In a Jam by Kate Canterbary

Shay Zucconi wasn’t planning to move back to her small hometown of Friendship, Rhode Island, but when her step-grandmother leaves her a tulip farm, Shay has no choice but to consider the unexpected inheritance. There’s just one catch: she must be married within a year to keep the farm—a particularly sticky stipulation, considering her fiancé just called off their wedding.

Enter Noah Barden, the broody, quiet farmer with a secret: he’s been in love with Shay since high school, even if she never knew it. Now a single dad raising his sassy six-year-old niece, Gennie, Noah’s life is full enough without adding his old crush into the mix. But when Shay needs help fulfilling the terms of her inheritance, Noah reluctantly steps in, setting the stage for a fake marriage that feels all too real.

As Shay rediscovers the charm of her small town—Friday night football games, strawberry farms, and nosy but lovable neighbors—she begins to see Noah in a new light. Beneath his gruff exterior lies a cinnamon roll of a man whose unrequited love for her runs deeper than she ever realized. But with her heart still healing and her future uncertain, can Shay trust herself to take a leap of faith?

In a Jam is a heartwarming small-town romance filled with humor, swoon-worthy moments, and a cozy cast of characters, including a pirate-obsessed six-year-old and a dog named Bernie Sanders. Perfect for readers who love second chances, fake marriage tropes, and all the cozy, seasonal vibes of life in a New England town.

• Fake dating
• Marriage of convenience
• Childhood friends to lovers
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• He falls first
• Second chance romance
• Enemies to lovers
• Older couple (late 20s)
• Small New England town setting
• Slow burn