Hoffman Grove Series by Karla Brandenburg

Karla Brandenburg takes readers back to Hoffman Grove with Book 4 in her series of small-town romance and a family of friends.After spending her life manipulated and belittled by her codependent family, Kayleigh Cragin is fired by her sister from the job she’s “lucky” to have. Eager for an escape, Kayleigh attends her ten-year reunion while she plans a reboot of her life, but some things never change... moreKarla Brandenburg takes readers back to Hoffman Grove with Book 4 in her series of small-town romance and a family of friends.After spending her life manipulated and belittled by her codependent family, Kayleigh Cragin is fired by her sister from the job she’s “lucky” to have. Eager for an escape, Kayleigh attends her ten-year reunion while she plans a reboot of her life, but some things never change. Upon her return to Hoffman Grove, false friends she had back in the day indicate they are eager to repeat old patterns, until a knight in shining armor steps in to rescue her.Rafe Martin’s family moved to the suburbs from the city after a gang-related shooting disabled his mother. Now, with the fortune he earned from his Shark Tank invention, he’s taken it upon himself to make a better life for his family, even if his family doesn’t appreciate his efforts. When he overhears people talking behind Kayleigh’s back, he rides to her rescue and volunteers to be her pretend boyfriend for her reunion weekend.Bolstered by unexpected support from her classmates, Kayleigh chases her dream to open a ceramics studio in Hoffman Grove, an expansion of the Etsy store she’s secretly been running from her home. Riddled with self-doubt, she must find the courage to live life on her own terms, especially when old frenemies bring trouble to her doorstep. less

Sue Sheffield maintains a friendship with her alcoholic ex-husband, hoping he can find his way back to the man he used to be—until he falls off the wagon, wraps his car around a tree, and dies. When rock guitarist Heath Fitzgerald hears his new neighbor sobbing, he rushes to check on her. After his previous roommate’s recent suicide, Heath’s determined not to let anyone else suffer in silence. He cheers her up the only way he knows how—with dad jokes, his knee-jerk response to stress... moreSue Sheffield maintains a friendship with her alcoholic ex-husband, hoping he can find his way back to the man he used to be—until he falls off the wagon, wraps his car around a tree, and dies. When rock guitarist Heath Fitzgerald hears his new neighbor sobbing, he rushes to check on her. After his previous roommate’s recent suicide, Heath’s determined not to let anyone else suffer in silence. He cheers her up the only way he knows how—with dad jokes, his knee-jerk response to stress.After learning Heath’s day job is voice-over work, including audiobooks, Sue looks him up online. Chillingly, he was a person of interest in his roommate’s death. But if the death was ruled a suicide, why did they interrogate Heath? Investigating further uncovers the roommate’s deviant skeletons, further straining friendships he’d stretched to the breaking point. Solving crimes in real life isn’t as glamourous as it is in the mystery books Sue devours. She receives anonymous threats to leave it alone. Whether or not Heath is a killer, Sue finds him a person of interest for entirely different reasons. less