculous words actually left her mouth. But now with them out there, she copped an attitude and stood by them.

Lawson let Hero smell his hand, then he stroked the dog’s neck while saying in a gentle, affectionate tone, “Does cursing offend you, Hero? She is pissed off, isn’t she? You see it, don’t you, buddy? I only spoke the truth.”

Of course the dog wagged his tail adoringly, shuffling nearer to Lawson.

“When you say it like that,” Berkley complained, “he doesn’t know you’re still cursing.”

Wearing a smirk, Lawson gave his attention to her. “So you adopted him?”

“I did, yeah, but that’s not what I meant by a rescue dog. Hero rescues people. All the time.”

“Whether they need rescuing or not?”

Don’t look at him. Don’t look at him. Hearing the smile in his tone did something funny to her and she absolutely, positively, could not get drawn in by him. “It’s when they appear to need help.” Suddenly aware of others standing around, attempting to listen in, Berkley decided it was time to go. The last thing she wanted to do was attract attention.

While picking up her flowers, which were a little crushed, and her pastry, which thankfully was unharmed, she asked, “Do I owe you anything?”

He didn’t reply.

Unable to help herself, she glanced at him—and yup, she got snagged. Oh, the power of those eyes…

His gaze searched hers. “You look familiar.”

Hoping to slide past any memories, she said fast, “I run The Love Shack, the new animal shelter. We opened late spring, so you’ve probably seen me around.” She hesitated. “Your shorts are okay?”

“They’re old, so no worries.” He continued to study her. “Wait a minute.”

“Nope. Gotta roll.” Arms loaded with her packages and the leash firmly in hand, she got Hero moving, but she was a second too late.

“Berkley Carr.”

The way he said her name, with equal parts recognition and disbelief, made her want to bolt. To simply walk away—from him and the town and the promise of a new start. She could keep going as if the ugly memories of her younger days had never happened. Then this awkward, stomach-churning moment wouldn’t exist.

And the man now staring intently at her would have no interest in her at all.

But she had a shelter full of animals relying on her. Her cat was probably getting up to no good. The people in the town had welcomed her.

And she’d already decided this place was home.

A breeze blew over her face, reminding her of the scents of summer she’d appreciated minutes ago. Someone laughed. A child raced past.

Life went on all around her. Her life would go on, too.

Repressing the burn of humiliation that tried to shrivel her, she stiffened her spine and managed to make her lips lift in the semblance of a smile. “Yes, that’s me.” And now he’d bring up the past, the scorn, the disgrace. He’d have questions, because everyone always had questions once they knew who she was.

Frowning in what looked like concern, he stepped closer.

For a second there, she was the old Berkley, downtrodden and ashamed, and she retreated a step. Damn it. To cover that reaction, she planted her feet and stared up at him.

He stalled—and then his expression cleared and he gave her a carefully neutral look. “The wishing well will be finished by the end of the week. It was a great idea.”

Her clenched muscles went slack, proving she’d been braced for the worst. Grateful that he’d let their association go and hoping to avoid the mention of it again, Berkley peered at the well as if she’d never seen one before. Her thoughts scrambled, but he’d given her an out, and by God, she’d take it. “An idea for…what?”

“Betty didn’t tell you?”

Awed that he sounded merely friendly, his recognition hidden, she breathed a little easier. “Betty Cemetery? She’s always up to something. I lose track of her shenanigans.” The town matriarch—and a descendant of the town founder, which was how Cemetery, Indiana, got its name—seemed to get busier with age. At eighty-seven, she should have been slowing down, and instead she’d found renewed purpose in the hometown she loved.

“Agreed. It amazes me everything she does.”

“All good things,” Berkley said in defense of the elder. She’d heard enough whispers to know that some considered Betty a bully, a powerful woman who used her prestige to coerce others into her way of thinking.

And maybe she did.

But to Berkley, she’d been nothing but amazing. A lover of pets. A generous benefactor to the shelter. Accepting and encouraging. She owed Betty for this new start.

“Many good things,” Lawson countered. “But not all.” He gave her a brief, teasing smile. “The wishing well directly assists the shelter, though, so I assumed you knew all about it.

See, the plan is for people to toss in change, make a wish, take a photo if they want, and then the money will be collected monthly for the shelter.”

“Huh.” Great idea. “Betty didn’t tell me anything about it, but The Love Shack can always use the funds.” Edging closer to the well, which made Hero whine, she peeked inside.

“Unique name for the place.”

She shot him a warning glance. “Betty chose it.”

Without asking, Lawson took the leash from her, and said to the dog, “Come here, bud.” He patted the top of the well wall. “Come on, now. It’s okay.” Cautiously, Hero obeyed, peeking in and darting back, then, after realizing what he’d seen, peeking in again. “Damn, you really are a smart one, aren’t you?”

“You’re cursing again.”

Rolling his eyes, he said, “You’ll survive.” He patted Hero. “His coloring is unusual.”

“Gorgeous, right? He’s a brindle pit bull–boxer mix. Supersmart, overall well-behaved—”

“But he has that thing about rescuing.”

The tension in her neck loosened. Talking about animals always put her at ease. “He was a companion to a senior who was wheelchair bound, so he’d already gained a tendency to help. When his owner passed away, Hero was lost.”

“Lost?” Lawson asked softly.

Emotion thickened her throat. She understood being lost, and that was why she’d fallen so madly in love with Hero. “Shelter life was hard on him. He was so obviously sad and alone, even with the other animals around him. I figured out that he needed a purpose, but after two tries at finding his forever home, he was brought back.”

“He wanted to rescue someone.”

Despite herself, the corner of her mouth lifted. “Yeah, and he gave it his all. Over and over again.”

Lawson knelt to stroke the dog, giving him a little extra affection, and Hero ate it up.

Funny, how that made her feel, to see badass Lawson Salder being so tender with the dog. “Hero needed someone who understood him.” And she’d badly needed a friend. “So we’re family now.”

Lawson looked up at her, and wow, it froze her to the spot. “You’re not going to cry, are you?”

Of all the… “Of course not! Why would you think that?”

His gaze assessed her. “I think you have a very soft heart when it comes to this good boy.”

“I love him, but I won’t cry about it.” Not here and not now. In the past, before Hero—and maybe a few times since adopting him—tears had gotten the better of her. It always made her feel worse. Stuffy-headed and weary. Weak.

To change the subject yet again, Berkley asked, “How will you get the money from the well?” The structure wasn’t deep, maybe three or four feet, but the interior of the well was like a funnel, so any change dropped in would roll into a center hole.

Lawson stood again, all six-feet-plus of him as he contemplated the well while still idly stroking Hero’s ears. “Once I finish and turn on the water, it’ll be a fountain, with the water circulating.” After a silly, furtive look around, he leaned in close and whispered, “There’s a secret door built in the base. I use a key to unlock it, withdraw a basket and collect the change.”

“Ingenious.” This time, since he wasn’t in the process of remembering her and the mortifying shame of her past, his nearness didn’t bother her. Not much, anyway. “And this was Betty’s idea?”

“We came up with the plan together.” He lifted his hand to the tidy shop front behind him, where numerous T-shirts, sweatshirts, spirit wear, backpacks and more could be seen through a spotlessly clean window. “It seemed like good business marketing, so I offered to build it in front of my place. You know, get people here taking pics, hanging around, and maybe they’ll see something they like. Betty was able to push the idea through with the town council because the money collected will be put to good use.”

“It’s a great idea, really.”

He eyed the well. “When I finish with it, it’ll be a beauty. We’ll add a Cemetery, Indiana town sign on one side of it, so people have a great reason to pose there. Dropping in money will be optional, but obviously suggested.”

“You’re like a marketing guru.” Of all the things she’d known about him, the art of subtle promotion didn’t seem to fit. A bouncer at a bar, sure. Coach for a football team, probably. But custom printing? “Do you own the shop alone or do you have partners?”

“It’s mine.”

She didn’t exactly mean to be nosy, but the words slipped out. “What about your wife?”

“Not married. You?”

God, no. She would never marry. Even thinking it caused her to take a step back.

Sorry that she’d brought it up, she shook her head. “No. It’s just me—well, and several wonderful volunteers who’ll help at the shelter. Right now there aren’t that many animals to deal with, but we’re taking some overflow from other shelters, so I’ll be getting a few new dogs and cats soon.”

“You’ve been settled here for a while now?”

“Still new,” she said. “The shelter was just completed in the spring, and then I needed to get moved in. You?”

“I’ve been here since last summer. I was renting for a while, but just bought a house.”

So he was here to stay.

And she was here to stay.

Where, then, did that leave them? With her trying to avoid him, most likely.

Excerpted from The Love Shack by Lori Foster. Copyright © 2024 by Lori Foster. Published by MIRA Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.

The post Read The First Chapter From ‘The Love Shack’ by Lori Foster appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

From holidays and Scottish swordmakers, to fake boyfriends at weddings and best friends becoming something a little more, you’ll definitely find a new romance read on our July releases!

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you will be checking any out!

All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

All Your Perfects is a profound novel about a damaged couple whose potential future hinges on promises made in the past. This is a heartbreaking page-turner that asks: Can a resounding love with a perfect beginning survive a lifetime between two imperfect people?

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

April Hamilton wants you to know she hasn’t been on GigsforHire since that time she sold her futon after college. She doesn’t even spend that much time online. And even if she did, she would not be looking up personal ads. But going home alone for her family’s summer reunion is an invitation for every single relative to butt into her personal life. She simply can’t handle another blind date with the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker from her hometown. So when she finds the GigsforHire ad for a boyfriend-for-hire, she’s ready to pay to play.

Cooper’s Charm by Lori Foster
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Before the burglary that shattered her confidence, Phoenix Rose had a fiancé, a successful store and a busy, happy existence. After months spent adrift, she takes a job at the lakeside resort of Cooper’s Charm. Visiting Cooper’s Charm to check up on her little sister, Ridley Rose impulsively agrees to fill in as housekeeper. For Phoenix and Ridley, Cooper’s Charm is supposed to be merely temporary. But this detour may lead to the place they most need to be, where the future is as satisfying as it is surprising…

A Duke By Default by Alyssa Cole
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Award-winning author Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series continues with a woman on a quest to be the heroine of her own story and the duke in shining armor she rescues along the way New York City socialite and perpetual hot mess Portia Hobbs is tired of disappointing everyone. An apprenticeship with a struggling swordmaker in Scotland is a chance to use her expertise and discover what she’s capable of. Tavish McKenzie doesn’t need a rich, spoiled American telling him how to run his armory…even if she is infuriatingly good at it. Tav tries to rebuff his apprentice, and his attraction to her, but when Portia accidentally discovers that he’s the secret son of a duke, rough-around-the-edges Tav becomes her newest makeover project.

Small Town Rumors by Carolyn Brown
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Everyone is talking about Jennie Sue Baker and the mess she made of her life in New York. The former high school queen bee—and wealthy darling of Bloom, Texas—has returned home after all these years, riding on a common bus and bearing two bounced alimony checks. They say she’s taken a job as a housekeeper, gotten a garage apartment, and might be crushing on Rick Lawson, a simple farmer with modest dreams. As romance starts to bud, Jennie relishes what it means to follow her heart, find real new friends, and finally be herself—regardless of all the lying town chatter. But fate has another twist in store.

Playing Her Secret Crush by Casey Griffin
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

All her life, Katie has been chosen last for everything: the last picked on the playground, the last picked by her absent father, and definitely the last picked by boys—even her secret crush, Alex, friend-zoned her. This senior year, Katie is determined to come first. But then Alex asks her to help him find a date?! Alex has been living life in the fast lane, but he’s ready to slow down—with a girlfriend. The last person on earth he’d consider? The girl his brother developed serious feelings for before he died: Katie.

Four Day Fling by Emma Hart
Goodreads | Amazon

Imagine this. You’re ready to leave after a one-night stand, and you’re figuring out how to—shock horror—leave your number and ask him to be your fake boyfriend for your sister’s wedding this weekend. Well, that happened to me, which was how I ended up arriving at the wedding with a guy I knew nothing about. I sure as hell didn’t know he was Adam Winters, hotshot hockey player—and not only my father’s favorite player, but my little nephew’s freakin’ idol. My mother is suspicious, my sister is bridezilla on crack, and my grandpa will tell anyone who’ll listen about his time in Amsterdam’s Red Light District.

Butterface by Avery Flynn
Goodreads | Amazon

It’s true. I’m not what most people would call “pretty” and, well, high school was rough. Fast forward ten years and life is good… Until a bunch of jerks think it’s hilarious to put the “butterface” (AKA me) on a wedding Kiss Cam with the hottest guy ever—and that old humiliation hits hard. But then he kisses me. Then he tells everyone we’ve been dating for months. But there’s something he’s not telling me about why he’s really hanging around, and I’m pretty sure it has to do with my mob-connected brothers.

Forget You, Ethan by Whitney G.
Goodreads | Amazon

I’ve hated Rachel Dawson since I was seven years old. My next door neighbor and number one sworn enemy, she’s the reason why almost all of our childhood fights ended with me setting something of hers on fire. (Or, vice versa.) We went back and forth like this throughout high school, both vowing to never talk to each other again when we went off to college. But that was until she showed up at my apartment during my senior year and asked me for a temporary place to stay. Until I realised just how much between us had changed, and the line I thought we’d never cross became harder and harder to ignore…

Heart of Glass by Nicole Jacquelyn
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Henry Harris was living his dream as a staff sergeant in the Marines. When he’s killed in action, his devastated family is in for one more shock: he had a daughter they never knew about. Then, Henry’s brother Trevor arrives on Morgan’s doorstep to make up for his brother’s mistakes. Their attraction feels wrong and suddenly Trevor is in too deep. He has always wanted a family, but Etta and Morgan come with complications. But he wonders if Morgan will ever learn to trust another man with her heart, especially a man whose last name is Harris.

I Think I Love You by Lauren Layne
Goodreads | Amazon

A game of seduction between two best friends goes deliciously wrong in an irresistible Oxford Novel that brims with wit and sexual tension. Library Journal hails Layne’s work as “exemplary contemporary romance.”

Lucky Scars by Kerry Heavens
Goodreads | Amazon

Not every love story begins with a fiery explosion of lust. Some are tiny embers of hope that smoulder slowly until the stars align… I’d been living in a bubble. Loving was dangerous and I would never do it again. It was working just fine, until the bubble burst. Unknowingly I’d been living in the dark, feeling my way. He made me feel again. I thought the wounds from the past would never fully heal. But perhaps they only heal when the time is right. Sometimes you just have to thank your lucky scars.

Check out what other books are coming out this month on our Goodreads list!

What book are you most excited to read? Tell us in the comments below!

(P.S – The Nerd Daily occasionally receives commissions for the links included in this article, but all earnings go back into us hosting giveaways!)

The post July Book Releases: Romance appeared first on The Nerd Daily.