FOOTNOTE BY ALEXA GREGORY
Release Date: September 13, 2021
A moving second-chance romance where hope can turn history into a footnote.
Sasha Covey needs a rewrite. Or a really big eraser. Her past doesn’t belong in the life she’s trying to rebuild. Her future—and her recovery—depend on a fresh start. Moving to Colebury seems like the perfect test until Penley Brooks waltzes into the Busy Bean. The handsome veterinarian is just as charming as when she fell for him a decade ago. Memories come flooding back, and their connection is as potent as ever.
Trouble is, Sasha has good reason to keep her distance. Her recovery is still new, and the single dad has wounds of his own. After years of being an afterthought, Penley’s goals are finally within reach. As much as she aches to reconnect, Sasha won’t stand in the way of his dreams.
Somehow, that all melts away whenever she’s with Penley. Together, dreaming is a little easier.
But dreams don’t always survive in the real world. Not when the past comes knocking.
Footnote is a standalone small-town romance set in the True North world.
Footnote is Alexa Gregory's contribution to the multi author Busy Bean series. This whole small town series is read as a standalone.
Sasha and Penley are likeable characters who are fascinating to read about. I enjoy their layers and the way they come together.
Sasha and Penley once knew each other. Their parents used to date and their friendship ended quickly. I love the glimpses into their pasts and the way everything evolved from there.
This is a story with an eating disorder. I appreciate the way it's written and infused into the storyline.
This is a story with family issues galore. Let's just say that Sasha's mom is a peach.
This is a story with plenty of layers and a lot of character growth. I enjoy that both characters know to work on themselves.
Footnote is a great addition to this small town universe. Alexa Gregory brings plenty of warmth to this second chance romance.
The overhanging bell chimed as the door swung open, letting in a blast of frozen wind. I was slowly getting into the habit of looking up to greet patrons as soon as the tinkling sound echoed through the Busy Bean.
It wasn’t easy. If I was measuring coffee grounds for the espresso machine, I kept focused on that. If I was counting change, I couldn’t look up, too scared to stiff customers or my bosses. Zara, Audrey, and the other employees were pros at multitasking. They were like fireflies of activity, doing twenty different things all at once, including shouting out a kind welcome to the patrons.
I wasn’t exactly good at the whole chipper-greeting thing on a regular basis, let alone in the middle of a task. Besides, a cheerful hello demanded volume and a certain exuberance that I just didn’t have.
It sure wasn’t going to happen with this particular patron.
When I finally looked up to acknowledge the newcomer, I failed to remember a few things.
How to breathe.
Where I was.
Who I was.
My knees forgot how to stand, too. They buckled under me, threatening to twist together like Roderick’s pretzels before they went into the oven. I was a half-baked lump. The only thing I could do was blink. Fast and hard to remove the strange optical illusion standing in front of me.
There was no way in hell this was happening. Not after all this time. Not now. Not here.
And yet…
How many people had eyes the color of a starry night, complete with a twinkle? I knew if I looked hard enough, I’d see a sparkle in the blue depths, a tiny glimmer of stardust floating in the dizzying gaze.
That wasn’t even half of it. There was the smile. The one that was warmer than a preheated oven in the morning. The one that hinted at a dimple that never quite made its way into existence.
Penley Brooks.
He was the only man in the whole world that had all of those attributes. Unless I had finally lost my mind, he was standing in the Busy Bean, grinning at me. Like we ran into each other every day in Colebury. Like we talked all the time.
Like we hadn’t lost touch over a decade ago.
Like I hadn’t left without a word.
My body was still, refusing to move until he confirmed his presence. Maybe he would disappear. Maybe he wouldn’t recognize me.
“Sasha Covey.” He spoke my name like it was a benediction. But maybe that was simply the fizz of hope going off in my heart. I hadn’t felt that in eleven years.
If I had a tongue before, it was gone. Lost. Sacrificed to the gods of deep, rumbling male voices that made kindling out of a woman’s legs. Oh, he had not misplaced his charm. It had doubled. Tripled. Or maybe it was all me. I hadn’t shed my silly crush on him. It came roaring up like time hadn’t made us older.
“Hey, Pen.” Zara beamed at him before arching a brow at me, silently asking me what had turned me into an immobile pile of goo.
“Zara, hey. How’s the family?”
My boss shrugged. “Wonderful.” The oven dinged like a hangman’s bell. “Excuse me. Sasha here will take your order.”
Before heading into the kitchen, she shot me another look. I wanted to reach out and beg her not to leave me alone with Penley, but that would have been too weird. Even for me. I already won the Weird Award daily; I didn’t need to add to my collection of strange exchanges.
I tried to swallow, pleading with my voice to magically reappear, but then he went and did something completely in character. Something that made my gooey body turn to mush.
He leaned on the counter.
That smirk of his was on full display. Was there a spotlight on him? That was the only explanation. No one’s hair shined like that. Was I suddenly allergic to coffee? That was the only reason why my lips were tingling wildly.
A kiss couldn’t reverberate through the decades.
It was impossible.
Scientifically unprovable. Like almost-dimples and stardust eyes.
Kisses didn’t rebound. But then again, I was no expert in first kisses. Or second. Or third.
“How are you here?” Penley’s wonder echoed my own, effervescing in the pit of my stomach.
“I work here,” I answered lamely, even though I knew what he meant. I was definitely not going to tell him how I ended up in Colebury. I’d changed a lot since the last time we saw each other. Not exactly for the better. Penley was the last person in the world who would ever get the truth out of me. It would hurt him too much.
“I can see that you work here.” His smooth laughter glided against my bare arms as he slowly took me in. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Yeah. Same. What can I get you?”
There! A full sentence. Shake it off, Sasha.
Way easier said than done.
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