Calculated Risk

Vesper Sterling, a meticulous Portland CPA, thrives on order. But when her eccentric Aunt Mora's beloved coastal restaurant faces an IRS audit, Vesper is dragged back to the chaotic small town she left behind. Drowning in a sea of unsorted receipts and unconventional bookkeeping, she's forced to confront not just her aunt's financial mess, but also Cassian Miller—her childhood best friend, now a formidable presence who challenges Vesper's carefully constructed world and stirs feelings she thought she'd buried. As the audit deadline looms, Vesper must decide if her future lies in the meticulously planned life she built, or in the messy, heartwarming embrace of home, family, and a love she never truly forgot.