Michelle Ruoff
Contemporary Romance Author
Spicy small-town romance with a little magic
A Summer to Stay
From debut author Michelle Ruoff comes A Summer to Stay, a small-town, second-chance romance releasing May 2026.
About the Book
Ten years ago, Ava Hanson left Cedar Falls — and Owen Fowler — behind.
Now she’s back, grieving her father, packing up his cabin, and counting the days until she can return to New York and the career she’s sacrificed everything for. Her plan is simple: don’t stay long, don’t reopen old wounds, and definitely don’t fall for Owen again.
But Owen isn’t the boy she left behind.
He’s a devoted single father, the owner of the town’s beloved coffee shop, and the unlikely buyer of the bed-and-breakfast they once dreamed of building together. Seeing Ava again stirs up everything he thought he’d accepted, including the future he stopped believing was possible.
With grief closing in and sparks that were never truly extinguished, Ava must decide whether ambition is worth the loneliness it costs, or if the life she ran from is the one she’s been searching for all along.
If you love stories with
Small-town vibes like Stars Hollow
Second-chances
Single dads (did someone say man bun 👀)
Found family + sibling banter
Nostalgic summer nights
Slow burn with satisfying spice
It was always you
Meet Michelle
Michelle Ruoff writes spicy small-town romance with a little magic.
A former technical writer turned romance author, she lives in Orlando with her husband and dog, Sage. When she’s not writing, she’s probably reading an omegaverse, watching Love Island, or pulling tarot cards under a full moon with an iced coffee.
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