SHE LEFT TO CHASE HER DREAMS. SHE CAME BACK TO FIND HER HEART. When Charlotte "Charlie" Hayes returns to the small town of Millbrook, Vermont, she's not chasing success anymore-she's running from failure. Once a rising star pastry chef in New York City, Charlie now faces the crumbling reality of her family's struggling bakery and a life she abandoned fifteen years ago.
What she doesn't expect is Riley Parker.
Riley was her childhood best friend, her first love-and the girl Charlie left behind without explanation. Now Riley runs the neighboring maple farm, rooted in the land and the life Charlie once feared. Their reunion is anything but simple: old wounds linger, hearts remain guarded, and the past refuses to stay buried.
But in a town where everyone knows your story, distance isn't an option.
As Charlie rebuilds the bakery with bold new recipes and Riley fights to keep her family farm alive, their lives intertwine again through shared work, lingering glances, and memories that never truly faded. Beneath the golden hues of autumn, their connection rekindles-slow, fragile, and undeniable.
Yet second chances come with risks.
When a life-changing opportunity pulls Charlie back toward the city she once chose over love, she must face the truth she's avoided for years: Can she build a future without losing herself-or Riley all over again?
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Vermont's harvest season, Maple & Moonlight is a heartfelt sapphic romance filled with warmth, longing, and the quiet power of coming home. Perfect for fans of small-town romance, second chance love stories, and cozy, emotional journeys, this novel blends rich sensory detail, slow-burn passion, and deeply rooted love into an unforgettable story.
Because sometimes, the life you were meant to live is the one you left behind.
