In this sharp-witted and poignant novel, two former friends with a complicated history are thrown together on an unexpected road trip, where old lies unravel and new truths emerge with every mile marker.

Ophelia Dahl has just buried her beloved father when she finds among his personal effects a blindsiding document. The mother Ophelia thought died thirty years ago isn’t dead after all―she abandoned her. But how could she, and where is she now? With some neighborly help, Ophelia’s going to find out.

Beau Augustin is an acclaimed author and Ophelia’s childhood bestie turned teenage nemesis, still chafing after all these years. As luck would have it, Beau’s current project―family deceptions―is set to take him across the West Coast. Ophelia has a brilliant idea: Beau’s book. Her life. Win-win. In a Subaru filled with baggage, they hit the road.

Despite detours, dead ends, and old grudges, Ophelia is desperate to unravel a lifetime of lies. And Beau’s research is a little more personal than he’s letting on. Mile by mile, they’re getting closer to their truths―and to each other―than they ever thought possible.

Praise for The Truth Is in the Detours

Mara Williams is definitely a romance writer to watch." - Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Never Been Shipped

I devoured this sharp story. Mara Williams is a talent.” - Sierra Godfrey, author of The Second Chance Hotel

With sentences that sing and settings that feel like characters, The Truth Is in The Detours is the perfect blend of frenemies-to-lovers road trip romance that will steal your heart and set it racing.” Holly James, author of The Big Fix

“Mara Williams’ debut is everything I love in a frenemies-to-lovers romance: delicious tension, fleshed-out history, and so much pining!” - Meredith Schorr, USA Today bestselling author of RoomMating

Mara Williams' stunning debut is a testament to every type of love, and its power to both shatter us and make us whole again.” -Lindsay Hameroff, author of Never Planned on You

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A moving story about family, forgiveness, and unexpected love—where the fault lines of a fractured past become the foundation for building something new.

Eden Hawthorne spent idyllic childhood summers in Grand Trees, a mountain town perched along a restless earthquake fault in the heart of California’s fire country. But her family and future were shattered there, and she vowed never to return—until news of her estranged mother’s illness forces her back twenty years later.

Still reeling from her recent divorce, Eden has to confront her mom’s found family, including single father Caleb Connell, who blames Eden for the seismic rift that drove her away. But as they move beyond a battle of wills, Eden and Caleb discover shared wounds and intertwined histories—and succumb to an attraction that feels fated.

When her mother’s condition worsens, Eden faces an impossible choice between the man she’s falling for and the mother she’s just beginning to forgive. And with time running out, Eden fears her decision will doom her to relive the aftershocks of past heartbreak.

Praise for The Epicenter of Forever

With a thoughtful portrayal of fractured family dynamics and beautiful examples of how to heal — all set amidst a budding yet soul-deep romance I could not get enough of — Mara Williams has to be on your radar.” - Clare Gilmore, USA Today bestselling author of Never Over

Insightfully written and emotionally rewarding, I devoured every page." - Emma Barry, author of Bad Reputation

Atmospheric and romantic, The Epicenter of Forever is a heart-swelling book about going back to your roots to make way for a hopeful future.” - London Sperry, author of Passion Project

"Poignant, heart-wrenching, and filled with steamy tension, The Epicenter of Forever is a lyrical, evocative portrait of reconnection, rewriting memories, and risk-taking beyond the narratives we and our families have set for ourselves." - Katie Naymon, author of You Between the Lines 

With the perfect mix of dreamy romance and affirming self-discovery, The Epicenter of Forever is the kind of novel that cracks your heart wide open and leaves your emotions trembling long after the last page.” - Lauren Parvizi, author of Trust Me On This

Williams weaves her signature wit and lush prose through a California landscape filled with big trees, bigger feelings, and love that shakes the world.” - Isabelle Engel, Author of Most Eligible

"Swoony, tender, and addictively steamy, Mara Williams's The Epicenter of Forever provides a beautiful exploration of the way love in all its forms can heal past hurts that had me desperately turning the pages while praying it would never end." - Amy Buchanan, author of Let's Call a Truce

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