Matt has wished on stars every night since his mom walked out when he was a kid. He used his childhood wishes to ask for his mom to come back. Teenage Matt wished for a baseball career. Professional baseball player Matt has spent the past decade wishing for someone to love for the rest of his life. As soon as Matt meets Mel, he knows his star wish came true. Mel is a self-described daytime dreamer and nighttime wisher.

After leaving an abusive relationship and overcoming a slip into past bad habits, she's spent her nights wishing for a family. Her daydreams are filled with images of a houseful of babies, a yard filled with toys, and most of all, someone to love who will love her completely and make her feel safe. Mel can't understand why Matt wants her when he can have anyone. My thighs are thick; my stomach has stretch marks; my boobs and butt are too big. He's a famous baseball player who should date a model or an actress, not a small-town teacher. He can have anyone. I can't understand why he chose me, but I'm so thankful he did.

Content Note: Book contains discussions of a past abusive relationship; health complications that impact fertility, pregnancy loss, and fertility treatment.

Trope List: small-town romance, teacher romance, baseball romance, sports romance, BBW, opposites attract romance; small town meets big city

Excerpt 1: Matt

"That's the star I wished for you on for a decade. Once I found you, I started thanking my lucky star for you."

Excerpt 2: Mel

Matt continued to surprise me. I'd never known anyone who was so giving with his time or money. Ray told me earlier today that the only reason the hospital met its fundraising goal on time was that Matt made a huge donation and funded the entire play structure.

"How long have you been dating?"

"We're new. Really new. His cousin just married one of my best friends, and we met the week before their wedding."

"The way he looks at you and always has you in his sight even when he's busy made me think it was longer."

I had noticed that too, but I hadn't realized anyone else did. Matt always had me in his sight, and when we were near each other, his hand rested on my hip, thigh, or lower back. As if he knew I was thinking about him, I felt his hand on my lower back.

Excerpt 3: Mel

"I want to buy a house and get married. I want to fill that house with babies, if you want babies. If not, we can fill the house with everyone else's kids, spoil them with pancakes, and then send them home."

I laughed. "You have known me for two weeks, and you want to talk about having babies with me?""If you want them, if not, we can travel and live kid-free."

I liked that he was already thinking about a future with me, but I was terrified of a conversation I needed to have with him. Instead of responding because I wasn't ready to have the conversation and wasn't going to have it on the dance floor surrounded by other people, I kissed him.

Woods Lake Series
Welcome to Woods Lake, a small town just outside the big City where friends become family and happily ever afters still exist. Each book in the Woods Lake series tells one couple's complete story. While there are recurring characters throughout the series, each book can be read as a standalone story.