Mississippi Smoke #10
Forge & Elsie
This story delivers that perfect blend of angst, vulnerability, and slow‑burn emotional intimacy that I love reading. It follows two people, Forge and Elsie, who are each carrying their own brand of heartbreak, and the magic is in how they slowly—almost reluctantly—become each other’s safe place. The author captures grief and anxiety with such clarity that you feel it in your chest, but she balances it with moments of warmth, humor, and family reunions that make the heaviness worth it.
What really worked for me is how naturally the relationship unfolds. There’s no insta‑love, no forced drama—just two wounded souls finding unexpected comfort in each other. Watching one character rediscover laughter and the other finally breathe without feeling like the world is collapsing… it’s tender, intimate, and deeply satisfying. And yes, the sexy times are potent, but it never overshadows the emotional core. It enhances it.
The pacing is tight, the tension delicious, and the emotional payoff absolutely worth the ride. My only complaint? I could’ve used a few more pages of pure, indulgent swoon at the end—but that’s just because I wasn’t ready to let them go.
A heartfelt, addictive romance that leaves you warm, delighted, and wanting just one more chapter.
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About the author
Abbi Glines is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Rosemary Beach, Sea Breeze, Vincent Boys, Field Party, and Existence series. She never cooks unless baking during the Christmas holiday counts. She believes in ghosts and has a habit of asking people if their house is haunted before she goes in it. She finally moved to New England into a home that is 200 + years old with it's own ghosts. She drinks afternoon tea because she wants to be British but alas she being born in Alabama, her life in New England is as close as she will get. When asked how many books she has written she has to stop and count on her fingers. When she’s not locked away writing, she is reading, and/or watching Netflix like the introvert that she is.
You can connect with Abbi online in several different ways:
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