Barging In

By: Emily Banting

Narrated by: Lulu Russell

Clem Wentworth, cake baker and marketing extraordinaire, moors her beloved orange narrowboat, Florence, outside her late Great Aunt Maud's house to keep an eye on its renovation for her parents. With a canal-side trading spot secured nearby to run her new business, Clem's Coffee & Cakes, she's looking forward to a fresh start free from the corporate rat race.

Victoria Hargreaves is less than impressed when a bright orange boat disrupts the picturesque view of the canal from her home. She's even less pleased to find that its owner has set up shop outside Otterford Wharf, the struggling heritage center she manages, complete with its own café. The boat isn't just ruining her view—its owner and her mouthwatering cakes could destroy her livelihood.

A disastrous first meeting leads to a very public, and very soggy altercation that neither of them can easily forget. Then, one evening, Clem witnesses something unsettling at Victoria's home and realizes she can't ignore it. When she tries to warn her new adversary, she's met with a frosty reception and further retaliation.

With trust running low and tensions rising, the last thing either of them needs is a spark of attraction—and yet, denying it might be harder than they think. As the wharf's future hangs in the balance, Victoria realizes that Clem might just be the person to help, but with her own challenges to consider, will she be willing?

Can the pair navigate their growing feelings and work together to achieve their goals, or will fear and uncertainty sink them both?

©2025 Emily Banting