My Dear Librarians:
I am utterly delighted to share with you my next romance novel, Bonfire & Bliss Bookstore which is being published by Putnam on August 11, 2026. At its heart, this series is about finding your own community, and believing in yourself enough to chase your dreams.
Raised by a single mom who had a very demanding career, in a small town very similar to Hope Harbor, I spent an inordinate amount of time alone. My best friends were often the characters I found in the books at my local library. I was fortunate that my middle school shared a driveway with our town library and so I spent most of my afternoons in a hidden corner, reading a book. My summers were spent with my grandmother and she shared my love for reading and our big weekly outing would be our trip to the library. We’d spend hours milling through the library, reading the jackets of books, trying to find our next adventure. Because that’s what books really are. Or at least for me they were. I’ve lived thousands of lives and all of them have been through the pages. I can’t begin to explain to you though how the most exciting one of all has been my journey as an author and it is all thanks to that love that was fostered at a young age because of libraries. A home to so many of my best friends, and a refuge for so many other kids like me, all thanks to librarians like you.
Every time I step foot in a library, and I’m hit with that familiar scent from those magical pages, I’m reminded of all the adventures I’ve gone on. So thank you for providing a space for readers and writers like me, who are just looking for a little bit of magic.
Penny Darling, the heroine of my book, is like us. She loves reading. She loves fostering that love and sharing it with others which is why she opens a romance only bookstore in Hope Harbor. Her friendship with her best friend from high school, Jake Montgomery, is also forged from their love for books. He’s now a struggling author, who doesn’t believe in love or happy ever afters. In an effort to prove to him that what he’s missing from his novels is romance, Penny agrees to try to teach him how to write the perfect book boyfriend, by fake dating him.
Hope Harbor, the town where Bonfire & Bliss Bookstore is set, is a charming coastal New England town where the seasons are vibrant, the female friendships are strong, the banter is swoon-worthy, and the neighbours will have you kicking your feet and giggling. I’ve absolutely loved immersing myself in this world, which is lightly inspired by the beautiful coastal towns where I now live.
I think it’s perfect for readers who are searching for that Gilmore Girl small town, with ridiculous banter and swoon worthy spice. My hope is that, as you read, you will smile and laugh along with me and feel just a little bit of the magic your libraries provide to so many.
With love and friendship,
Brittanee Nicole
