of her comfort zone (but not too far) and starting fresh in a new town. After years of being a disappointment to her parents, she finally worked up the courage to run from the man and the life they chose for her. (Metaphorically-southern ladies do not sweat.)

And she's armed with a foolproof plan:

Step 1: Rein in the awkward.

Step 2: Get through the next blind date.

Step 3: Find a job.

Step 4: Succeed despite her "inferior" gender.

Step 5: (The most important step of all) Under no circumstances let her hopeless romantic heart catch feelings...again.

Things are going swimmingly-except for this one tiny hitch from her past-as Ember manages to befriend a few nosey neighbors, find a job that doesn't require spinning a sign, and adopt only one remote-wielding cat.

But then there's Colton King, Ember's new boss, and the fact that his presence does something funny to her insides. Despite his annoyingly attractive appearance, Ember knows that her chisel-jawed employer is potentially leaving town and definitely off-limits. He's basically a relationship tsunami warning.

Ember vows not to lose her heart, but it turns out there's more to Colton than his sexy surface, and he's determined to get her to see it...even if it means teaching her that it's okay to change her plans.