I LOVE Valentine’s!  I always have. But I never thought of the holiday as just one for lovers. I was raised to think that it was a day to tell those special someones in your life that you love them. Because sometimes life moves at warp speed and you miss chances to tell the people closest to you how much they mean to you. Valentine’s Day to me is a chance to stop and let my loved ones know how much they really do mean to me. I get valentines for the hubster, my kids and I got something special for Puppers (he’s our four-month old spoiled puppy).

So… I thought it would be a great idea to put together two things that I love: writing books and Valentine’s. And that’s where the idea for VALENTINE’S IN BAYBERRY came from. So if you like chocolate and roses, you might enjoy this book. If you enjoy surprises, you’ll definitely enjoy this book. And if you love second chance romances, you don’t want to miss this book.

VALENTINE’S IN BAYBERRY is set in a fictional small town in Vermont. It is a close-knit community where coffee is served with a side of rumors. And those rumors are flying about Jackson Wright’s return. Even his childhood best friend, Carrie Byers, doesn’t know why he’s in town. But she’s too busy opening her new chocolate shop to get caught up in the rumors. Still, she can’t help but wonder what is going on with Jackson…

If you enjoy stories with…

 Girl next door
 He falls first
 Cinnamon roll hero
 Friends to more
 Small town romance
 Secret Valentine

You don’t want to miss Carrie and Jackson’s story!

Excerpt:

VALENTINE’S IN BAYBERRY
Jennifer Faye © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jackson Wright swung the sledgehammer again. He’d already ordered a large dumpster to dispose of all the debris. Sure, he could have hired someone to do the demo work, but he’d needed a physical outlet for all of the frustration and worry that had mounted within him. This was all his fault. And it was up to him to make things right.

He slung the sledge hammer into the wall.

“Hey! Stop.”

He knew that voice. He lowered the sledgehammer, propped the safety glasses high on his head, and turned. “Carrie? What are you doing here?”

She had her hands pressed to her hips. “The better question is what are you doing here?”

He waved his hand around. “I’m cleaning up.” His brows scrunched together. “What are you doing here?”

She frowned at him. “I thought your mother would have told you.”

Oh no. Another secret his mother was keeping from him. Since he’d arrived home, he’d had one shock after the next. If Carrie’s news was anything like the other surprises, he was in big trouble.

He cleared his throat as he worked up the courage to ask what she meant. “My mother is out of town. And she hasn’t mentioned you. Should she have?”

Confusion shone in Carrie’s blue eyes, even though she was nodding as though she understood. How could she understand any of this while he was still struggling to figure out how things had gone so terribly wrong for his mother?

Instead of answering his question, she asked, “Does your mother know you’re here?”

“Yes. I came home to take care of things while she’s away.” He still couldn’t bring himself to admit that his mother was getting treatment for a gambling addiction.

“I’m just surprised she wouldn’t want to be here to see you. I know how much she misses you.”

He shrugged, trying to act casual while his gut was knotted up. When they were growing up, Carrie had been the girl next door. He’d had a crush on her all through high school. Instead of ending up high-school sweethearts, they’d been best friends until he moved away for college. A lot of time had passed since those days.

While Carrie looked around, he set the sledgehammer aside. It’d been too long since they’d last had a meaningful conversation. He missed their easy chats. He missed her warm smile. In truth, he missed everything about her.

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