A fence-line feud ignites a desire neither heart expects in this heartwarming small-town romance from bestselling author Karen Deen.

Small-town veterinarian Ashley Alleyne has everything she wants in Abbey Falls. A job she loves, a close-knit community, her menagerie of animals—and absolutely no need for a man, no matter what her meddling “woo-woo” friend, Tiffany, may see in her tea leaves. So when an angry stranger shows up demanding she fix her fence, the fire he ignites in her can only be anger...right?

When Jake Davis’s grandma, Betty, asks for his help to restore the family vineyard, he doesn’t think twice. One year, then he’s gone. But with the stubborn—and annoyingly stunning—vet next door refusing to keep her animals to herself, his plans for a quiet year in Abbey Falls are going up in smoke.

There’s nowhere to hide in a small town, and the closer Ashley and Jake get, the harder it is to pretend there’s nothing between them but a broken fence. They’ve both been through the fire before—but maybe this time, what’s burning isn’t something either of them should put out.

© 2026 Karen Deen, all rights reserved.

Karen Deen is a bestselling romance author known for character-driven love stories filled with emotion, tension, and heart. Her novels explore connection, healing, and the pull of relationships that refuse to stay at a distance. Writing across contemporary and billionaire romance, she creates immersive worlds where attraction sparks, walls fall, and trust is hard-won. Falling Under the Stars brings her signature emotional depth to a small-town setting, where love grows through vulnerability, choice, and courage.