It's release day for Where We First Fell by M. Hartley!
Where We First Fell
Series: Faircloud #4
Author: M. Hartley
Release Date: July 21, 2026
Publisher: Page & Vine
Genre: Romance/Contemporary/Fiction
A slow-burn friends-to-lovers story about coming home, healing old wounds, and realizing the love you’ve always needed has been right beside you all along.
After a betrayal that shattered her heart, Ellie Cassidy fled Faircloud, Texas, hoping time away would provide her the clarity she couldn’t find in the confines of her small hometown. When the noise of the past finally quiets, she makes the hardest choice of all, to return.
Coming home means facing the whispers, the stares, and the weight of old wounds.
Faircloud has a way of testing her, and soon Ellie finds herself questioning everything all over again, especially her heart.
The only steady thing in her world? Logan Walker.
Her childhood best friend. Her fiercest protector. The boy who’s quietly loved her for years and the man she’s never stopped leaning on.
Logan has always stood by Ellie, even when it meant standing in the shadows. But when she needs an escape, he offers her more than just a shoulder—he offers a road trip, a chance to breathe, and maybe something she never dared hope for, a new chance at love.
As miles pass and secrets unravel, Ellie and Logan discover that sometimes, the love you’ve been searching for has been beside you all along, and the path back home leads straight into the arms you’ve always belonged in.
M. Hartley
M. Hartley is a hopeless romantic with a passion for crafting heartfelt stories about small-town charm and rugged fictional cowboys (with big hearts and big…) When she’s not writing, while drinking a glass of sweet red wine, she can be found doting on her beloved dog, Hank, or indulging in her absurd Swedish Fish addiction. Dedicated to making readers fall head over heels for romance, M. Hartley believes there’s nothing better than a love story that lingers long after the last page is turned.
Learn more about this author here.
Ellie Cassidy left Faircloud with one thing in mind... to get as far away from that gossip-driven little town as possible. Being humiliated in front of the whole town, then having them give her looks of pity every time she bumped into one of them was almost worse than the break-up itself. She just needed to get away and heal in peace...
Where We First Fell is a beautifully penned story of taking chances, healing after heartbreak, friendship, family, and finding the courage to let love in again. After suffering the worst parts of love gone wrong Ellie is not really willing to take a chance on it again. The heartbreak she still carries reminds her everyday what happens when you trust someone with your heart and they mistreat it.
Returning to Faircloud comes with lots of reservation and fear. What if the stares and whispers start up again? What if nothing has changed and the hurt comes back again full force? It's something that has her rattled and stressed and wanting to turn tail and leave town again. Good thing she has a good friend waiting to welcome her home. Logan has been a steady anchor for her since the day she left and she knows he'll make her transition back home easier too. But what happens when she starts seeing her friend in a different light? What happens when his supportive hugs start to feel like something more? She can't go down that road with him...right?
This story absolutely broke my heart and found a way to mend it perfectly by the time the last page found me. These two were pure perfection, their slow burn fall tortured in all the right ways and left an unshakable smile on my face. I loved watching Ellie find her footing again and find the courage to let love in again after such a devastating first round. It was all so beautiful to watch unfold, my heart is still feeling all the feels! By far one of my favorite romances that I've read this year! Highly recommend!!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.
ARC provided via the Ambassador program
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