He needs redemption almost as badly as he wants Mercy.

When Liam Benitez is sent to Northport, it isn’t a fresh start—it’s exile. With a past he can’t erase and a future that feels borrowed, he’s determined to prove he’s more than his mistakes. But in a world of privilege and expectations, reinvention is easier said than done. No matter how hard he tries, the shadows of who he was refuse to let him go.
Mercedes Davenport knows what it’s like to be caught between worlds. Taken in by her wealthy aunt, she’s mastered the art of blending in, never asking for too much, and never making waves.
But Liam finds his way past the cracks in her perfect veneer, making it impossible to pretend she doesn’t feel something. Yet the past still follows him, getting closer and closer to touching the future he wants.
Drawn to each other despite everything, Liam and Mercedes must face the truth:
Will they define their future, or let the past define them?

Caught between worlds, two hearts must risk everything to move forward.

EXCERPT from BUT A DREAM

copyright 2026 by Santana Blair

“We’re different now,” Charleigh explained. “Like too much time passed, and neither of us knows how to bridge it.”

“Maybe you’re not supposed to know how to do it all at once.”

Charleigh looked at her. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come.”

“No,” Darcie corrected. “You are exactly where you need to be. And I think it was brave of you to show up.”

That caught her off-guard.

Darcie pushed off the counter. “Come on. They’re starting another round, and I need backup.”

She hesitated.

“You don’t have to talk to him again tonight,” Darcie added. “But you don’t have to hide either.”

She nodded.

Another chip. Another breath.

Then she followed Darcie back toward the others… and toward the boy she’d once loved more than anything… and now she knew she never stopped.

Here it is! The full Cover and Blurb for ALL FALL DOWN.

FULL BLURB:

He needs redemption almost as badly as he wants Mercy.

When Liam Benitez is sent to Northport, it isn’t a fresh start—it’s exile. With a past he can’t erase and a future that feels borrowed, he’s determined to prove he’s more than his mistakes. But in a world of privilege and expectations, reinvention is easier said than done. No matter how hard he tries, the shadows of who he was refuse to let him go.

Mercedes Davenport knows what it’s like to be caught between worlds. Taken in by her wealthy aunt, she’s mastered the art of blending in, never asking for too much, and never making waves. 

But Liam finds his way past the cracks in her perfect veneer, making it impossible to pretend she doesn’t feel something. Yet the past still follows him, getting closer and closer to touching the future he wants.

Drawn to each other despite everything, Liam and Mercedes must face the truth:
Will they define their future, or let the past define them?

Caught between worlds, two hearts must risk everything to move forward.