Running Home for Christmas (Lindenfell Romance, #1)

Coming home for Christmas wasn't part of Tessa Hartley's plan.

But when burnout sends her London life crashing down, she finds herself back in Lindenfell, the tiny village she once couldn't wait to leave, where the river runs steady, fairy lights go up far too early, and everyone knows you're in love before you do.

She expects quiet streets, her mum's soup, and a chance to finally breathe. She doesn't expect him.

Carl Whitford.

Her childhood best friend. The boy she once almost fell for. Now a widower with a quiet sadness in his eyes and a habit of helping everyone except himself.

When the village ropes them both into organising the annual Christmas Run, Tessa and Carl find themselves thrown together early-morning training runs, late-night planning meetings, and something neither of them planned for.

She needs a place to heal. He needs permission to hope again. And sometimes the bravest thing you can do is run toward what scares you most.

This Christmas, love might be waiting right where Tessa left it, if she's brave enough to stop running away.

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A tender, emotional small-town romance filled with slow-burn chemistry, community warmth and second chances. Perfect for readers who love heartfelt stories about healing, rekindled connections, and learning that broken doesn't mean unworthy of love.