Carpe Bead 'em

De: Tonya Kappes

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Small-town romantic comedy about starting over

Hallie Mediate worked hard to leave her past behind. Orphaned young and raised by her eccentric Great Aunt Grace in Cincinnati, she put herself through college, landed her dream job in Chicago, and started a promising romance with her running partner, Bo Pompillio. Her life is finally on track—until she’s transferred back to the hometown she swore she’d never return to.

Back in Cincinnati, Hallie is immediately pulled into Aunt Grace’s chaotic world, where dumpster diving, pink-dyed poodles, rooftop pets, and questionable public behavior are all part of daily life. Determined to keep her past from colliding with her future, Hallie puts her relationship with Bo on hold and focuses on surviving her unexpected homecoming.

An escape comes in the form of a local jewelry-making class, where Hallie discovers a surprising talent for beading. When a major department store buyer takes notice of her work, Hallie begins to question everything she thought she wanted. Chicago, her career, and Bo suddenly don’t feel like the only path forward.

Now Hallie must choose between returning to the life she carefully built—or taking a leap of faith to start something new, with Aunt Grace firmly by her side. Sometimes the life you’re searching for is waiting in the place you tried hardest to escape.

A heartfelt, humorous women’s fiction romance about family, love, and second chances, perfect for readers who enjoy quirky characters, small-town charm, and stories about finding happiness on your own terms.