LOVE & PANIC
She saved his life. It’s only fair he helps her live hers…
Being a shut-in is not your average lifestyle. But after losing her parents, suffering several car accidents, and experiencing crippling anxiety and OCD, Natalie is done with the outside world. And with friends ghosting.
In her apartment, she’s safe. Protected.
Achingly alone.
Sure, her cat provides decent company, but when Natalie wakes with a pounding heart and calls 9-1-1—certain she’s dying but really having a panic attack—she realizes a little human contact might be nice. Especially the kind that comes from the cute firefighter in her apartment building. He asks her on a date. The problem is, to go out with Mr. Cute Firefighter, she actually has to go out…
Enter Dean.
Former pediatric surgeon. Alcoholic by choice. Massive grump. Ever since a family tragedy left him divorced and shattered, Dean is more than happy to spend his days drinking and racing toward death. Until he passes out in the snow in front of Natalie’s building, minutes from getting flattened by a bus, changing both of their fates forever.
Their agreement is simple: She’ll give him a safe place to drink during the holidays. He’ll be her guide to the outside world.
As their unlikely friendship leads to unexpected feelings, both must face hard truths about themselves and how they live. Have they found in each other what they’ve needed most? Or a heartbreak that will push them both over the edge?
PRAISE FOR LOVE & PANIC
"I fell instantly in love with the characters in this beautifully written tale. Love & Panic is full of warmth, grit and humour, without shying away from the tough stuff. My favourite love story of the year!" —Jessica Ryn, author of The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside
"This book seriously wrecked me. I cried from start to finish. Definitely a must read!" —Michelle C, author
"Raina is a queen of neurodiverse romances! She is a [expletive] treasure and we need to keep her writing." —Brittanica Bold's Babblings
"This book will leave me in my feels for a very long time. It has so much meaning and is a wonderful journey through grief, pain, mental health struggles, and eventually acceptance, healing, and love." —Chelle D, reader