As They Are (Strawberry Springs #2)

He lives by the rules. She’ll break every one of them.

Wren Hackett should be on top of the world. She’s the star of a popular renovation TV show and dating her longtime crush and co-star, Jude. While their on-screen romance had been planned, she’s crushed when he rejects the idea of it ever becoming real. With the next season of the show rapidly approaching and the network demanding she keep up appearances, Wren is desperate to find a way out of pretending to be in love with the man who broke her heart. When small-town rumors swirl around her and the shy local doctor, she realizes there’s no better way to get over a fake relationship than to get right into another one.

Henry Connor enjoys his quiet life in Strawberry Springs. Everyone thinks he’s cool, calm, and collected—and so long as he follows his carefully curated routines and rules, they always will. But when a strawberry blonde starlet crashes into his life and pulls him into the spotlight, Henry feels his control slipping. His biggest fear? Showing the parts of himself he’s tried so hard to hide … and falling for the strong, beautiful woman who is definitely way out of his league.

As things heat up both on and off camera, Wren and Henry realize that neither can play the part they’re supposed to. Will they cling to who they’ve been told to be, or will they realize that they can trust each other to be themselves just as they are?

As They Are is a small-town, fake-dating romance novel with the found family trope, set in the town of Strawberry Springs. It is the second in a series of interconnected standalone novels.