Out of Time

Life has a time limit. Love doesn't. Maddie Cole has spent seven decades proving that breaking the rules pays off. A trailblazing engineer who chose career over convention, she's never regretted trading romance for professional triumph… until now. When a family weekend in Bar Harbor extends unexpectedly, Maddie finds herself alone at the Hope Point Lighthouse B&B with Nate Jacobs, an 83-year-old widower who's lived his entire life by the book. Everything about him should clash with her rebellious spirit. Instead, their breakfast conversations and moonlit walks awaken something she thought she'd left behind forever. But as their connection deepens, both must confront a startling truth: they've been crossing paths for decades without ever truly meeting. Now, with limited time ahead and unlimited possibility between them, they face the ultimate question: is this perfect timing, or are they already out of time? Book 1 of the Maddie & Nate Series — a trilogy of standalone novels following the same two people across three parallel timelines at entirely different life stages. Quantum physics serves as structural metaphor, not science content. Not time travel. Awards: 2026 BookFest First Place (Best Book Series, Women's Fiction; Best Fiction, Literary: Love Story and Romance). 4x Winner, 2025 International Firebird Book Awards (Best Unconventional Love Story, Most Heartwarming, Foodie Romance, Most Likely to Inspire a Sequel). Finalist, 2025 American Writing Awards (Women's Fiction). Kirkus Reviews: "an uplifting reminder that one may find love at any age." For readers of Jodi Picoult, Kristin Hannah, Kate Atkinson, and Audrey Niffenegger. Contains explicit sexual content (adult readers 18+).