Everything We Shouldn’t Be

by Dashia Renee Williams

Devyn Davis is successful as the founder of The Locker Room, a sporting goods store in Pennsylvania that she and her best friend built from the ground up. Her relationship with top real estate agent, Grant Higdon, used to be nothing short of ideal, adding to her success.

However lately, she and Grant don’t see eye to eye. After a heated argument, Devyn makes a quick decision to drive five hours back to her hometown in the middle of the night to gain some type of clarity.



With no plan of what’s next, Devyn stays near Damien, her older brother who is a perfect mix of protective and big-softy.

Enter Jason “Jace” Haywood, Damien’s best friend and roommate. What Damien doesn’t know is Jason and Devyn dated back in school in secret. A relationship that was nothing short of a teenage dream, but ended without any real closure.



As Devyn prolongs her stay in her hometown more and more, not wanting to confront her issues with Grant just yet, her close proximity of Jason seems less by chance and more purposeful. Is it vulnerability or is she coming to terms with suppressed feelings finally coming to the surface?

253 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 22, 2025

Reviews

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

so swoony! 🩷🩷🩷
small town return home. First love flutters. Everything We Shouldn't Be is that soft love story that feels like a Hallmark movie .🥰🥰🥰

[Tiara Lashae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books that just felt real.

Devyn looks like she has it all together — successful business, long-term relationship, life on track — but emotionally? She’s tired. Confused. And lowkey avoiding the hard conversations. So when things with her boyfriend hit a breaking point, she does what a lot of us wish we could do… she leaves and goes back home to clear her head.

Enter Jason — her brother’s best friend and the boy she loved in secret back in the day. And whew… the tension is still very much there. Nothing feels forced or rushed. It’s that quiet, lingering “what if” energy mixed with unfinished business and old feelings that never really went away.

What I appreciated most was how grounded this story was. It’s not just about romance — it’s about timing, emotional maturity, and figuring out what you actually want instead of what looks good on paper. Devyn’s journey felt relatable, and the romance unfolded in a way that made sense for two people who needed time to grow before finding their way back to each other.

If you like second-chance romances, small-town vibes, brother’s best friend tension, and emotional growth without unnecessary drama, this is definitely a book to add to your TBR.

[Queen Latifah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in less than 24 hours, and that never happens to me. That’s how good it was. The writing was beautiful, emotional, and real. I love love, but what I appreciated most was how raw and realistic this story felt. It didn’t try to make love look perfect it showed the growth, the pain, the healing, and the surrender that comes with it. The chemistry between the characters felt natural, not forced. It’s one of those books that makes you reflect on what love looks like when it’s tested and how people evolve through it. Beautifully written from start to finish.

[Shantina Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great book, with very few grammatical errors throughout the story, which was very helpful in maintaining the flow. However, the book does need to be updated to address the grammatical errors it contains. Overall I gave this book a five-star rating because it deserves five stars for being so well executed and because I loved this story it is so good!

[Briana Cleary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute. The perfect small town, second chance romance. I really rooted for Devyn and Jason. Such a positive portrayal, no struggle love. I understood Devyn’s reservations, especially with them falling for each other so young. But you can tell they were always meant to be. I wish those characters nothing but happiness.

[Pamela Ogburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this book was amazing it gave me 90s love vibes it was the best second chance so cute so comfy it was Amazing

[Tiarra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved 🥹