For five years, Hope Palopoli's life embodied the very definition of her name. Adopted by a couple desperate for a child, Hope began her new life showered with love and every desire of her heart...until the day her adoptive mother gave birth to a biological "miracle" baby girl, and with one gasping newborn breath, Hope's world crumbled. Suddenly replaced and unnecessary, she was cruelly labeled as Hopeless by the only parents she's ever known. The abrupt rejection shattered Hope and caused her self-worth to quickly dwindle to non-existent. Ready for a fresh start, Hope leaves Miami and her ungrateful family for a new beginning in Central Florida, where she will finally be appreciated for simply being her. Before she even makes it to her new home, though, a near-fatal accident, and subsequent coma, spins her life out of her control and into the life-saving arms of the one man that can make her believe she's far from Hopeless. But when the obstacles of her past force her to face unwelcome truths, will Hope let her new-found strength disintegrate, or will she lean on the one man who sees her for who she really is? Life's blows have shattered Fire Lieutenant Nick Ashton one too many times. Hurt by strangers and family alike, Nick has built walls to protect what little remains of his heart. A global tragedy that hit too close to home caused Nick to dedicate his life to saving others. The relentless pursuit to save every life he can leads him to the one woman with the power to tear down his walls and heal his fragile heart. But when the nightmares of his past threaten to unravel his carefully constructed life, will Nick barricade himself behind his walls, or will he let the only woman to touch his heart help him discover who he really is? When life doles out its unpredictable challenges, will Hope and Nick fall back on old comforts, or will they fight each other's battles together for their new beginning...and happily ever after? "It doesn't matter where you go in life; it's who you have beside you."
