A doctor in denial.

A rival who refuses to let her fall.

A love strong enough to survive the wait.

Isla North is a doctor, a mentor, and a quiet force at Redwood Hollow General—but she’s also hiding a failing heart. She didn’t plan on letting anyone know, least of all Dr. Quinn Adler, the sharp, brilliant, guarded cardiologist who sees things Isla wishes she could keep buried.

When Isla collapses, Quinn’s world tilts. Suddenly late-night vigils, careful monitoring, and soft touches become Quinn’s new normal. They cook together, they laugh together, and they discover how love can exist in quiet corners, even when life grows loud.

But when one is waiting for a transplant, the future feels fragile. Together, they learn that loving someone isn’t about perfection—it’s about choosing each other in every heartbeat.

Stolen Beats, Second Hearts delivers rivals-to-lovers tension, an ice-queen/sunshine dynamic, and a slow-burn sapphic love story wrapped in hidden illness, heavy hurt/comfort, and rich found-family warmth. Ideal for readers who want their romance heartfelt, their angst meaningful, and their healing earned one breath at a time.

Author’s Notes About the Book

This was one of those books that started with a single scene in my head: the doctor who, instead of going home after her long shift, heads to one of the rooms to see her girlfriend, who is terribly ill. That’s where the story started, and I just wrote to get there—and once I was at that scene, I’d fallen completely in love with Quinn and Isla, and I just had to continue. 

Stolen Beats, Second Hearts (which was “Second Hearts” from the first draft I wrote of the story, so that’s always been there) has a lot of hurt/comfort, one of the tropes that I have an intense love for, especially in combination with rivals/enemies-to-lovers. These two aren’t enemies, but they are definitely opposites and rivals. To have the ice queen take care of the other… aah, it speaks to my heart. Hence my writing it.

I hope you enjoy the story!