He has a plan to save his town. She has the power to decide if it survives. Falling for each other was not in the funding proposal.

Theo Scavo came home to Brinewick to protect it from becoming the kind of pretty coastal town where locals can no longer afford to stay. As the community development director, he has fought for every piece of the Station Renewal: the freight shed, the platform, the public green, the diner that smells like coffee and griddle onions, and the year-round people who make the town more than a postcard.

Arden Quist, the state transit liaison, oversees the final funding review. She believes public projects survive on clear budgets, durable plans, and hard choices — not sentiment, no matter how charming the town or how persuasive the man arguing across the table.

Theo thinks Arden’s caution could sand the heart out of Brinewick’s future. Arden thinks Theo’s vision could collapse under the weight of its own idealism. They are both smart. They are both stubborn. And every late-night planning session in the Salt Ledger Room makes it harder to remember why wanting each other is a terrible idea.

With the final hearing approaching, the station’s future depends on compromise neither of them wants to make. But love, like infrastructure, only lasts when it is built honestly.

Titles in the Brinewick Station After Dark series include:  Last Train to You ~ Delayed by Desire ~ Platform Rules ~ Hot Under the Station Lights ~ Stranded with the Local ~ Home on the 5:42 ~

This story may contain language, violence, and/or sexual situations intended for an adult 18+ audience.

Title:  Home on the 5:42
Series:  Brinewick Station After Dark #6
Author:  Judith Harrison
Published:  September 21, 2026
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Home on the 5:42 is the sixth title in the Brinewick Station After Dark series, and I gave it a 4.5 rating, rounding up where needed.  I’ve enjoyed the series, getting to know not only the characters but the residents of this quirky small town and the train station that matters so much to so many.  I love falling into an entire world where surprises always lurk around corners, but some characters remain consistent throughout the adventure.  In many ways, both Theo and Arden want the same thing: a successful conclusion to this project.  But they view that project, and its impact, from almost opposite viewpoints.  Neither is entirely wrong, but neither is completely right either.  They’ll have to find a compromise, but can a newly forming love handle it?  Or can love without complete honesty remain constant?  Hard questions, and only Arden and Theo know those answers.

I really enjoyed Arden and Theo’s romantic adventure.  Their story is well-written and emotional, with confrontations between two very stubborn people who want the same final result but cannot agree on the path to get there.  Again, the residents of this small town play a part with their meddling, gossip, and opinions… and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  If this sounds like your kind of Contemporary Romance, then you’d enjoy Home on the 5:42.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. I chose to leave a review with my personal opinion of this book.*

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