FRESH BLOOD - #NewRelease from Ella Braeme
- 10 hours ago
- 4 min read
On today's I'm featuring FRESH BLOOD - #NewRelease from Ella Braeme, Book 1 in her Burning Hearts series. This novella releases December 3, 2025 and is available on Kindle Unlimited and in print. Welcome Ella!
Blurb:
When a small-town firefighter falls for the arsonist's ex-wife, love becomes the most dangerous risk of all.
Fire Chief Calvin "Murph" Murphy came to Elken Grove, Georgia to rebuild his life—not to fall for the notorious arsonist's ex-wife. But innkeeper Moira Henley is being systematically destroyed by escalating attacks, forged permits, and a town convinced she was in on her husband's crimes.
Moira thought divorcing her criminal husband was the end of her troubles. Now someone's targeting her bed and breakfast with anonymous threats, fake online reviews, and suspicious fires. In a close-knit community where gossip spreads faster than wildfire, she's fighting to save both her business and her reputation—all while keeping everyone at arm's length to avoid their pity.
When Murph discovers the guarded divorcee is in real danger, everything protective in him refuses to walk away. But their forbidden attraction threatens his hard-won position as fire chief, while Moira risks losing everything she's worked to rebuild—including the walls she's built around her heart.
In a town where everyone knows your secrets and second chances are earned through fire, can their love survive the flames—or will it destroy them both?
Excerpt:
With his free hand, Murph rang the B&B’s doorbell. The sound traveled through the house in a way that told him it was empty. He had no idea how he could know this, but he was so certain that he set his gifts—a fancy coffee and an opulent peanut bar with dark chocolate and salted caramel from the local coffee shop—on the small table next to the door.
He was pondering whether to leave a note when Moira’s voice sounded from behind him, from around the corner of the house. “What are you doing?”
Good—she sounded factual rather than defensive. “I’m bearing gifts,” he said, pointing at the to-go cup and the small cardboard container.
Moira was beautiful. The late morning sun brought out the rich warmth in her brown hair, though she wore it in a tight bun today. She wore something that looked like an oversized lab coat covered in stains. Her hands—and her left cheek—bore marks of white paint. Like an artist, he thought, or maybe just someone determined to fix what others had broken.
Murph smiled. “What are you working on?”
Moira shrugged, moving closer. “Some paint job.” She took the coffee and drank deeply, and he caught the faint scent of turpentine mixed with her usual shampoo.
“Can we talk for a minute?” Murph gestured toward the bench on the porch.
They sat, and looked out into the garden that Moira had replanted. It would take a while for the perennials to take root, but Murph had no doubt that Moira would make it as beautiful as it had been before. She has that kind of determination, he thought. The kind that rebuilds from ashes.
“I need to apologize,” he began.
“You don’t have to,” Moira said. “You just did what—”
“I lied,” he interrupted.
Moira watched him over the cup as she slowly took another sip, not answering but giving him time to explain. Her silence felt expectant rather than judgmental, and he was grateful for that small mercy.
“I was so determined to protect my professional reputation that I lied by omission. While it’s true that we’re not in a relationship, I should have made it clear that I wished we were.”
The coffee went down the wrong pipe, and Moira coughed hard.
“Easy,” Murph said, leaning forward with concern. “You okay?”
“Fine,” she wheezed, still catching her breath. “Just went down wrong.”
He watched her for another moment to make sure, but she made a rolling gesture with her hand to continue. He took a breath and plunged ahead. “I need to make my intentions clear so that you know. Because Elken Grove already does.”
Buy Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/fresh-blood
Burning Hearts Series link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FD87RMRV
Author Bio:
Ella Braeme writes steamy small-town romance where protective heroes and the women who capture their hearts find love in the mountains and marshlands of Georgia. Whether her characters are running toward danger or running from their past, they always find their way to happily-ever-after. When she's not dreaming up new ways for couples to fall headlong into danger (and love), she's in her garden, supervised by a dog who firmly believes digging holes helps the flowers grow. Her quick, satisfying reads deliver the perfect escape, whether you're sneaking in a chapter during lunch or staying up way too late to reach that happily-ever-after.
Social Media Links:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ellawritesromance
Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/ellawritesromance
Sign-up to her emails and get a free novella https://ellabraeme.com/newsletter-signup.htm
Author Website: https://ellabraeme.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ella-Braeme/author/B0BKL79CSM
Also By Ella Braeme:
Star Crossed Christmas and a Happy New Year: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FG1CSW4V
Holly and Heartstrings 2025: https://books.ellabraeme.com/k1862r2ey9
Elken Grove Mountain Men series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPL86ZSM/
Married in Windfall series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBS76NN4 ARC
Startup Fire: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR3G568K