Escape to Brookwell Island and meet the women of The Beach Readers Silent Book Club. They come for the quiet reading and hunky heroes, but they stay for the sage advice on coping with life’s unexpected plot twists. Whether it’s a crush-worthy boss, an old flame, or a wealthy new resident, these secret chapters are filled with the kind of heart and happy endings you can enjoy in a single afternoon.
The Beach Readers Silent Book Club meets regularly on Brookwell Island…
About the book:
Every great story hides a secret. Hers just moved in upstairs.
Grace Teague is dedicated to preserving her family’s legacy on Brookwell Island, maintaining the downtown boutique she inherited. And she’s making the most of every asset, even renting out the apartment over the store.
Unfortunately, her new tenant is Calvin Lynwood, the man she left behind. Her college flame is right upstairs, close enough to remind her exactly what she gave up for her family.
Calvin can’t think of a better way to show Grace he’s become the stable, secure man she deserves—and ideas are his specialty. In fact, he’s been hired to dream up ways to expand Brookwell’s annual music festival.
But Grace is also on the planning committee, and she’s determined to protect the traditions that set her community apart. Sparks fly as they clash over the future of the event, igniting the heat still simmering between them.
Dazzling kisses aside, Grace worries she’s in for heartbreak when Calvin’s dreams inevitably outgrow her home town. But Calvin’s determined to show her that choosing him doesn’t mean losing everything else—and that some second chances are worth the risk.
Sneak Peek!
Chapter 1
Grace Teague flew into the incomparable tea room at the Inn on Brookwell Island. Riding on a triumphant high, she didn’t spare a glance for any of the lovely decor. She was too excited about finally sharing her big news with her closest friends.
Grace caught a whiff of warm chocolate in the air. Her gaze snapped unerringly to the buffet the staff had set for them. Today would be the last official meeting of The Beach Reader Silent Book Club in the historic tea room.
“Where’s Willow?”
“Present,” her best friend waved from her seat at the table. “What’s up?”
Next week they would be back at their coffee shop, although it was now under the combined ownership of her best friend, Willow, and Willow’s fiancé, Levi Garrison. Grace was looking forward to the return, if only because her store was basically across the street from the coffee shop.
Scarlett and Hazel were seated across from Willow, staring at Grace with open curiosity and surprise.
“Are you okay?” Scarlett asked.
“What happened?” Hazel stood up.
Fair questions. She wasn’t the type to barrel into a room this way. Her mom and grandma had drilled better manners into her.
“You’re out of breath,” Camille noted. “I’ll get you a water.”
“Maybe something stronger,” Grace said. Under a barrage of concerned expressions, she quickly added, “It’s all good news. I’m thrilled. More than okay, I promise. We need to celebrate.”
“Your book is that good?” Scarlett’s eyebrows shot up. “I want some of that.”
Grace let her tote bag slide off her shoulder. “This is even better than a happy ending.” She paused for effect. “The apartment is rented!”
Her book club pals erupted into a cheer. Each of them had helped in one way or another with clearing out, cleaning up, and staging the apartment above the Beach Belle for rent. The boutique, founded by her grandmother, had been on the corner of Central Avenue and Magnolia Street for decades. And all that time, the space upstairs had fulfilled a multitude of needs from storage to guest quarters to a secret hideout.
Grace had fond memories of playing in the out-of-season racks when she was little, learning how to sew, and taking long naps after mornings on the beach. She’d partied with family up there, and hosted a few unauthorized events with her girlfriends as well.
She had expected to make the apartment over the shop her first home away from home. But after dropping out of college to help her mom through a terminal cancer diagnosis, she moved back into the house instead.
After her mother passed, she couldn’t bring herself to leave her childhood home behind. Although selling the property would’ve been the smart financial move, leaving the house where she’d been born and raised, where they’d made countless fond memories, felt like a dreadful betrayal. Every piece of furniture, every inch of faded floral wallpaper, every photograph held the ghosts of her mother and grandmother. It was paralyzing, a velvet rope around her heart, preventing her from starting her actual life.
Still, her grandmother had trained her to make the most of every asset. That included the cozy apartment over the shop. Between updating the inventory systems and living alone in a rambling three-bedroom house with full attic storage, she didn’t have a better use for the rooms upstairs.
Over the past few months, she and her friends had cleaned things out and found sturdy, stylish furnishings for the one-bedroom apartment. When it was ready, Grace had invited the local real estate office to find her a long-term tenant.
“Who is it?”
“When do they move in?”
“Are they local?”
The questions came at her like fast balls from a pitching machine. She laughed, doing her best to survive the verbal volleys. Willow delivered a cup of hot chocolate and Grace took a seat at the table.
Stirring the tiny marshmallows, she did her best to answer the queries in order. “I don’t know the tenant’s name, just that a marketing firm snapped it up within an hour of it coming on the market. They’ve leased it for the next year.” She took a careful sip of the rich chocolate while her friends celebrated that detail. Steady income for a year was almost like winning the lottery. “Apparently the company has reps who expect to be in the area frequently.”
“So, it’s essentially a corporate apartment?” Holly asked.
Grace nodded.
“Do you have a contract for the housekeeping?” Camille sat forward.
“Not officially,” Grace admitted. “It’s all happening so quickly. But I told the real estate office to contact you, that your company is my preference.” Camille owned a cleaning service and had been doing weekly and deep cleaning for the Beach Belle for years.
“Thanks, I appreciate that.” Camille sipped her tea. “Other than the Hargrave Hideaway, most of my corporate clients are offices or stores like the Belle. Lately, it’s been easier to staff jobs that are more residential.”
“If the real estate office doesn’t reach out to you in the next day or two, let me know,” Grace said. “I’ll make it clear that yours is the only service I want on site.”
Camille smiled. “Thanks, Grace.”
“As for when and who?” She shrugged. “I don’t have those details yet. The office handles that stuff. We finalized things a few days ago and they told me to expect the tenant any day now. It will probably be several tenants over the course of the next twelve months.”
Scarlett frowned. “So they could just rent it to a serial killer and you wouldn’t know?”
“I guess it’s possible,” Grace allowed. “If that serial killer works for a marketing firm…”
Everyone laughed, and as the sound faded, a small bubbly echo of giggling continued. Grace turned with the rest of their group to see Trina approaching with her son on her hip.
“He doesn’t like to be left out of a joke,” Trina said. “His daddy’s son for sure. Do y’all mind if he stays? I think he’ll quiet down soon enough. He just didn’t want me to leave tonight.”
Charity popped to her feet. “On one condition, mama. Let me give that sweet face a kiss.” She did, making Marcus giggle again.
Grace felt a little twinge in her chest as she saw the little boy snuggle close to Trina’s chest. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she’d dreamed of becoming a mother and cuddling babies with big brown eyes and a mop of curly brown hair. “Can we get you anything?”
“No, thanks. I’m fine.” Trina pulled her phone from her pocket as she swayed side to side. “I’m prepared to read on my app tonight.”
After a brief check-in about what everybody was reading this week, the room grew quiet. That was the whole point of The Beach Readers Silent Book Club: reading in friendly solidarity. Grace loved taking time for herself this way. And though it seemed counterintuitive, she believed their friendships had grown stronger in the silence.
Grace loved running the store. She enjoyed both her customers and her employees, but there were times when the voices just got too loud. Times when she wanted to feel social and connected without adding to the overwhelm. Book club was the perfect solution.
Craving quiet was a relatively new issue that she suspected had more to do with adjusting to the persistent silence of her house. Somehow, living alone in that muted space only created more resistance to the background noise she used to thrive in.
She blamed it on grief and had given herself a year, before admitting it was time to get social again. Having friends over for movie nights and craft days was a good start. And Willow joined her frequently for dinner.
Grace glanced at Willow. She expected to see less of her friend now that Willow and Levi were engaged. And rightfully so. Grace was thrilled for her friend, even if that meant less girl time. They’d just make the most of whatever time they could find.
Although, Willow was confident in her relationship and not at all shy about taking time for herself. She hadn’t missed a book club yet, despite being engaged to and in business with one of the wealthiest men in the country.
Grace returned her attention to her book, sipping her hot chocolate and losing herself in the thrill of vibrant, brave characters soaring into a battle on the backs of their dragons.
***
Ready to turn the page? Grace’s Secret Chapter will be available, exclusively on Amazon, January 29, 2026!
