This is a regular feature, where I shine a light on an indie/ small print/ debut author who has submitted their details to me on the Indie spotlight page.
So, let’s get started with today’s spotlight:
Indie spotlight: Samantha Waverly
About Samantha Waverly
Samantha is a mom and a dreamer author. She writes soft-hearted, slow-burn second chance romances with all the messy, beautiful parts of love — and also the funny, chaos-packed side of motherhood.
Where to follow Samantha Waverly
The Broken Parts Along the Way – Samantha Waverly
Some loves never really end. They just wait.
When Sebastian shows up at Emma’s door after a decade apart, he’s no longer the boy she once loved — but the ache feels just as familiar. Emma has spent years rebuilding her life as a single mom, convincing herself that healing means moving forward… without looking back.
But some stories don’t get neat endings. Some loves linger quietly, waiting for another chance.
Set against soft rains, shared earbuds, and all the words left unsaid, ‘The Broken Parts Along the Way’ is a slow-burn, second-chance romance about motherhood, healing, and finding your way back home — even when you thought the door was closed for good.
An extract from The Broken Parts Along the Way
I wasn’t expecting anyone when the doorbell rang — but I definitely wasn’t expecting him. Sebastian Hayes stood on my doorstep looking exactly how heartbreak is supposed to look: familiar enough to ache, different enough to feel like a stranger. It took me a second to process, and in the meantime, my body forgot how to move. He had changed, just like I had. Lines around his eyes, subtle but noticeable, hinted at years I hadn’t been a part of. Yet his presence tugged at a space inside my chest I’d long believed was closed off forever. “Hey, Em.” His voice was quiet. Careful. Like someone stepping onto thin ice after years of pretending the lake wasn’t frozen. My knuckles whitened around the door handle. “Sebastian.” All the ways I’d imagined this moment evaporated — slamming the door, inviting him in, screaming, crying — everything except standing there, completely frozen. But reality had its own stubborn way of unfolding. “I hope it’s okay…” He shifted, eyes never leaving mine. “I didn’t know if you’d want to see me.” Of course he didn’t. How could he, when I wasn’t even sure myself? I opened my mouth, but the only thing that came out was air — hollow, shaky. Like my body was trying to erase the last decade between us. Then, from behind me, a small voice broke through the moment. “Mama? Who is it?” Sebastian’s eyes widened — just slightly — but it was enough. Something flickered across his face. Surprise? Curiosity? It passed too fast to be sure. “My daughter,” I said quietly, my spine straightening as the protective instinct surged in. “Laura, honey, go finish your breakfast,” I called over my shoulder. “Mama’s just… talking with a friend.” Friend. The word felt thin. Fragile. But what else do you call someone who once held your whole heart… and then broke it?
A special note from the author:
I just want to say thank you to anyone who picks up this book. ‘The Broken Parts Along the Way’ was written for anyone who’s ever felt like too much or not enough, for anyone who’s carried more than they could say out loud. This story is about second chances — in love, in family, and in the messy, beautiful act of healing from divorce and from what life makes us go through. If it resonates with you, please know… that means the world to me. And if you love soft-hearted, slow-burn romances with single moms, found family, and the ache of love that never really left — you’re in the right place.
Where to buy
The book is available to buy on Amazon here
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Antonia Bernardin 
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