Ellison
Copeland James was my first love, my first heartbreak, my first everything.
Then he left without explanation, and never came back.
My sisters and our closest friends helped me pick up the pieces, but my heart hasn’t been whole since the day he walked out of Magnolia Ridge.
I’ve learned to live with what could have been… until his mother’s illness brings him back to our small town. He’s older, harder, and more magnetic than I remember.
He’s a man now. The man I learned to live without. And yet, he’s back, stirring everything I thought I’d buried, making my world feel unsteady.
Because loving him nearly destroyed me… and now, I’m still trying not to love him.
Copeland
I left Magnolia Ridge with nothing but a duffel bag and a decision.
I told myself joining the Marines was the right choice. That loving her meant protecting her, and this was the way to do it.
I was wrong.
Now I’m back, years later, and she’s just as breathtaking as the day I left. All these years, I imagined she’d have moved on, married someone else, but she’s still single, and in my heart, she’s still mine.
But Ellison doesn’t see me the way I see her, not anymore. All I find in her eyes is the wound I left behind. The one that never healed.
I didn’t fight for us back then, but I’ve learned. Now I’m ready for battle, fighting for what we could be while she tries not to love me.
(ARC Read)
Kaylee Ryan is officially back in her small-town romance era, and I am LIVING for it!
There’s just something about returning to a small town where everyone knows your history, where first love never really stays in the past, and where every missed opportunity somehow feels even bigger. Trying Not to Love You gave me everything I love about second-chance romance, but it also gave me one of the reveals that had me yelling at my Kindle.
I KNEW someone had intercepted those letters. I knew it.
The second those letters came into play, I had a feeling, but I still wasn’t prepared for how angry it would make me. Seventeen years. Seventeen years stolen because one selfish decision kept two people who never stopped loving each other apart. Ellison and Copeland lost nearly two decades of memories, milestones, and happiness they should have shared, and honestly? I’m still mad about it. I understand the reasoning behind the choice, and I appreciated that Kaylee gave us closure through that final letter… but I’m still going to hold a grudge on Ellison and Copeland’s behalf.
“She’s single. My girl, she hasn’t moved on, and my hardened heart doesn’t know how to handle that.”
Ellison was so easy to love. After losing her parents, she became the one everyone depended on, sacrificing her own dreams to keep her sisters together and Magnolia Manor running. She built a full life, but there was always a piece of her heart that belonged to the boy who left without a word. She was strong without being hard, guarded without being cold, and I completely understood why she refused to hand Copeland her heart again without making him earn it.
What I didn’t know was how alive that love still was. Not until the moment I stared into those big blue eyes. I’ve never wanted anyone or anything the way I do Ellison Moran.
And Copeland? This man carried seventeen years of regret on his shoulders. Believing Ellison had moved on after every letter he wrote went unanswered, he convinced himself walking away had been the right thing to do. The moment he learns the truth, though, everything changes. He doesn’t make excuses or expect instant forgiveness. He simply decides he’s done letting fear make his decisions, and from that point on, he’s all in. Watching him patiently show up, answer the hard questions, and fight for the woman he’d never stopped loving made me fall for him right alongside Ellison.
“I came back for you, Ellison. Never once since the moment my lips first touched yours have I stopped loving you.”
One of my favorite parts of this story was that Kaylee didn’t rush the healing. Ellison had every reason to guard her heart, and Copeland knew grand gestures alone wouldn’t fix seventeen years of hurt. He had to show up, be patient, answer the hard questions, and earn her trust all over again. Watching him fight for the woman he’d loved all along made every page worth it.
“I’m fighting for my future, the future I don’t want unless you’re in it. The one where you change your last name and call me your husband.”
And then there’s Magnolia Ridge itself. The Moran sisters already feel like characters I’ve known forever. Their bond, the lifelong friendships, the found family, and all the little moments of support surrounding Ellison and Copeland made this world feel warm, comforting, and incredibly easy to fall into. I’m already invested in every sibling and every future couple.
If you’re looking for a romance packed with longing, emotional healing, unwavering devotion, and a hero who never stopped loving the woman he left behind, this one absolutely delivers. Kaylee Ryan has kicked off what already feels like another unforgettable series, and I cannot wait to see which Moran sibling falls next.
Release Date: July 14th, 2026
Thank you to Kaylee Ryan for the ARC read!