Single Barrel
He crafts the barrels that hold the family fortune, but she’s the spark that threatens to burn his sanctuary down.
Matthias Barrett is the 'Ghost of Oakhaven,' a master cooper who prefers the company of ancient white oaks to his billionaire family. But his grandfather’s will has a poison pill: to save 'The Ridge' from being sold to the highest bidder, Matthias must prove he is 'settled and stable' by his thirty-fifth birthday. He needs a wife on paper, and he needs one fast.
Cleo Adair is a long way from the Manhattan art scene. After a devastating public scandal, the former 'It Girl' is stranded in the Kentucky backwoods with nothing but a broken-down sports car and a desperate need to disappear. When Matthias finds her trespassing in his workshop, they strike a deal: a fortress to hide in for her, and a marriage license for him.
What begins as a transactional arrangement in a remote mountain cabin soon turns into a slow-burn battle of wills. As a brutal winter traps them together, Matthias discovers that Cleo’s eye for detail might be the only thing that can uncover a plot of corporate sabotage, while Cleo realizes the mountain man's rough exterior hides a heart more complex than the finest aged bourbon.
The Blurb
Matthias Barrett is the 'Ghost of Oakhaven,' a master cooper who prefers the company of ancient white oaks to his billionaire family. But his grandfather’s will has a poison pill: to save 'The Ridge' from being sold to the highest bidder, Matthias must prove he is 'settled and stable' by his thirty-fifth birthday. He needs a wife on paper, and he needs one fast.
Cleo Adair is a long way from the Manhattan art scene. After a devastating public scandal, the former 'It Girl' is stranded in the Kentucky backwoods with nothing but a broken-down sports car and a desperate need to disappear. When Matthias finds her trespassing in his workshop, they strike a deal: a fortress to hide in for her, and a marriage license for him.
What begins as a transactional arrangement in a remote mountain cabin soon turns into a slow-burn battle of wills. As a brutal winter traps them together, Matthias discovers that Cleo’s eye for detail might be the only thing that can uncover a plot of corporate sabotage, while Cleo realizes the mountain man's rough exterior hides a heart more complex than the finest aged bourbon.
"The 'competence porn' in this book is next level! I was obsessed with the sensory details of the barrel-making and how Cleo slowly turns Matthias's lonely cabin into a home. The chemistry is a perfect slow burn that explodes in the best way!"— Sloane_Reads