Their relationship is supposed to be for the cameras. Too bad the private kisses are the dangerous ones.

Junie Vale knows how to sell a story. As Brinewick’s summer events consultant, she has one shot to prove the station is more than an old building with a leaking roof and a town full of opinions. The state wants public use. The tourists want charm. The locals want to avoid becoming a brochure. Junie needs a face for the campaign.

She gets Oz Pike.

Oz is a marine mechanic, part-time charter captain, and the last man in Brinewick who wants attention. Unfortunately, one candid photo of him helping at the station turns him into the town’s reluctant summer hero. Junie offers a solution: a few public appearances, some harmless fake dating, and enough community buzz to help the Station Renewal.

Oz agrees for the town. Not for the cameras. Definitely not for Junie’s smile.

But fake dating in Brinewick is impossible when the diner regulars can spot real longing from three booths away. Public kisses turn private. Staged chemistry turns inconveniently honest. And the more Junie tries to manage the story, the more Oz makes her want something no spotlight can prove.

She needs visibility. He needs privacy. Falling in love could save the campaign — or cost them both the one thing they never meant to risk.

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:  Hot Under the Station Lights
Series:  Brinewick Station After Dark #4
Author:  Judith Harrison
Published:  September 14, 2026
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Hot Under the Station Lights is the fourth title in the Brinewick Station After Dark series and, for me, a 4.5-star read (rounded up).  Junie needs someone to represent this town, these residents who are determined to bring the old train station back to life.  People identify with a “face,” and one person is perfect for that spotlight… even if Oz would rather do just about anything, including a tooth extraction, than stand in as the town’s “face.”  But Junie can be extremely convincing, and the sparks between them might have turned his mind around.  Yet somewhere along the way, pretending started to feel real, and when opposites attract, well, someone has to give up something in any compromise.  Or do they?  If each can bend just a bit, maybe that happy ending the town is rooting for can become their reality.

I really liked Junie and Oz together.  They’re believable even when they deny the attraction growing between them.  I love this town; I’ve binge-read the series, and each book makes this community feel more real and welcoming.  I found their romance to be well-written, emotional, and engaging.  If you enjoy this kind of Contemporary Romance, then you’ll love Hot Under the Station Lights.

*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.*

This title is available on Amazon