The House Always Wins
The House Always Wins
June 2, 2026
Romance - 160 pages
SOFTCOVER @ $14.95
Two years after the tragic death of her fiancé, traveling nurse Brooke Cassidy takes a short-term assignment in Deadwood, South Dakota, hoping the quiet of the Black Hills will help her start over. But Deadwood has its own ghosts, and one of them wears a devastating smile.
Dane Walker, casino owner and local philanthropist, is charming and magnetic. What starts as an unexpected encounter after Brooke saves a patron at Dane’s casino restaurant ignites an instant connection neither can explain. The attraction is intense, undeniable, and far from polite. Brooke tells herself it’s only a distraction, a way to remember what it feels like to be wanted again. But beneath Dane’s composed charm lies something darker, a secret he keeps carefully buried.
When a hospital physician crosses a dangerous line with Brooke, things quickly unravel. The revelation shatters her fragile sense of safety and forces her to question everything she knows about this man she has come to desire and love.
Brooke is left to navigate the fine line between love and deception in a town where secrets have a way of surfacing. And as she learns, in Deadwood, as in Dane’s casino, the house always wins.
REVIEWS
In The House Always Wins, the author delivers a strong, focused plot that prioritizes emotional resonance over simple tropes. The core of the story is the chemistry between the FMC and MMC; their connection feels earned and grounded in a shared understanding of each other. The novella handles love after loss with emotional depth, exploring the complexities of grief without becoming bleak. I love the FMC’s resilience, how despite the tragedy she has faced she retains compassion that defines her character. It’s a poignant, romantic read that proves the heart can open again, even when it feels most guarded.
- Nessa F., MN Bookstagrammer
The House Always Wins is a beautiful reminder that even amid the grief life throws our way, there are still moments of beauty waiting ahead. Ann Schreiber does a wonderful job leaning into Brooke’s tragic beginning, adding depth and nuance to her character. The relationship that forms between Brooke and Dane is undeniably hot at the start, then gradually evolves into something rooted in mutual understanding by the end of the novella. Overall, despite its shorter length, the story delivers a tender and powerful message about life after tragedy, and it will stay with me for a long time.
Favorite Lines: "Somehow, in the chaos of being hurt and then choosing to rise anyway, I’d uncovered a strength I didn’t know I had, one I could use to help others who’d been through their own terrifying moments." and "But, as it turns out, grief isn’t tidy. It isn’t predictable. And it isn’t something you must shoulder in isolation. It changes alongside you. It softens corners you never planned to revisit. And sometimes, if you’re open to it, compassion slips in when you least expect it..."
- Kenya G., MN Bookstagrammer