Breaking the Mold 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. 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.