Romance: Cozy Small-Town - Secrets of Maple Hollow

Secrets of Maple Hollow: Gossip and Gardens Bloom into Romance

Story Dossier + Outline

Premise:

A florist hiding her big-city scandal must team up with the town's skeptical handyman to save a community garden, battling gossip and her own deceptions to find if true love can take root amid the rumors.

✨ Genre: Cozy Small-Town Romance

✨ Tropes/Themes: Everyone Knows, Town Gossip Network, Awkward Early Dates, Community Meddling, Honest Declaration, Town-Approved Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Secret Identity

✨ POV & Structure: 1st person past tense dual POV, structured in four acts with Romancing the Beat overlays including setup, fun and games, bad guys close in, and all is lost to happily ever after.

✨ Vibe: Whimsical and uplifting with a dash of playful intrigue, centering on personal rediscovery and communal bonds. The vibe is cozy and inviting, with warm romantic scenes that highlight tenderness and subtle passion without explicitness. Light-hearted without any moral ambiguity or high angst.

✨ Book Size: Short Novel (40,000-60,000 words)

✨ Chapter Count: 25 Chapters

✨ Word Count: target 1800-2200 per chapter

✨ Heat Level: Warm (on-page romantic moments with minimal explicit detail)

What you get:

✅ Complete Premise with core concepts and Narrative Physics Architecture

✅ Complete Story Dossier — including detailed characters, relationship arcs, locations and objects, world rules and histories, multiple subplots, and market researched genre and style guides.

✅ A detailed 25 chapter outline.