DEEPLY PERSONAL

An overworked interior designer falls for a sweet personal trainer in Collier’s debut romance.

Jessica Chandler, who’s in her early 30s, isn’t as physically fit as she’d like to be, and she runs into trouble at the Franklin Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, when she loses a bet with her twin brother after collapsing during the race. Luckily, personal trainer Paul Brady comes to her rescue. Sparks quickly fly, but Jessica is still too upset about her last breakup to chance going on a date with him. Besides, she’s busy trying to rescue her fledgling Nashville interior design business from the brink of failure by attempting to win a bid for a prestigious project for the Tom Buchanan Company. After Paul calls her for help decorating his apartment, she finds out that Tom Buchanan is his client and friend. The two strike a deal: They’ll fake a relationship in an attempt to convince Tom that Jessica’s design business is the one he should choose. Collier plays with a classic romance trope in a tale with two very likable characters with plenty of chemistry. In fact, the chemistry is so good it will be hard for readers to accept Jessica’s refusal to admit that there’s a connection between them. Side plots effectively help to flesh out the characters; one involves Paul trying to convince his aging grandparents to move to a retirement community, and another has Jessica and her brother Lenny worrying about their dad’s trips to London. Mrs. Worthmore, a scary client of Jessica’s, is particularly endearing, and their acquaintance effectively helps Jessica to learn that life isn’t all about work: “She felt vibrant now, as if an alarm clock had just gone off in her heart, awakening her to a different life entirely.” Romance is just a part of Jessica’s journey, but it’s the sweetest part of the novel.

A heartwarming tale for readers who enjoy a slow-burn love story.