EMBERS (SMOKEY MOUNTAIN SERIES BOOK 1) by ANNIE COMRIE

Promotional review by Stef on behalf of Coven Press. 

From the outside, it may appear that romance is ‘having a moment’ in fiction. With books-turned-tv-series – like Heated Rivalry to Off Campus – to the influx of romance-only indie publishing events, curated brick-and-mortar sweet and spicy bookstores popping up and even trademarks applications making waves online, the romance genre shows no signs of slowing down.

But love – in all its iterations – has always been a mainstay of stories for as long as humans have been sharing them.

‘At its core, this is a heartfelt story about love,’ debut sports and small-town romance author Annie Comrie tells Coven Press. ‘And finding strength in connection… learning that just because things don’t turn out the way you plan, doesn’t mean they can’t lead to forever.’ Comrie is the latest inductee into the Coven Collective, the first contemporary sports and small-town romance author we’ve worked with since our inception in February – the month of love – 2025.

Embers is the first book of the Smokey Mountain Series written by debut independent author, Annie Comrie, a cross between sports romance and small-town romance set between Australia and America, featuring swoon-worthy, green-flag love interest from the USA. Inspired by Comrie’s own life and identity crises, Embers explores rich themes such as belonging and connection, the need for permanence and the way we – as humans – segment our worth by what we do, what we identify as and what we don’t have.

Set between the cosy confines of the small regional Australian town, Bright, and the fast-paced action of Los Angeles, Embers is a he-falls-first, love-at-first-sight sports romance that reminds us just love and loss might steer us in directions unfathomable, but that doesn’t mean it can’t lead to a wonderful kind of forever. When American hotshot NFL star, Ryan Adams, walks into a bar and meets small-town Australian botanist Zoey Matthews, he is captivated. Following a failed one-night stand, Ryan and Zoe are pulled together like moth to a flame, and a whirlwind romance reveals exactly what they’re both missing. But when personal tragedies send them spiraling into opposite directions on opposite sides of the globe, Zoe and Ryan are forced to confront whether what they’ve built can bridge the distance between them.

Comrie explains, ‘It’s brave to follow what you love,’ and this sentiment is mirrored through each main character’s exploration and acceptance of themselves and each other as they fuel a friendship and romance under the scrutiny of the public eye. With each a celebrity in their own right – Zoey famously known around her small town and Ryan infamously known in the sporting arena – the characters are presented with catalysts outside of their control, forced to confront themselves beyond their status and left with the decision to either be brave for love or shelter themselves from getting hurt again.

‘I obviously love my story, so I want to be able to share it with other people who will connect to it.’ Having run a local romance book club for the last few years, Comrie is familiar with the wishlists and desires of the female-gaze in independent publishing.

Early readers have praised the book as nuanced and emotionally-driven, subverting the expectations of the sports romance genre and bringing a cast of unforgettable characters to life through loss, grief and friendship across countries.

Embers (Smokey Mountains Series: Book 1) will be available at major retailers and online bookstores in paperback and eBook formats. Media, book clubs and reviewers interested in interviews, author talks, or advanced reader copies are encouraged to reach out to Annie on Instagram anniecomrie.author.

Annie Comrie is a debut author of sports and small-town romances filled with sassy FMCs, green flag MMCs and happily ever afters. She has always been a lover of romance and fairytales, stemming from her mother who gifted her a copy of Pride and Prejudice at the age of ten and having experienced her own love-at-first-sight love story with her Prince Charming of eleven years.

Annie worked as a specialist interventional cardiac nurse at her local hospital for many years before the birth of her daughter, which led to her having a self-proclaimed perpetual identity crisis, during which she developed a steadfast companion in books. Now, Annie runs a small book club for romance readers in her town, fostering connection and love for reading with like-minded women.

Inspiration for her debut novel, Embers (The Smokey Mountain Series: Book 1), stemmed from this love of stories, desire to love all the facets of being human – both the good and the messy – and a place to share the wild adventures running through her head.

When she’s not writing, you can find Annie in the garden, watching American football (go 49ers) and spending time with her little family. You can also find her on instagram at anniecomrieauthor or a.h..comrie on TikTok.