She called him her boyfriend twice. He doesn't know about either one.

Four and a half dates. Two kisses — one accidental, one deliberate.

Nora Chen spends two hours before every date becoming the version of herself she thinks he wants to see. Ethan Morin is a Québécois firefighter who deflects the brave parts of his own stories. She performs. He protects. Neither knows the other is doing it.

Then a freak accident puts Ethan in a hospital bed — and Nora does something distinctly un-rehearsed. She stays. All night. In his jacket.

Now she's in his apartment. With his two cats. And a hallway neither of them will cross.

He thinks she can't wait to leave. She thinks he's pushing her away. Neither of them says it. Both of them are idiots.

The cats know.

Forced proximity · Hurt/Comfort · Slow burn · Dual POV · He falls first (but she said "girlfriend" first)

CONTENT NOTES FOR REVIEWERS

• Heat level: Moderate / fade-to-black (intimacy scenes present
in later chapters; emotional intimacy is the primary focus)
• Language: Mild (no F-bombs; very minimal profanity overall)
• POV: Dual first person, present tense (Nora & Ethan,
alternating chapters)
• Ending: HEA (Happily Ever After) — no cliffhanger
• Length: Novella (~41,000 words)
• Bilingual: French/English. French is used contextually and
translated in flow; no prior French knowledge required.

Contains:
• Hospital and recovery scenes following an off-page accident
• On-page anxiety and people-pleasing dynamics
• Themes of emotional masking and identity performance
• Brief references to first-responder occupational stress
• Two cats (one black and judgmental, one orange and ten pounds
of unsolicited emotional support)

Does NOT contain:
• On-page sexual assault
• Graphic violence
• Cheating, love triangle, or third-act breakup
• Cliffhanger ending

Series note:
This is Book 1 of the Montreal Seasons series — interconnected
standalones set across the seasons in Montreal. Each book follows
a different couple with its own HEA.

Reviewers:
Honest reviews on NetGalley and Goodreads are deeply appreciated.
Amazon reviews after launch on June 7, 2026 are especially
helpful. Thank you for considering this title!