Where I Should've Been (Red Bridge Book 3)

Small town. Big secrets. And one ridiculously hot mistake she doesn’t regret.

Everyone in the smalltown of Red Bridge, Vermont, knows Tad Hanson, the hot sheep farmer who can’t control his flock. He doesn’t believe in forever, but he’ll be the best time you’ve ever had—right now. What they don’t know is why.

He’s too charming, too good with that addicting smile of his, too committed to keeping his dark past buried, and too stubborn to imagine his life could be any other way.

Until a snowstorm—and one beautiful woman—send his carefully controlled world spinning.

Successful art director Beatrice “Breezy” Bishop thought she had life figured out—until her father gave her the middle finger from the grave and left the family galleries she built to her entitled younger brother. With nothing left in New York but resentment and regret, she temporarily heads to Red Bridge, looking for space to breathe.

Instead, she finds a sexy, flirty, secret fling with Tad, and a rivalry with the editor of Red Bridge’s newspaper. It’s chaotic, but it’s the happiest she’s ever been.

But secrets never stay secrets for long, and when hearts get involved—and the universe clearly has other plans—walking away isn’t as easy as they thought.

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Many moons ago, a dynamic duo of romance authors teamed up under the pseudonym Max Monroe, and, well, the rest is history...

Max Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over thirty contemporary romance titles (with Romantic Comedy being their jam), Favorite writing partners and long time friends, Max and Monroe strive to live and write all the fun, sexy swoon so often missing from their Facebook newsfeed. Sarcastic by nature, their two writing souls feel like they’ve found their other half. This is their most favorite adventure thus far.

Max Monroe’s contemporary romance, Where I Should've Been, the highly anticipated third installment in the Red Bridge series, transports readers back to the charming and quirky small town of Red Bridge, Vermont. Known for blending laugh-out-loud romantic comedy with genuine emotional depth, the author duo delivers a compelling story about two people running from their pasts who accidentally stumble into their future. The narrative centers on an unexpected and fiery connection between a charming local farmer who refuses to settle down and a fiercely driven city woman whose entire life has just been upended. Through a mix of small-town charm, sizzling chemistry, and deeply buried secrets, the book explores what happens when a temporary escape turns into the one place you are truly meant to stay.

At the heart of the story is Beatrice Bishop, affectionately known as Breezy. For years, Breezy has built a highly successful career as an art director in the bustling, competitive world of New York City. She poured her heart, soul, and endless hours into building and managing her family’s art galleries, believing that her hard work would inevitably be rewarded. However, her carefully constructed life shatters when her father passes away and leaves the entirety of the family galleries to her younger brother—an entitled sibling who didn't put in a fraction of the effort she did. Feeling profoundly betrayed by this final insult from the grave, Breezy is left adrift, drowning in resentment and regret. Realizing she needs space to breathe and figure out her next steps, she packs her bags and temporarily relocates to Red Bridge. She expects nothing more than a quiet, uneventful sanctuary to lick her wounds.

Instead of peace and quiet, Breezy’s world collides with Tad Hanson. Tad is a staple in Red Bridge—a ruggedly handsome, charming sheep farmer whose defining trait, aside from his addicting smile, is his complete inability to control his chaotic flock of sheep. To the town, Tad is the quintessential bachelor. He is fun, incredibly attractive, and always ready for a good time, but he makes it abundantly clear that he does not believe in forever. He keeps his relationships casual and firmly in the present. However, beneath his easygoing exterior and flirtatious banter lies a deeply guarded man. Tad is hiding a dark and painful past, using his charm and his stubborn refusal to commit as a shield to keep people at a safe distance. He is determined to keep his carefully controlled world exactly as it is, convinced that letting anyone in will only lead to disaster.

The turning point in the novel arrives in the form of a classic romance trope: a heavy winter snowstorm. When the severe weather forces Breezy and Tad into close proximity, the simmering tension between them boils over, sending Tad's carefully controlled world spinning. What begins as a spark of attraction quickly ignites into a full-blown, passionate affair. They agree to a secret, flirty fling—a temporary arrangement that perfectly suits them both. For Breezy, Tad is a sexy, thrilling distraction from the sting of her father’s betrayal and the uncertainty of her career. For Tad, Breezy is a temporary visitor, meaning he doesn't have to worry about her asking for the one thing he cannot give: a commitment to the future.

As their secret romance blossoms behind closed doors, Breezy also finds herself unexpectedly immersed in the local community. She develops a spirited rivalry with the editor of the Red Bridge newspaper, a subplot that adds a rich layer of comedic relief and grounds her further into the fabric of the town. Max Monroe expertly weaves these humorous, small-town dynamics with the intense, private moments between Breezy and Tad. Despite the chaos of her new life—or perhaps because of it—Breezy realizes that she is the happiest she has ever been. Red Bridge is no longer just a pit stop; it is starting to feel like a home where she is valued for who she is, not just for what she can produce.

However, the unspoken rules of their casual arrangement inevitably begin to fray as genuine emotions take root. The more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to pretend that their connection is just physical. Tad’s protective walls start to crack, and the dark secrets he has kept buried for so long threaten to surface. He is forced to confront the trauma that made him swear off love in the first place, terrified that the truth will chase Breezy away. At the same time, Breezy must grapple with her own fears of rejection. Having just been discarded by her own father, she is terrified of putting her heart on the line for a man who has repeatedly claimed he isn't built for the long haul.

As the story reaches its emotional climax, the universe makes it clear that walking away is no longer an easy option for either of them. Tad and Breezy are pushed to their breaking points, requiring them to make a choice between the safety of their guarded hearts and the terrifying vulnerability of real love. Tad has to learn that he is worthy of a happily-ever-after and that sharing his past doesn't make him broken, while Breezy has to realize that her self-worth is not tied to a family business or a father's approval.

In the end, Where I Should've Been is a beautifully crafted story about healing, resilience, and the courage it takes to open your heart when you have everything to lose. It delivers all the sexy, swoon-worthy moments Max Monroe is known for, wrapped in a poignant narrative about two lost souls finding exactly where they belong. The novel is a testament to the idea that sometimes the greatest detours in life lead you straight to your true destination, proving that even amidst chaos, stubborn sheep, and snowy Vermont nights, love has a way of claiming those who need it most.