Whiskey, Words and Whispers

Sawyer Bennett

Feb 2026 · Big Dog Books, LLC

About this ebook

In the delightfully nosy town of Whynot, North Carolina, secrets and sweet tea never stay cold for long. When sparks fly between two locals—one returning home and one with secrets to hide—the gossip mill isn’t the only thing turning up the heat.

 

Penny Pritchard thought she’d traded in small-town chatter for political banter when she left to build a big career in Washington, D.C. But when her beloved Aunt Muriel needs help running Central Café—the local hotspot for gossip, grits, and good intentions—Penny comes home with a suitcase full of high heels and denial about just how much she’s missed this place.

Enter Sam-Pete Rochelle, the easygoing bartender at Chesty’s with a smile that could make a girl forget her rules and a secret bigger than the town itself. Everyone thinks he’s just the guy pouring whiskey and fixing the jukebox. No one suspects he’s actually a wildly popular, very rich, and very anonymous author of steamy fantasy romance novels.

When the truth is revealed and it’s time for Sam to stop hiding behind his pen name, Whynot loses its collective mind. The church ladies are clutching their pearls, Floyd’s hosting a “Banned Books & Bourbon” club, and the mayor’s calling an emergency meeting about moral decay. And Penny? Penny is learning firsthand that Sam doesn’t just talk the talk where his books are concerned. Sam excels at walking the walk, if you know what I mean.

Now, Penny is torn between her two worlds. Does she go back to the career that provides a sense of fulfillment and purpose or stay in the small town with the man who writes about epic love stories and might just be her own real-life happily ever after?

A laugh-out-loud, heart-swoony friends-to-lovers romance about second chances, southern charm, and finding the courage to write your own story—one rumor at a time.

Ratings and reviews

I really enjoyed this beautiful, sweet, funny, and heartfelt story. Penny is back in her small hometown of Whynot, to help her aunt run her diner while recovering after an accident. Sam is a charming bartender in town with secrets he's afraid to share. He is excited to see Penny again, as he always had a crush on her throughout high school. They connect quickly, wanting to know who they are today, and even spilling all their secrets. This story is so entertaining, with so much sweet goodness!

Whiskey, words and whispers is a fabulous, heartwarming small town story. Its a refreshing, lighthearted read with some amazing but also interesting characters. Its truly wonderful being back in Whynot! The vibe and the way the townsfolk are, in knowing everything about everyone, but also being somewhat supportive and rallies when it counts for one of their own, solidifies why I loved this small town story so much! Plus don’t even get me started on the sizzling chemistry between Penny and Sam!

This was a very fun romance. Delightful small-town charm, a cast of scene stealing quirky secondary characters and totally lovable main characters got me quickly and firmly I my happy reading place. A lot of cuteness is accented beautifully with touches of poignancy that had me not only falling head over heels for this couple, this town and all the beguiling things it brought into the mix.