From the publisher:
One writer, one editor, one hot summer . . . Will this be a romance for the books?
https://amzn.to/3NrhRBP
Ciara Sheridan’s father has left her with three things: a sprawling and distinctly ramshackle estate on the Irish coast, the outline for the finale to his bestselling epic fantasy series that he wanted her to finish—and writer’s block.
Enter Sam Avery: Frank Sheridan fanboy and hotshot editor, sent from the New York publishing house direct to Ciara’s doorstep—red pen ready.
At first, Ciara and Sam butt heads with crackling energy. But with the deadline looming, Ciara and Sam have just a few weeks to stop bickering, write this novel, and secure Frank’s legacy.
As the summer heats up, so, too, does the tension between them. Will their own love story be the plot twist neither of them see coming?
Famous fantasy author Frank Sheridan (think Tolkien or Rowling) wrote the Ravian series of nine books. He never got to write the tenth and final book in the series as he passed away, leaving his notes and his estate to his daughter, Ciera. A mystery writer under a pseudonym, Ciera stopped writing when her real name was outed, followed by the typical online hate.
Sheridan’s publisher offers Ciera a contract to write the last book, but she is experiencing severe writer’s block and hasn’t turned in a single page. As her deadline nears, the publisher decides to send their top editor, Sam, over to Ireland to help her out. Sam is a lifelong Ravian fan, and no one knows the series or the characters better.
Frank’s house is almost as famous as his books, and fans have been trying to find it for years. They show up occasionally, but Ciera has no patience for them. It’s in a tiny hamlet in Ireland, where she grew up, so the locals are protective of her. Sam arranges to stay in the only “inn” in town. It’s a tiny room above the local pub, but it will suffice. The pub owner refuses to give him directions to Ciera’s house, so he sets off on foot, figuring he’ll find it eventually. He does, and talks her into getting to work.
They work together, and eventually she starts churning out pages, and things are going well. Sam tries to stay professional, but Ciera is pushing all his buttons, and eventually they fall into a friendship and then more. But when word leaks out that the final book is being written, all hell breaks loose. It is up to Sam to protect Ciera and help her get to the finish line, but it becomes increasingly difficult, and eventually, Sam has to go back to New York to deal with the fallout.
This was a slow-burn romance, emphasis on the slow. I’m not sure if it is the start of a new series; Ciara’s best friend, Maddie, seems ripe for a book of her own, but only time will tell. Walsh delivers a solid romance, but I expected more.
3/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
HOW TO WRITE A LOVE STORY by Catherine Walsh. Dutton (March 10, 2026). ISBN: 979-8217043781. 352p.
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