Best friends don’t fall in love.  Until they do.

I’ve been half in love with Kendall Castille for years. She’s my best friend—my constant, my safe person. To her, we’re just friends. To me? She’s everything.

I keep my feelings buried for a reason. Love leaves scars, and I already have too many to count. I’ve lost too much to risk my heart again, so I build walls and pretend I don’t want more.

Until something changes, and everything starts to unravel. Suddenly, friendship isn’t enough. The slow-burn chemistry between us turns unbearable, and every moment together feels like standing on the edge of something that could either save us—or break us.

Wanting her is terrifying. Losing her would destroy me.

One kiss changes everything. One choice puts our friendship, our hearts, and our lives in this small town on the line.

Titles in the Heartfire Falls series include:  What We Keep ~ Mine to Hold ~ Be With Me ~

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

Title:  Mine to Hold
Series:  Heartfire Falls #2
Author:  J.H. Croix
Published:  January 15, 2026
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Mine to Hold is the second title in the Heartfire Falls series, bringing Kendall’s and Jude’s friendship to another level that will change their lives… forever.  Their story is an emotional, slow-burning romance as two people who have been best friends for, well, forever it seems, finally acknowledge that there are different emotions just below the surface.  If they act on those pesky crushes that have turned into something more, their greatest fear is that they’ll lose the friendship that each cherishes.  But if they don’t, they risk missing out on a relationship filled with the kind of love that could last a lifetime.

I enjoyed Mine to Hold very much.  It’s well-written, full of tears and laughter, caution and risking it all, and secondary characters (along with a cute pup) who will steal your heart as well, waiting for their story to be told.  Kendall and Jude’s family lives are complicated, yet each has stood by the other’s side through thick and thin.  They fear that asking for more will destroy their friendship, forgetting that some of the best couples are best friends as well as lovers.  Yes, there’s a bit of angst, a misunderstanding that could have been avoided, and maybe not enough groveling (I do love when the hero needs to explain his actions away) for me.  I had fun with this couple’s romance, and would not hesitate to recommend it to any Romance reader.  You’ll find a couple to love, a small town with all the quirks to enjoy, and a satisfying friends-to-lovers adventure.

*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. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon