Publisher's Synopsis
Between student loans, an unexpected rent hike, and a career that has her living paycheck to paycheck, 24-year-old River Newman is swimming in her share of debt. She longs for the lavish lifestyle of her best friend, Suki. From the matching his and her Maserati's she and her husband Luca roll in, to the iced-out diamond ring Suki lugs around on her ring finger, they are serious #couplegoals. Yet, their most prized possession is their five-year-old daughter, and River's goddaughter, Noemi. Just days away from eviction, River is hit with the tragic news that both Suki and Luca were killed in a car accident, leaving her to raise Noemi as her own. There's only one thing standing in her way, Luca's brother, Maverick. Not only is he Noemi's last living blood relative, he's also the type of man River avoids. Maverick Muhammad Malone is fresh off a five-year bid and determined to turn his life around. After becoming a licensed tattoo artist while incarcerated, he plans to put all the money he made as the spearhead of East Atlanta's most sought-after drug ring into a legitimate tattoo business and leave the mess of his past behind. After learning of his brother's death, he quickly finds himself being dragged back into the lion's den. When Noemi is temporarily placed in his custody, he knows he's not equipped to take on the role of fatherhood alone. He enlists the help of the one person who knows her best, River. When Maverick offers her an opportunity to become Noemi's live-in nanny, rent-free, she sees it as an opportunity to save her favorite little girl from a life in the system and herself from her financial woes. But will she be able to put her judgements aside and agree to live under the same roof as the man she's despised for years? With a pending court hearing looming over him, the stakes are higher than ever. Maverick will have to prove that he's capable of keeping his hands clean, while secretly planning to avenge his brother's death. For these two, falling in love was never a part of the plan, but if they can save the child, they just may end up saving each other too.
