Leah Sullivan suffered a bad childhood growing up in Lucky Harbor; complete with a domineering father she could never please. Her only escapes from her unhappiness were her grandmother's pastry shop, and with her best friend Jack Harper; the one person who always stood by her and wiped away her tears. There came a point to where even that wasn't enough; and Leah escaped Lucky Harbor, first to culinary school, and then for a shot at the grand prize on a cooking reality show. After the show finished filming, but before the last episodes were aired, Leah comes home; ostensibly to help her aging grandmother in her pastry shop for awhile. Leah is contractually forbidden to reveal anything about the show, so everyone in town is watching Sweet Wars week after week, certain that their Leah is going to win.

Jack Harper has stayed closer to his roots in Lucky Harbor. After a stint as a hotshot firefighter, a knee injury has forced him home to head up the local fire department. When Leah returns home, they resume their childhood friendship; and Leah watches Jack parade a line of relationships that end as quickly as they started. Jack's mother Dee is recovering from breast cancer, and is still weak and struggling to gain back her health. She reveals to Leah that her fondest wish is to see Jack in a successful relationship and happy; so Leah blurts out that she and Jack are seeing each other. This is not true, but when Dee's evident happiness over the romance is helping her recovery, they decide to let the lie ride for just a bit.

Unfortunately, being such a small town, the news of their romance has spread all over town, abetted by Lucille and her infamous Facebook page. Not only that, Jack's personal life has begun to suffer, as his lady friends dump him after finding out that he is taken. Jack decides that if he is going to have a relationship with Leah, it is going to be a real romance, not a pretend one. For her part, Leah is getting ready to run again, before the disastrous last episode of her reality show airs. As if relationship issues aren't enough, Jack is having problems with some suspicious building fires around town, fires which he suspects are arson.

ALWAYS ON MY MIND is another winning entry in the always excellent Lucky Harbor series. Jill Shalvis has brought in a very entertaining friends to lovers theme; but has added her own special twist to the trope. Watching Jack try to convince Leah that being with him and staying in Lucky Harbor is what she really wants to stay is a treat to watch unfold.

While not the best of the series stories, ALWAYS ON MY MIND is still quite entertaining; and a high quality romance which readers have come to expect from Shalvis.