Better Than First

Isla Florez has spent her life chasing gold—fast, focused, and unwilling to slow down long enough to admit the truth: she's in love with her best friend. When Duncan, her coach and the one person who knows her heart, challenges her to create a bucket list, she fears stepping away from training will cost her everything she's worked for. But each moment Duncan shares with her—quiet sunsets, simple joys, unexpected laughter—opens her eyes to something far more precious than medals. Love. Duncan Schmitz has gone from homelessness to his dream role as a youth pastor, but one hope still aches inside him. He's loved Isla for ten years, too afraid to risk the friendship that saved him. Now, helping her rediscover life beyond the track feels like his one chance to show her he's not just the coach who pushes her forward…but the man who's always stood beside her. If Isla can find courage off the track, she may discover that the love she's always wanted has been quietly waiting for her all along. A sweet, friends-to-more romance that will leave you feeling every kiss in the falling snow and cheering for a beautiful happily ever after. Fall in love with this heart-warming, Hallmark-style romance from bestselling author Kari Trumbo.