Breakaway: A Novel

Dear Reader,

First and foremost, thank you.

I know I’ve been away for a while—seven months, to be exact—and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your patience while I’ve been working behind the scenes on this project.

I also know some of you are probably wondering why I’m not releasing the entire revised version of Breakaway all at once. I considered it. But after spending so much time revisiting this story, I realized I wanted to experience it with all of you again. So instead, I’ll be releasing one to two chapters per week and sharing Alyssa and Justin’s journey as it unfolds.

And honestly? I’m so excited.

For those of you who have been here since the beginning, you know that Breakaway was my first book in this universe. It’s the story that started everything. While I’ve loved every novel and novella I’ve written for different reasons, Alyssa and Justin will always hold a special place in my heart. They are, and probably always will be, my favorites.

Because of that, I wanted to make sure I did them justice.

Over the past several months, I’ve gone through this book scene by scene, chapter by chapter. I’ve taken your feedback, your comments, your messages, and your reviews to heart. I’ve reworked scenes, adjusted plotlines, strengthened character arcs, expanded relationships, and revisited character traits that I felt needed more depth or consistency.

One of the biggest changes you’ll notice is Alyssa herself.

I’ve aged her down to better fit the story I wanted to tell. In this version, Alyssa is only twenty-three years old. She’s young. She’s inexperienced. She’s exhausted. She’s carrying wounds she hasn’t healed from and responsibilities she wasn’t prepared for. She’s stubborn, defensive, impulsive, and sometimes frustrating.

She’s also incredibly human.

I know there will be moments where you want to shake her. There were moments where I wanted to shake her while writing her.

But that’s what makes her journey so important to me.

Alyssa isn’t supposed to have all the answers. She’s not meant to be polished or perfect. She’s figuring out life one mistake at a time, and that’s exactly where Justin comes in. He isn’t perfect either, but he’s the kind of person who sees past her walls and chooses to stay anyway.

I hope you’ll stick with her through the messy parts.

I hope you’ll give her grace when she gets things wrong.

And most of all, I hope the payoff feels worth it.

I’m still blown away by the support this community has shown me. When I first released Breakaway, I never imagined it would grow into an entire universe of books, novellas, friendships, heartbreaks, found families, and hockey players. The love you’ve shown Alyssa, Justin, Lily, Alex, Tracy, Seth, Nolan, Sarah, and everyone else in this world continues to amaze me.

More than anything, I hope every reader finds at least one character they can relate to somewhere in this series. Someone who feels familiar. Someone who reminds them of themselves.

As you’re reading, keep an eye out for little references, hidden moments, and easter eggs sprinkled throughout the story. There are quite a few nods to future books, relationships, and moments that longtime readers might recognize.

And yes—once Breakaway is finished, The Hat Trick will be getting the same treatment.

So whether you’re a long time reader, or a first time reader—

Thank you for being here.

Thank you for giving these characters a chance.

Thank you for loving this universe as much as I do.

I truly hope you fall in love with this revised version of Breakaway all over again.

Love,

Dani ❤️