This weekend, I watched my neighbor’s kids playing in their yard, and it struck me how much joy and chaos a child brings to a home. Sometimes life’s biggest challenges become its greatest blessings—which is exactly the journey in Happily Never After, where an unexpected guardianship changes everything.
Plot Summary
Happily Never After by Paisley Nash is the first book in the Heart Springs series. Kade, a grieving veteran and cowboy, unexpectedly becomes the guardian of a baby girl after a tragic loss. Georgia, a guarded caseworker assigned to oversee the guardianship, initially clashes with Kade at every turn. As they navigate the challenges of caring for a baby, their animosity slowly transforms into something deeper. Set against the backdrop of a small town and the charming Honey Bea Farm, this is an enemies-to-lovers, single-dad romance about healing, second chances, and finding home.
Why I Love This Book
I love how Happily Never After tackles heavy themes—PTSD, loss, foster care—with tenderness and hope. Kade is grumpy, protective, and utterly devoted. His transformation into a loving guardian is heartwarming. Georgia is strong yet vulnerable, and I appreciated her emotional growth throughout the story. Their slow-burn romance is beautifully paced, with banter that made me smile and emotional moments that genuinely moved me. The small-town setting and Honey Bea Farm add warmth and charm. This book balances heart, humor, and heat perfectly, delivering a satisfying and emotionally layered romance.
Who Will Like This Book
If you enjoy small-town romance, cowboy heroes, enemies-to-lovers, single-dad tropes, or slow-burn chemistry with high heat, you’ll love this story. It’s perfect for readers who want emotionally rich romance that doesn’t shy away from difficult topics but still delivers hope and happiness. Fans of grumpy heroes with soft hearts and strong, compassionate heroines will be delighted.
⚠️ Trigger warning: PTSD, loss of a parent, grief, foster care/adoption themes, references to past trauma, explicit sexual content, mild adult language.
Tagged As
small town romance, cowboy romance, Heart Springs series, enemies to lovers, single dad, slow burn, veteran hero, emotional, healing, second chances, steamy, contemporary romance, HEA, standalone
Steam Level
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Insanely Hot
The book features multiple explicit, open-door love scenes with high heat. Kade's dirty talk and the chemistry between him and Georgia are electric. The spice level is intense and unapologetically steamy, serving the emotional arc while delivering scorching intimacy.
