Library Love: A Novella

Lillian Moore has spent years building a quiet, bookish life as the head librarian of the historic Ashford Library. But when budget cuts threaten to shut it down, she finds herself at odds with the town’s new financial director—Wes Calloway, a no-nonsense numbers man who sees little value in “dusty old books.”Desperate to change his mind, Lillian impulsively claims she’s already secured private funding from a wealthy donor—who just happens to be her very serious boyfriend. The only problem? Said boyfriend doesn’t exist.Enter Theo Mercer, the charming but infuriatingly arrogant rare book dealer who’s been pestering Lillian for months to let him appraise the library’s oldest collection. He agrees to play the role of devoted partner in exchange for exclusive access to the archives. It’s the perfect arrangement—except for the minor detail that they can’t stand each other.As Lillian and Theo put on a convincing show for Wes and the town board, their carefully scripted act starts blurring into something dangerously real. Between stolen kisses in the stacks, late-night library rendezvous, and whispered confessions over coffee-stained pages, Lillian finds herself questioning what’s fiction and what’s fate.But when the truth comes out, will their story have a happy ending—or will their love be shelved before it even begins?