You won’t want to miss this small-town romance set against the scenic Montana mountains, where love pushes past the boundaries keeping two people apart. Andrea Thome shares inspiration, behind-the-scenes details, and hints about the story in this exciting Q&A for Mine Again. Sometimes the right person comes along exactly when you’re ready to start over.

Mine Again by Andrea Thome

Delilah Spencer’s life as a traveling lawyer suits her wandering spirit, and the emotional turmoil concealed beneath a mask of professionalism. Enter Ranger Beckham, a small-town high school band director and single girl dad. A less than professional connection blurs the attorney-client relationship as Delilah falls not just for a small-town man, but the small-town itself. The rural lifestyle and simmer romance might turn wanderlust into loving trust in this heartwarming love story.  

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Tell us about Mine Again. What was your inspiration behind this story?

This is pure escapist romance. Sunflower is the small town of my dreams. Welcoming, safe, inclusive, full of tradition and surrounded by regenerative farms. All are welcome here and if you belong, Sunflower will find a way to hold on to you.

We traveled to Montana for the first time a few years ago and I fell in love. I knew I wanted to set my series there, but in a fictional town I could build from scratch. Oh, what fun that was. I have a map hand drawn by an an illustrator friend that I can’t wait to share.

I also love a good cinnamon roll hero with a sexy side. (I married one myself in 1998.) If many of my MMCs are sweet and supportive? I’m writing what I know. And as a reader, I want you immersed in that kind of love.

Found family is another one of my favorite tropes, maybe because as the wife of a professional athlete, I’ve had lots of experience with moving teams and cities and having to find family along the way.

In the modern world, it often feels like we’re at war with one another. I hope Mine Again leaves readers feeling hopeful and looking forward to the next book! (No cliffhangers, I promise!)

This is the kickoff for the Sunflower series where it’s said the setting is a character in itself.
Can you describe the setting and the role it plays?

Sunflower is an amalgam of a few of my favorite places. I borrowed the river and the Popcorn Shoppe from Chagrin Falls, Ohio. There’s a mention of Cooperstown, New York, where my husband was inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in 2018. And even a bit of downtown Hinsdale, Illinois, where we lived when my husband played for the Chicago White Sox.

Sunflower has an idyllic essence—it’s sort of Schitt’s Creek-esque. Are their horrible things happening in small towns and big cities right now? Unfortunately, yes. We are indurated with talk of it in our daily lives. Sunflower, with its regenerative farms, colorful downtown and a hot cast of characters who are inclusive is meant to be a place to get away from all of that.

I grew up reading my mom’s Danielle Steel novels and dreaming about falling in love. That is my origin story. The fact that I ended up writing love stories for a living feels like a dream.

What are few details about your FMC and MMC that readers are going to fall in love with?

Mine Again is told from a dual POV and the characters moved right into my head and wrote their story together.

Delilah is a study in balance. Strong and soft; funny and serious. She’s an attorney for hire—a sort of substitute teacher who works all over the country, mostly in small towns. She’s Chicago born and bred, which made it fun to write about her Montana adventures. She’s not the most outdoorsy gal in the world. There is a big choice to make in the end, but it was always up to her. I’m glad she follows her heart.

In this novel, you’re exploring the single dad trope. What made you choose this one and what do you love about the trope?

Ranger is recently divorced but still best friends with his ex-wife as they continue to raise their teenage daughter. He ticks a lot of boxes. We learn pretty quickly that he’s hardworking and capable; he spends time with his daughter and was born to be a girl dad; and despite her not being his biological child, she is his priority. Over the course of this book, Ranger learns a lot about himself and about what he needs in a relationship for it to be fulfilling. He’s stoic but with a sense of humor and he’s not afraid to let his nerd flag fly. He was a dream to write, and I could see him so clearly the entire way.

What are some other books you love that have similar themes as Mine Again?

I personally use romance as a vehicle to explore humanity and human connection, and I try to write emotionally complex characters who are good people at their core. I avoid manufacturing unrealistic conflict for the sake of tension in the story—preferring a sometimes-quieter exploration of deeply rooted issues.

Carley Fortune, Abby Jiminez, Jessica Joyce, Rachel Reid and Elizabeth O’Roark are some of my favorite authors for a few reasons. Witty banter is my catnip. If I laugh out loud and swoon in the same book—that’s the secret sauce. I gravitate toward strong characters who know what they want, and these authors never fail to create them.

Preorder this upcoming romance today! And keep an eye out for the paperback preorder coming soon.

Andrea Thome is a former sports/news anchor from Cleveland, where she met her husband, Hall of Fame baseball player, Jim Thome. Mine Again is the debut of her Sunflower Series, where the setting itself is its own character, in the vein of other small-town romances like those by Lyla Sage and Abby Jimenez. Sunflower is a fictional town just north of Bozeman, MT, and if readers are anything like me, they’ll want to pack their bags and move there after reading! Andrea wants to use her books to redefine what small towns are (much in the way that creators of Schitts Creek did), where characters feel welcome and accepted, and the town is a safe space for all. Her book has themes of found family, finding yourself amongst hardship, putting down roots, and small-town connections. It’s a great, feel-good summer read.