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Author: Maria Dean
Title: Along Came Alice
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Subgenre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: October 15, 2026
Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing
Cover Designer: BookSmith Design
Available now!
All Links: http://books2read.com/alongcamealice
She accidentally told her oldest friend she had a boyfriend.
Now she just has to convince him.
Alice Sutton has spent her entire life believing in grand romances, meet-cutes, and happily-ever-afters. Unfortunately, at thirty-six, she's still spectacularly single. So when she's invited to her childhood best friend's wedding, panic—and one tiny little lie—lead her to name a boyfriend she doesn't actually have.
The boyfriend in question?
Owen Shea.
Grumpy, tea-drinking, routine-loving Owen would rather spend time with his dachshund, Paul, than make small talk with another human being. The last thing he wants is to attend a wedding full of strangers pretending to be someone's devoted partner.
But somehow, he says yes.
As Alice and Owen stumble through Operation Wedding, fake couple photos, awkward family questions, and increasingly believable chemistry, Alice starts wondering if she's finally found the romance she's always dreamed of. Meanwhile, Owen is discovering that Alice's chaos might be the best thing that's happened to him in years.
There's just one complication.
What happens when the relationship everyone believes in is the one neither of them expected to become real?
A warm, witty romantic comedy featuring fake dating, grumpy/sunshine vibes, workplace banter, neurodivergent representation, and a hero who falls much harder than he intended.
Available now!
All Links: http://books2read.com/alongcamealice
And just as my stomach sinks and I think she’s going to leave as just my friend, she turns and says, “So, do you think we’re all set for the wedding on Saturday?”
“Sure, I mean, do you think we’re ready?” I stumble, knowing I’m losing the moment. She’s going to walk out of this door, and we’re going to be friends, remain friends, maybe just as it should be.
“Yeah, there’s just one thing.” Her head drops slightly, and I want to place my thumb on her chin and tip it back up so I can gaze into her eyes and tell her exactly how I feel.
“What thing?” I ask.
“Well, this is going to sound a bit crazy, but we haven’t held hands or hugged or been close in any way, and I’m just worried that people will notice if we’re standing apart from one another or if we don’t hold hands at some point.” She isn’t looking at me, which I like but also hate.
“I know couples don’t walk around with their arms slung around each other, but when I saw Drew and Sydney together, he put his hand on the small of her back when they said goodbye, and then he touched her shoulder slightly and brushed her hair from her face and it was those little things that showed the world how much he loved her.” She looks up, must interpret the look on my face as sheer horror, as she quickly adds, “I’m not asking you to do any of those things, I was just wondering if you’d be okay with me holding your hand at some point or putting my hand on your leg? I thought I'd better ask rather than do it at the wedding, and you freaking out. But it’s okay if it’s a no. I totally understand, or if you have another idea of something we could do to show we’re a couple, then I’m happy to go with whatever you’re okay with.”
She takes a step back, a hurt look on her face that makes me want to grab her and hug her, but I falter, only slightly, before I step forward and place my thumb under her chin, tipping her head towards me and saying, “Something like this?”
Her eyes widen, and I’ve no idea if I’ve read this wrong, but I have the perfect excuse if she backs away, so I don’t think; I just kiss her, so lightly, so softly our lips barely touch, but it’s enough for me to know that I want my lips to be on hers all the time.
When I pull away, her skin is flushed, her eyes like pools, and her lips slightly parted. I’ve said before that I'm not great at reading people, but I know what I feel, and I know what I see. She wants more. She wants this just as much as I do.
“Well, that ought to do it,” she says, slightly breathless, and I see my chance. It’s now or never.
“I can’t do this, Alice,” I begin, scratching my chin. “I don’t want to go as your fake boyfriend,” I tell her, and her face drops, and I can’t stand it, can’t stand to see the look in her eyes.
“It’s fine, you don’t have to, I–”
But I don’t let her finish as I press my finger up against her lips and move in.
“I want to go as your real boyfriend, the one who gets to hold your hand, gets to kiss you, gets to put his hand on your leg under the table, and gets to look at you whenever he wants because you’re mine and it’s real, all of it.”
She gulps, and there’s a split second where I think I’ve done the wrong thing, spoiled everything because she’s about to tell me that’s lovely, but she doesn’t want it, not like I do, but then I move my finger, and she blinks with those beautiful doe eyes.
“What?” she says, her voice slight and almost whispering, disbelief, and uncertainty clouding her beautiful face, and I don’t hesitate, just thrust my hands in her hair and kiss her, this time, for real.
Maria Dean is an author from Yorkshire in England where she lives with her husband, two boys, and her faithful Boston Terrier. Her short stories have appeared in various publications and range from fantasy to science fiction and the supernatural, but for the long haul, her heart remains rooted in romance novels. An avid reader, she can be known to devour a book in a day, especially if there’s a twist in the tale and a swoon-worthy main character. She’s more than prepared to have her heart broken by a good book, just as long as it’s put back together again by the happily-ever-after. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found walking her dog in her local woods, usually dreaming up her next novel or listening to an audiobook.
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