"Step by Step" Releasing Feb 2

"Step by Step" is a contemporary romance featuring second chance and workplace tropes. This story follows Adam Rochester and Chrissy Hardin as they overcome their pasts and forge a new path together. Releasing in Feb 2, 2026 from Red Adept Publishing. It is book two in the Desperate Hearts series.

Chrissy Hardin is determined to leave her old life behind. Now sober and stable, she’s ready to take control and carve out the future she’s always wanted for herself, one step at a time. When she lands the coveted job of painting a mural for the city of Chicago, it’s just the chance she has been waiting for. She can’t let anything distract her, not even her swoon-worthy boss who makes her heart flutter and her focus falter.

Adam Rochester has a lucrative and high-profile career. Babysitting a mural project is the last thing he wants to do, but his boss doesn’t give him a choice. Already a year behind schedule, it’s Adam’s job to make sure the project goes as smoothly as possible. When he meets Chrissy, the quirky yet guarded artist stirs up feelings he thought he’d buried years ago. Maybe overseeing the painting won’t be so bad.

But when rumors about Adam and Chrissy swirl in the media, Adam is reminded of the strict policy against dating in the workplace—and the dire consequences that could follow. Unwilling to put their jobs on the line, Adam and Chrissy force themselves to push aside their growing attraction. Chrissy is determined to chase after her dreams, but now she must decide if those dreams include Adam. For Adam, taking a chance on love means facing his past and the secret he spent years trying to forget. One wrong step could ruin everything, but maybe a future together is worth the risk.  

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