Smart and nerdy Cara Mendoza loves books, and makes sure her bookstore, The Novel Place, is stocked with some of the latest best sellers along with the classics. She has a not-so-secret penchant for romance novels, and in her mind, the hero is always played by former NFL player and her favorite high school quarterback Jones McBride. But book boyfriends don't disappoint, and she's determined to keep it that way. So what if she ends up a spinster with ninety-eight cats?The last place Jones ever thought he'd end up was Holiday Peak. But when his pro-career ended due to a knee injury, and his dad got sick, it ended up being a haven. After eight months back, he's started really enjoying his second love, which is cooking. Changing up the menu at the family diner and seeing what the town thinks of his creations is fun for him. They've even started asking him to cater many of the town's celebration. Which is how he ends up spending time with the quiet beauty Cara. The more he gets to know her, and peels back those layers she surrounds herself with; the more intrigued he becomes. There's no way he's ever going to live up to her idea of a romantic hero, but that doesn't keep him from wanting to try.