
A guarded heart. A man who never quits. One sick horse that brings them together.
Caleb Miller never expected to end up back in Piney Brook, much less living on the family ranch. But when his best friend opens a new veterinary clinic in town, Caleb jumps at the chance to specialize in large animals and finally build the life he wants. Romance isn’t on his radar—until a panicked phone call leads him straight to Willow Dawson’s horse pasture and a woman who’s as beautiful as she is bristly.
Willow doesn’t trust easily. After a string of disappointments, she’s convinced that love never lasts—and that holding her heart back is the only way to protect it. But when her beloved horse, Clover, falls gravely ill, she has no choice but to let the new vet in town help. What she doesn’t expect is his quiet steadiness… or the way he seems to see straight through the walls she’s so carefully built.
As Caleb proves again and again he’s not going anywhere, Willow starts to wonder if maybe—just maybe—this time, love might be worth the risk.
A tender, no spice, small-town romance about healing, hope, and finding the courage to believe in forever.
If you love:
Slow burn romance
Grumpy/sunshine dynamics
Small-town charm
Animal lovers & vet heroes
Protective heroes with soft hearts
Heroines learning to trust again
Triplet brothers & found family vibes
You’ll love His to Hold.