Common Sense, by Leslie Ann Brown, 15th September 2025

Widowed far too young, Carmen Wilkinson does appreciate her quiet life on the human colony world of Shangri-La. Her sons are thriving, and her job is satisfying. The only thing missing is some male companionship, but pickings are slim in tiny Oceanview. Then Fate drops a very handsome, very broken, man in her lap. The kalen security specialist guards her brother in his role as human envoy to the planet Ardus, has even saved his life. Supervising his recovery from a serious car accident on her home planet is the least she can do.
Valdir Guyanne’s career is protecting others. He had high hopes for opening a new branch of Guyanne Securities on Shangri-La, but now he’s immobilized and vulnerable on a planet with more anti-kalen sentiment than he expected. Then, out of nowhere, this small woman comes to his rescue and takes him into her home. He’s never met a woman like her, with her red hair and highly alluring yoga. But she is the sister of his biggest client and therefore out of bounds.
When Carmen takes Guyanne to Oceanview for the remainder of his recovery, the whispers of neighbors, the close quarters, the intimate care . . . and the yoga bring the tension between two lonely people from a simmer to a boil. But their wild chemistry isn’t the only source of tension as Guyanne, Carmen and her children are unexpectedly forced to flee to Ardus. Now it’s Carmen who is immersed in an alien society. Can their budding relationship survive? Can Guyanne deal with the shadows from the past that threaten not only all those he cares about but also the Kalen Empire itself?
Common Sense is the second book in the Commons Trilogy which begins with Common Ground.

Cover Artist: Mistvale Media