New Release: Surprised By You

Benton Jennings is one of my favorite male characters I’ve ever written—and in a lot of ways, he represents the kind of love story I believe in most.

I’ve always been drawn to friends-to-lovers romance, not just because it’s comforting, but because it feels true to me. The rush of attraction is powerful, but it’s fleeting. What lasts—the kind of love that actually carries people through life—is built on something quieter. Trust. Familiarity. The kind of knowing that only comes from time.

There’s something deeply meaningful about being fully seen by someone… and still being chosen.

That’s the kind of connection I wanted to explore with Benton and Jessamy.

In Surprised By You, Jessamy has spent most of her life feeling like the overlooked one—easy to miss, easy to underestimate. But when her sister’s engagement forces her to take a hard look at where she is, she decides she wants more. More independence. More confidence. More of a life that feels like her own.

And then there’s Benton.

Steady. Observant. The kind of man who has been quietly showing up for her long before she ever realized it mattered.

What starts as reluctant reliance slowly shifts into something deeper—built through shared vulnerability, late-night conversations, and the kind of emotional honesty neither of them expected. But that closeness also brings their fears to the surface: Jessamy’s fear of being too much… and Benton’s fear of only being valued for what he gives.

They pull apart right when it matters most.

And like so many real relationships, it isn’t a grand gesture that fixes things—it’s growth. Time. The willingness to come back and finally say the things they were too afraid to before.

Their story isn’t just about falling in love. It’s about being seen clearly, choosing each other anyway, and realizing that independence and intimacy don’t have to compete. That they can exist—stronger—together.

If that kind of love resonates with you, you can find Surprised By You on Amazon.