Falling for Alaska

An athlete butts heads with a restaurateur in this adorable enemies-to-lovers romance from Calhoune (Falling in Love on Sweetwater Lane). Former pro footballer Xavier Stone begrudgingly returns to his hometown of Moose Falls, Alaska, to help run his grandmother’s cider company. The town holds painful childhood memories of his father’s abandonment and his younger brothers’ dependency on Xavier, making him eager to return to “civilization” as soon as possible. Meanwhile, True Everett, who runs Northern Exposure, the restaurant owned by Xavier’s grandmother, could not be happier in Moose Falls and worries that Xavier means to swoop in and take over her job. Her immediate disapproval of him sends the pair down a feuding rabbit hole filled with barbed banter and blush-inducing sexual tension. As attraction mounts and they discover they have much in common (like both having raised their younger siblings), can they set aside differences and embrace their feelings for one another? The scenic small-town setting and intense connection between the bickering leads are sure to suck readers in. Calhoune knows how to do cozy. Agent: Jessica Alvarez, BookEnds. (Mar.)