Rising to the Occasion

Rising to the Occasion

Sometimes the sweetest beginnings rise from unexpected places...

When pastry chef Olivia Greene inherits her grandmother’s rundown bakery in the coastal town of Harborview Cove, she has one goal: fix it up, sell it off, and get back to her sophisticated city life. Three months, maximum. After all, small-town Maine is nothing like the high-pressure kitchens of Boston where she’s built her reputation.

But Harborview has other plans—starting with Daniel Fisher, the frustratingly talented (and handsome) owner of Harbor Breads, who sees Olivia as unwelcome competition. As a single father raising his eleven-year-old daughter Emma after losing his wife, Daniel has built his artisanal bakery through hard work and an unwavering commitment to traditional methods. The last thing he needs is a fancy pastry chef with city ideas threatening the delicate balance of his life and business.

As summer unfolds, what begins as a bitter rivalry slowly transforms into an unexpected partnership. When forces conspire against both their bakeries—from aggressive developers eyeing Harborview’s charming waterfront to corporate chains threatening local businesses—Olivia and Daniel discover they might be stronger together than apart.

Between perfecting pastry techniques and teaching Emma the secrets of sourdough, Olivia finds herself falling for both the baker and his precocious daughter. But opening her heart would mean abandoning her career plans and admitting that her life’s path might lead somewhere she never expected—away from prestigious kitchens and toward a community that’s beginning to feel like home.

With the annual Harborview Food Festival approaching, Olivia must decide: return to the city she thought she loved or risk it all on a new recipe for happiness that just might prove to be her most perfect creation yet.