When The Lights Fade

By Cindell Donatelli

When the Lights Fade

A Small-Town Second Chance Romance

She left town to build a brighter life.
Now she is back where the lights feel dimmest.

Elena Carter swore she would never return to Port Sterling. Not after the whispers. Not after the choices she made. Not after leaving behind the boy who once held her heart.

But when her father's health begins to fail, the life she carefully constructed in the city begins to unravel. With nowhere else to turn, she returns home to the small town that remembers everything.

Including him.

Ryan Hale never left. He rebuilt his life in Port Sterling, carving out something steady after she walked away. Seeing Elena again reopens old wounds and unfinished conversations. What begins as reluctant proximity quickly becomes undeniable tension, forcing them to confront the past they never truly resolved.

As long-buried feelings resurface and the lines between resentment and longing blur, Elena must choose between the future she chased and the love she once abandoned.

Because this time, walking away will cost more than heartbreak.

Perfect for readers who love:
- Small-town romance
- Second chance love
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Emotional slow burn
- Coming home stories
- Mature character growth

Sometimes the hardest thing is not leaving.

It is coming back when the lights fade.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GYYJL83K
• ISBN13: 9798248175932
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 114 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"