The Long Way To You

A spilled coffee. A ruined blouse. And one unexpected collision that might just change everything. Ava Monroe doesn’t do chaos. As a rising marketing strategist in New York City, she keeps her life perfectly color-coded, scheduled to the minute, and brewed on exactly one-and-a-half cups of oat milk lattes per day. She’s survived toxic workplaces, ghosting exes, and the brutal gauntlet of Manhattan rent hikes—because she knows exactly what she wants from life. And she’s almost got it. Julian Reed doesn’t do attachments. As the CEO of a wildly successful tech consultancy, he’s mastered the art of being charming without being vulnerable. His days are a blur of board meetings, brand deals, and avoiding anything that remotely smells like real emotion. The last thing he’s looking for is… well, anything involving feelings. But when a random shoulder-check outside a Midtown coffee shop ends with Ava wearing his espresso, and Julian wearing her scowl, their lives unexpectedly intersect. She wants nothing to do with him. He’s intrigued by the one woman in the city who didn’t flirt, flatter, or try to impress him. And so begins the slow, messy unraveling of both of their perfectly controlled lives. Their paths continue to cross—once, twice, again. Through unexpected work overlaps, mutual friends they didn’t know they had, and the strange magnetism neither of them wants to name. Ava tries to ignore the way Julian’s vulnerability shows in the quiet moments. Julian tries not to wonder what Ava’s hiding behind her sarcasm and late nights at the office. But just when they begin to let their guards down, everything gets more complicated. Secrets from Julian’s past resurface, threatening his company—and the fragile trust he's starting to build with Ava. Meanwhile, Ava must confront her own fear: that loving someone could mean losing herself, again. As their lives twist into each other’s, Ava and Julian must decide whether they’re willing to risk everything they’ve worked for… just to have something they never planned on. The Long Way to You is a slow-burn romance with heart, humor, and a depth that lingers long after the final page. It’s about two ambitious souls learning that love doesn’t always arrive on schedule—and sometimes, the most meaningful connections start with the most inconvenient collisions. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Talia Hibbert, and Christina Lauren, this modern love story explores the tension between independence and intimacy, ambition and vulnerability—and the beautiful, complicated middle ground in between.