Cayla never pictured this life. She had vet-school dreams and a mama who believed in her—until grief, bad choices, and toxic love with Orion rerouted everything.
Most women put on weight after having a baby, and no matter how she tried to portray herself in the mirror and in her head, she’d gotten fat.
Now this single mom is fighting to remember she deserves more than apologies.
Orion was raised on survival, not tenderness. What started as fun became forever when their daughter arrived—but old habits don’t quit.
When child support and consequences hit, the chaos he carries lands at Cayla’s door—again. Then there’s Kassidy—the boy who always saw her. Back in school he loved her mind, her spirit, her curves.
Years later, fate puts them in the same room. He’s steady, patient, and ready to show up for Cayla—and for the little girl who calls her home.
Now Cayla has a choice: stay bound to what breaks her, or risk everything for second-chance love that holds all of her—softness, scars, and dreams included. Heart or history. Pattern or promise.
For readers who love African American romance, BBW romance, single mom romance, hood love, a toxic ex vs. the right man, and second-chance love that feels real.
