The Crooked Billet

Some partnerships are worth the risk. Even when you've spent twenty-two years proving you don't need anyone.

Nell Fairweather has run her grandmother's Yorkshire pub alone since she was barely old enough to pull a pint. Now the Crooked Billet is failing, the brewery's breathing down her neck, and the licensing council wants her licence renewed—or revoked. The last thing she needs is help. Especially from Jonah Wilder.

Jonah didn't choose the Dales. He's a London consultant in exile, banished to the most remote pub in his father's territory as punishment for refusing to sell the family brewery. Three months advising a stubborn landlady who clearly wants him gone, then back to civilisation. Simple.

Except Nell isn't what he expected. And the regulars—the fierce book club, the silent fire officer, the dog who's appointed himself Jonah's judge—have their own ideas about whether he's worth keeping.

As cheese-and-ale evenings become standing-room only and the village starts taking sides, Nell discovers that accepting help doesn't mean losing herself. And Jonah learns that the hardest place to stay is the one that finally feels like home.

Perfect for readers who love:

• Cozy British settings with pubs, Yorkshire Dales, and eccentric villagers
• Found family and tight-knit communities
• Slow-burn romance between two people learning to trust
• Dual POV that gets inside both hearts
• Dogs who know best
• Second chances at love and belonging

A warm, witty contemporary romance about inheritance, independence, and learning that the bravest thing you can do is let someone stay.