Here we are again! I’m thrilled to have you with me at the end of another story, and I hope you had as much fun as I did. As always, I am not even close to the only person involved in making this book a reality, and I am thankful to everyone who has shown their support in different ways, big and small. You all made such a difference.

Lots of love and gratitude to Gary: my husband, friend, sounding board, tech support, and all-around amazing person. To Elise and Reid, you two are the best kids I could have ever asked for or wanted. It’s not always easy sharing me with my writing, I know, but I appreciate it and love having you with me on this crazy journey.

Thank you to my parents, Dave and Dorinda, whose excitement, love, and support have meant the world to me. A big high-five to my mom, who not only reads and critiques each chapter as I write them, she also reads and re-reads every edited version of the complete manuscript, then reads the book again once it’s published! Thank you to my brother, Adam, for our fun chats and your words of encouragement, and to my nephew, Connor, who is always a ray of sunshine. And thank you to my mother-in-law, Pat, for being an enthusiastic reader and cheering me on.

Thank you to my writing partner, Erika Bigelow, who helps guard against misspellings, awkward grammar, and things that sound better in my head than they actually are on paper. To Heather Bottomley and Shannon Sullivan, thank you for making “the power of the Tres” a real thing. Thanks to Rachel Whitaker and Anna Waller for your careful reads and helpful insights. Thank you to Eryn Frank and Kristi Beckley, who have been such good friends of mine for so long. Many thanks to Mary Murphy, Sakura Sutter, David O’Connell, Eduardo Cruz, and Alexandra Sipe for their friendship, advice, and support. And thank you to the members of the RWA and my local ERWA and GSRWA chapters for helping me find the inspiration to not only start writing, but to keep writing. I am lucky to know so many talented authors.

Thanks to L.E. Wilson and Samantha Saxon for showing me the ropes and for being great friends and supporters from the very beginning. Heartfelt thanks to Lenora Bell, who reached out to me during Lady’s debut and made everything that much brighter during our trips to Portland and Kansas City. Thank you to Lori Foster and her husband for their kindness on the road and beyond. And big thanks to Christy Carlyle and Charis Michaels for letting this baby author tag along in Denver. I can’t wait to see all of you again.

Thank you to my wonderful agent, Kevan Lyon, who gave me a chance to prove myself in this industry, and who helps me every step of the way. To Priyanka Krishnan, thank you for giving me a shot as a published author, and for being that first editorial voice to wiggle its way inside my head. Thank you to Elle Keck for being the second editorial voice to get inside my head—I look forward to many more books with you! And huge thanks to everyone at Avon/HarperCollins, including Pam Jaffee, Jes Lyons, Kayleigh Webb, Caro Perny, and Jennifer Stimson.

Finally, I couldn’t do any of this without YOU. Many thanks to all of my readers, and to those of you I had the privilege of meeting this year! You’re the best.

Warmly,

Marie