Paradise is supposed to be my escape from burnout and bad guys, but I've already burned bridges with the hottest guy in town.

Bear Thomsen and I both want the same thing—his grandpa's old auto shop. My dream is to rehab it into a bookstore. Bear's is to tear it down to build a hockey rink.

Paradise is the fresh start I'm looking for after taking leave from the police force in LA. I want to escape the big city with its big problems, and avoid a big, unwinnable fight with my commanding officer. But, if I turn in my detective badge I worked so hard to earn, it will be the toughest thing I've ever done. Especially because I hate walking away from a fight.

I'm not about to let another man get in the way of my new dream–to own a small-town bookstore. Especially if that man is Bear Thomsen.

But when Bear rescues me not once, not twice, but three times, I realize my attraction to him is more than physical. He's a gentle giant with a fierce protective streak, especially when it comes to his hockey team.

I never thought I needed saving, but the more time I spend with Bear, the more I discover that bridges can be rebuilt, walls can come down, and dreams are better shared.

But how can we share a dream when one of us has to lose for the other to win?

No flirting. No kissing. And absolutely, positively, NO falling in love.

Those are Britta's top three conditions (there are a few dozen more) when she agrees to marry Liam “Dex” Dexter, aka the top surfer in the world.

He needs American citizenship to achieve his goal of surfing in the Olympics. She needs a pile of money to buy a coffee shop and reach her dream of leaving her small hometown behind to live in LA. Britta can help Dex get his citizenship, and he's got the money for her coffee shop. They're a perfect match…

Just as long as they don't give into their undeniable attraction to each other.

Which turns out to be harder than they'd planned once being married means living together and sharing a bed in order to convince the public their impromptu marriage is the real deal. With big goals and big obstacles ahead, the last thing Britta and Dex need is to get distracted by love. Their marriage is supposed to be a path to their dreams, not the thing that derails them.

When marriage doesn't lead to their ultimate goals, Britta and Dex have to decide what takes true courage. Chasing huge dreams? Or embracing the moments of heartache that always come with lasting love?