Between the Shady Groves

After losing her husband and her mother, Lauren escapes to the quaint lakeside village of Raspberry Ridge, desperate to piece her life back together.Twelve years earlier, she'd fled this town to chase ambition and the glittering promise of city life, leaving her first love and her family's small bakery behind. Now, heartbroken and alone, she hopes the simplicity of her hometown can offer the healing she so desperately needs.But returning isn't easy. Every familiar street and scent of baking bread stirs memories of heartbreak, unresolved anger, and a young woman's dreams abandoned too soon. As Lauren takes up her mother's legacy, baking pastries and serving coffee to friendly locals, she slowly finds a sense of belonging again. Her friendship with Noah, the charming bookstore owner next door, soon blossoms into something more. But Lauren's newfound peace is shattered when her ex-husband arrives, pleading for forgiveness and complicating the fragile happiness she's begun to build.As secrets unravel and old wounds resurface, Lauren must confront the painful truth of why she left-and finally forgive herself. She learns that true happiness lies not in escaping the past, but embracing love, family, and the courage to trust her heart again. About Jessie Gussman

Writer of Love Stories

USA Today best-selling author Jessie Gussman writes sweet and inspirational romance from her farm in central Virginia. Having attended, but never graduating from the school of hard knocks, Jessie uses real life on the farm to inspire her cowboy, rural and blue-collar fiction.

When she's not chasing kids, cows and the occasional roll-away haybale, Jessie enjoys wading in Naked Creek and not cleaning her house. Most of the time her main goal is to keep from catching herself on fire...again.

If you enjoy fun stories with vivid characters showcasing strong families with a ribbon of faith tying everything together, you might enjoy Jessie's books.