In an Irish coastal city where the wind carries every secret, two people who should know better decide to risk a different kind of truth. A Better Ending is an upmarket contemporary romance about consent, care, and the quiet bravery it takes to build a family-first future in public.

She's spent years curating calm—courtroom composure, tidy lists, a kitchen that always smells of tea and toast. He's the man who can steady a scene with one look, the one who remembers to bring blankets, water, and humour when the cameras won't look away. Their history isn't simple, but it is honest: boundaries spoken aloud; yes, no, and not-yet honoured on every page.

When a swirl of headlines pulls them into the spotlight, old patterns falter. The rules that kept them safe—no public scenes, always ask first, the family room is sacred—are tested by the speed of rumours and the weight of expectation. To make it work, they'll need more than chemistry; they'll need rituals. Tea first. Green / Amber / Red. Debrief and aftercare. Practical tenderness in a world addicted to spectacle.

From linen-soft kitchens to rain-bright streets and late-night ferries, A Better Ending moves with elegant heat and lived-in intimacy. It's a romance where consent is the plot, aftercare is on the page, and love looks like showing up—again and again—for yourself, for each other, and for the people who call you home.

Expect: slow-burn electricity, grown-up conversations, Irish textures, found-and-kept family, and Heat-5 intimacy handled with grace. No villainised exes. Ever.

For readers who love: Sally Rooney's intimacy, Emily Henry's warmth, and contemporary Irish settings with cinematic polish—and who believe the sexiest thing a love story can do is keep its promises.