She planned to leave before anyone could ask her to stay. Then the storm hit.

Mireya Thorne returned to Brinewick for one reason: to settle a family property issue, avoid old gossip, and leave before the town started remembering things out loud. As a crisis communications consultant, she is excellent at managing other people’s disasters. Her own history with Brinewick is a problem she prefers not to brief.

Then a coastal storm slams into town, damages the station, floods the platform, and strands her exactly where she swore she would not linger.

Penn Saco is Brinewick’s emergency management anchor — calm, capable, and far too good at making people feel safe. He remembers Mireya as the girl who ran from town the first chance she got. Now he needs her to help control rumors, organize updates, and keep panic from spreading through Latchkey Lunch & News, which has become an emergency shelter with fries.

Mireya tells herself she is only staying because the town needs her. Penn tells himself he is only looking after her because that is what he does. But one storm, one borrowed cottage, and one bed that squeaks at every breath make denial difficult.

Penn knows how to offer care. Mireya knows how to survive without it. Loving each other means learning the difference between being needed, being wanted, and being brave enough to stay.

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:  Stranded with the Local
Series:  Brinewick Station After Dark #5
Author:  Judith Harrison
Published:  September 18, 2026
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Stranded with the Local is the fifth title in the Brinewick Station After Dark series and, for me, a 4.5-star read (rounded up).  Mireya is not staying in Brinewick.  No, she has things to tend to here, but she intends to finish up and get out fast before anyone notices the girl who left town so many years ago.  Unfortunately, good intentions don’t always make for a quick escape route, especially when a major storm is heading straight for town.

I enjoyed Mireya and Penn’s romance.  It’s well-written and emotional, with an edge, including the storm’s onslaught and the couple’s churning emotions as they learn to open up enough for someone else to see who they truly are.  This town (almost another major character) does what it always does: creates gossip and opinions amid chaos, with a dash of matchmaking.  If this sounds like your kind of Contemporary Romance, then you’d enjoy Stranded with the Local.

*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