Life, Love, and Other Messes

By Erin Kaste

Sam Travis has built her life around words, and they've abandoned her. The medication that keeps her functional also silences her creativity and leaves her feeling like a fraud. Add in her critical mother who never considered writing as "real work," and a breakup that's left her alienated from her friends, and Sam isn't sure how much longer she can keep pretending everything is fine.

Lisa Sutherland is a devoted preschool teacher and the kind of neighbor who smiles while mowing the best lawn on the block. Beneath her kindness, though, Lisa is working her way through a painful divorce.

What begins as neighborly caring grows into late-night chats, shared vulnerabilities, and a romantic connection Sam never expected. But letting someone in means risking the parts of herself she works hardest to hide.

A tender, heartfelt romance about self-acceptance and the courage it takes to open yourself to love.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1636799809
• ISBN13: 9781636799803
• Release Date: August 2026
• Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
• Length: 266 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"