When a guarded, small-town waitress with big dreams crosses paths with the diner's charming "new regular"-who harbors a hidden agenda-sparks fly faster than a sizzling griddle in Sweetgum Meadows! Aimee has always poured her heart into two things: her talent for cooking and the tight-knit community of Sweetgum Meadows. She's the go-to girl at Rochelle's Diner, serving up comfort food with an extra helping of Southern warmth. But while her signature recipes can melt anyone's worries away, her own heart remains closed off after too many failed romances. Enter Malachi, the mysterious new face in town who's secretly poised to take over the diner. He's there to transform the business from the inside out, but the more time he spends sampling Aimee's mouthwatering dishes-and her captivating spirit-the more torn he becomes about shaking up everything she loves. Aimee's optimism draws him in, yet he fears revealing the truth will break the trust blossoming between them. Amid sizzling kitchen chemistry and blossoming small-town gossip, Aimee and Malachi discover that real love demands a leap of faith. Can they learn to open their hearts and risk falling harder than either of them ever imagined? Fall head over heels for this sweet, African-American romance in Imani Price's The Harder We Fall: A Sweetgum Meadows Romance-Book 9 in a heartwarming series of stand-alone love stories.