This Time Around

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is let someone stand beside you. In This Time Around, Tracey Magruder brings readers to the English village of Great Missenden, where Maggie Hartwell has spent years relying on her own strength. As the woman responsible for the Roaring Stag, she is accustomed to handling problems without asking for help. But when a storm damages the pub’s courtyard renovation just weeks before her niece’s wedding, even Maggie cannot manage everything alone. She turns to Fergus Merrick, a dependable friend who has quietly remained by her side for years. Working together brings old feelings into the open, making it increasingly difficult for either of them to pretend their connection is only friendship. Just as they begin to consider what a shared future might look like, Fergus receives a career opportunity he has wanted for a long time. Accepting it could mean leaving the village—and Maggie. Their growing relationship now faces a difficult question: can two people build a life together without asking one another to abandon their own dreams? Through its village setting and character-driven romance, the novel explores independence, emotional honesty, family ties, loyalty, and the courage to accept love. Readers can expect a gradual romantic development, familiar community connections, and the tension of balancing personal ambition with commitment. This book is suited to readers who enjoy contemporary small-town romance, friends-to-lovers relationships, second-chance themes, close-knit communities, and emotionally grounded stories about finding companionship without losing oneself.