The One Who Ghosted Me (Fontaine 1) by Erica Devon-review & interview

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 15, 2026

She never knew the reason he disappeared. He regrets ever letting her go. When a lost love becomes a fake boyfriend, will sparks reignite?

Rainmere, Washington. In this close-knit Pacific Northwest town, Amelia Preston refuses to give up control. With people counting on her at home, the romantically gun-shy young widow stays focused on turning her contract job into a full-time career. But her opportunity to land a position with benefits comes under threat when she learns the new project lead is the guy who swept her off her feet five years ago… and then vanished.

Jonathan Fontaine longs to make things right. Still shouldering a mountain of guilt over the woman he let slip away, the outdoorsy geologist hopes the next three months of working side-by-side will end in forgiveness. So when she needs help avoiding her friends’ unwanted matchmaking, he steps out of his carefully constructed personal life and offers himself up as a fake boyfriend.

Insisting on strict boundaries to avoid getting burned again, a nervous Amelia softens her rules in the face of their undeniable chemistry. But though Jonathan might be hearing wedding bells, he doesn’t know how to break free from family duty and embrace his own happiness.

Is this an all-too-common repeat heartbreak, or a rare second chance at true love?

••••••

REVIEW:THE ONE WHO GHOSTED ME is the first instalment in Erica Devon’s contemporary, adult FONTAINE romance series. This is geologist Jonathan Fontaine, and designer Amelia Preston’s story line.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspective (Amelia and Jonathan) using present day, text messages and journal entries from the past THE ONE WHO GHOSTED ME focuses on the second chance relationship between Jonathan Fontaine and Amelia Preston. Approximately five years earlier, Jonathan and Amelia were college sweethearts but Jonathan ghosted our heroine without a goodbye. Fast forward to present day, geologist Jonathan has been assigned temporarily to the Seattle office, where he will come face to face with the woman whose heart he destroyed. Working side by side, Jonathan begins a slow seduction of the woman he loves but Jonathan’s past refuses to backdown, and our couple, will once again, face the possibility of years apart.

The world building is slow and methodical; detailed and complex as we are pulled into the world of business mergers and vengeance. Jonathan finds himself at a crossroads regarding his career or a life with Amelia, while Amelia can’t get past another perceived betrayal from everyone involved.

The relationship between Amelia and Jonathan is one of second chances but one still predicated upon personal secrets and perceived betrayal. As Jonathan and Amelia work together both personally and professionally, someone else is determined to pull them down. The $ex scenes are limited and mostly implied.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to Amelia’s friends Melanie, and Audra, as well as Amelia’s mother Rachel; Jonathan’s best friend, contractor Drew Slater, Jonathan’s brother Brandon and estranged sister Jessica, and their mother Charlotte; co-workers Gavin and Patricia; and Jonathan’s ex Paige Whitlow.

THE ONE WHO GHOSTED ME is a story of power and control, secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, family and friendships, forgiveness and love. The slow building premise is detailed, dramatic and edgy; the rekindling romance is seductive; the characters are determined and desperate.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

TRC:  Hi Erica and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release THE ONE WHO GHOSTED ME.

We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow: Facebook/ Goodreads/ Website/ The Reading Cafe/

Erica: I spent 20 years as a geologist and computer scientist in the energy industry before becoming a romance author—what a career pivot! I’ve always wanted to write fiction, and I thought it would be a great hobby. Then I decided to turn my hobby into a second career, which is both exciting and sometimes a little scary.

When I’m not totally engrossed in writing, you’ll find me hiking Colorado mountain trails or binge-watching K-dramas, which taught me how to balance emotional depth with humor and hope—something my scientific training definitely didn’t cover.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Erica:  I first fell in love with reading in grade school. I’d read anything I could get my hands on, but I particularly enjoyed adventure books. My love of romance stories started when I raided my mother’s bookshelf as a teenager and discovered sweeping multi-generational romance sagas. Those epic stories hooked me for life.

After 20 years in the science and world, shifting gears to write fiction was a huge adjustment. I spent several years working on the craft of “story” and “building characters and worlds”. During that time I attended workshops and classes for writers, read books on craft, and attended writing conferences to learn as much as I could. Those teachers provided me with the romance writing foundation I needed.

And over the last few years, I’ve been watching numerous Korean Dramas, mostly romance and fantasy ones. The journey began because I love a good romance show, but it turns out that K-dramas are a super interesting study in storytelling. This is because the structure of the shows is so tight—nothing extra, no fluff, and packed with emotion and story depth. These shows helped me learn even more about pacing, timing of romance beats, and ways to appeal to reader trope and emotional expectations.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing this story?

Erica:  Honestly, the biggest challenge I had was carving out enough time to write, especially when I first sat down to begin this book. Day to day life and family health issues took a lot of my time and needed my attention. When those things lessened, I found the time to devote to my writing and finish the book.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of THE ONE WHO GHOSTED ME?

Erica:  At its heart, this is a story about what happens when the person who broke your heart walks back into your life and you have to work with him.

Amelia Preston is a geologist trying to secure a permanent position with a timber company in Washington State. She’s worked so hard to get where she is, supporting her mom and building a life after losing her husband. Then her company merges with another firm, and suddenly she’s paired on a project with Jonathan Fontaine—the guy who ghosted her five years ago after what she thought was an amazing relationship. No explanation, no closure, just… gone.

Now they’re stuck together evaluating properties and doing fieldwork, and all those old feelings—anger, hurt, confusion, and yeah, that chemistry—come flooding back. Jonathan wants a chance to explain what really happened, but Amelia’s not sure she can trust him again. And honestly? She’s not sure she can trust herself not to fall for him all over again.

There’s also this subplot I loved writing. Amelia’s renovating a beautiful old estate, and she discovers journals from a pioneer woman who came to the Seattle area in the 1850s. The woman’s experiences with love and loss end up offering Amelia unexpected wisdom as she navigates her own second chance.

Ultimately, it’s about forgiveness. Forgiving others, forgiving yourself, and believing that love can find you again even after you’ve been hurt.

TRC:  What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning THE ONE WHO GHOSTED ME?

Erica:  I spent about three months plotting and researching before I started writing THE ONE WHO GHOSTED ME. I really enjoy plotting and researching, so I don’t scrimp on that part of the process. And for this book, there’s the historical story of Rebecca and Thomas Jewel, told through old journal entries. While their story is fictional, I needed enough historical facts from pioneer life in the mid 1800’s to make it feel believable. I ended up doing a fair amount of research while I was writing the story to flesh out and refine those details.

I also had to research different types of corporate mergers, and why some merger agreements might fail. It was an enlightening bit of reading for me.

For the setting research, I visited the Lake Sammammish area in Washington, located just east of Seattle. This area was the inspiration for the fictional town of Rainmere and Cedarvale Lake in THE ONE WHO GHOSTED ME. Spending a few days immersed in hiking the cool trails through towering pine forests, driving through the local towns, and observing the flora and fauna at the lake was an invaluable experience for crafting the book’s setting.

TRC: How do you keep the plot unpredictable without sacrificing believability or content?

Erica:  I think readers are looking for a blend of “familiar but fresh”, which means familiar plot and scene tropes, familiar character tropes, but with fresh nuances, fresh twists, and fresh character trait mixes. If there are basic components to the plot that are recognizable to the reader (romance beats, the happily ever after ending, familiar tropes, etc.) then encountering fresh twists becomes a pleasant surprise for them.

When I’m in the planning/outlining stages for a story, I pick the “familiar” parts first to ground a story to meet reader expectations, and then I start to weave in ideas that might make the plot or characters feel different and fresh to my plot outline and character profiles.

I also try to make the setting feel like another character, which helps make the story feel different, even though the setting isn’t specifically a part of the plot.

TRC: THE ONE WHO GHOSTED ME is the first installment in the Fontaine series, how many books do you have planned ? Can each book be read as a stand alone?

Erica:My current plan is for 4 books in the series. Each book can definitely be read and enjoyed as a stand alone, though there are deep interconnections between the characters and the overarching storyline that readers would gain more satisfaction from reading them sequentially.

There are a few hints of mystique, very subtle notes of fantasy elements in The One Who Ghosted Me. Those hints are low-key enough that a typical contemporary romance reader might not think too much about them. But those are seeds that will germinate, grow stronger, and escalate with each book, as we move through the series. Stay tuned!

TRC: Believability is an important factor in writing story lines especially stories of mystery and suspense. How do you keep the story line believable? Where do you think some author’s fail?

Erica:  This is great question! A reader’s “willing suspension of disbelief” only goes so far, and each reader has their own calibration as to what they will believe, as well as their own set of experiences that they draw on for reference.

I’ve found that when my editors or beta readers flag an element in my story as not being believable—maybe it’s a character’s action, or something a character says, or some external event—it usually means that I haven’t effectively set the stage in the pages prior. In other words, needing more hints or breadcrumbs dropped earlier in the story to make the element believable. I don’t know if this is the most common way that authors fail to maintain believability, but this is what happens for me.

So then I go back and lay the breadcrumbs and fill in the gaps to make the element more believable. It’s a very fine line, because a writer doesn’t want to give away too much in foreshadowing, either!

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Erica: Yes, absolutely. The cover image is the first impression a reader gets of a book. It’s equivalent to the thumbnail photo for a streaming movie or tv show. The image needs to scream the genre and it will set the tone for what the readers expect to find inside. If a reader looks at a cover and thinks “not for me” or “not my genre”, they will immediately move on to something else and won’t bother clicking to read the description. Game over, lol.

TRC:  When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Erica:  For me, I mostly direct the writing. I go into story-planning having a plot in mind and some character traits I want to work with, though I find that as the plot evolves in my head I often have to add more character traits or modify the traits in order to round out my characters. Then as I write the story, those characters mostly act the way I expect them to, but sometimes not! In those instances, I try not to be too much of a slave to my initial outline and character profiles.

The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

There are a lot of things that feed into how well an author pulls a reader into the experience. I believe it starts with giving the reader reasons to care about the characters, giving the reader an immediate connection. There are many ways to show things happening in the protagonist’s life to create this connection. For example, I once heard a lecture about “losing the golden monkey”.

Unfortunately, I don’t recall the exact workshop class where I first heard this concept, but the example goes something like this … in the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Arc, archaeologist Indiana Jones risks his retrieve a golden idol from a booby-trapped cave. Exhausted and triumphant, he emerges from the cave only to have the idol stolen from him by competitors. The whole scene is very memorable, and we (the viewers) immediately feel empathy and a connection to him losing his hard earned prize!

There are plenty of techniques to keep a reader engaged throughout the story (chapter ending hooks, deep POV, etc), but if a reader doesn’t care about a character after the first few chapters, they will move on to the next book.

TRC:  Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Erica:  I can’t listen to music with words and write at the same time. If I try, I get distracted by the words. Apparently my brain only has 1 channel for processing language—2 streams are not compatible! I have found that listening to instrumentals helps deepen my focus, so I do often listen to soothing ambient audio tracks. It doesn’t affect my storyline direction or characters, but it improves the number of words I write per day and makes it a more enjoyable experience for me.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Erica:  I don’t know how most people view authors, but for me I had this vision of the tortured author who writes as a means of reconciling their deep emotions … getting it all out on the page. And some authors are. But I think a lot of us just like to tell stories and like to create worlds for others to enjoy. I write because I love creating moments that make readers smile, swoon, and believe in happy endings.

TRC: What is something that few, if anyone, know about you?

Erica: I’m a compulsive plotter. Before I write a single scene, I have color-coded spreadsheets, character relationship maps, and detailed chapter breakdowns. My writing friends ask for my templates—it’s how my scientist brain approaches creativity.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Erica:  I’m now working on the next book in the Fontaine Series. Book 2 is about Melanie and Brandon—a by-the-book corporate lawyer and a go-with-the-flow nonprofit CEO—who get drafted to help solve a wedding venue emergency with only three weeks’ notice. They could not be more different in how they approach problems, which makes for some entertaining clashes as they visit potential venues across Washington. But underneath all that friction, they’re starting to see past their preconceptions. It’s enemies-to-lovers, and I’m having a lot of fun writing their dynamic and making the venue settings come to life.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Erica: Thank you so much for having me! If readers enjoyed THE ONE WHO GHOSTED ME, I’d love for them to connect with me on my website (www.ericadevon.net) where they can sign up for my newsletter and get bonus content. And if they loved Amelia and Jonathan’s story, leaving a review really helps other readers discover the book. Happy reading!

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Breakfast in general, but especially waffles and bacon

Favorite Dessert: Blondies (with nuts)

Favorite TV Show: So many to choose from!

Favorite Historical/Action Drama = Outlander

Favorite Romance/Fantasy K-Drama = Destined with You

Favorite Comedy Series = Big Bang Theory

Favorite Sport:Not really a sports fan

Last Movie You Saw: Wicked: For Good

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Dark!

Secret Celebrity Crush: Kim Ro-Woon (“Destined with You” and “The King’s Affection”)

Last Vacation Destination: Bryce National Park in Utah

Do you have any pets?: I have a terrific cat named Cleo.

Last book you read: The Book of Two Ways, by Jodi Picoult

Thank you Erica for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of THE ONE WHO GHOSTED ME We wish you all the best.