The Californer - From Luxury Editorial To Lyrical Romance: Editor-in-chief Releases Novel

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A sun-drenched contemporary romance readers are calling "a perfect escape," "immersive," "laugh-out-loud funny," and "hard to put down."

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Californer -- Monica Lofstrom, Editor-in-Chief of EGW Luxury Magazine and the lyrical voice behind the poetry collections Untethered Light and The Breath Before Becoming, has released her debut contemporary romance novel, Cooper's Beach—an emotionally immersive summer story of longing, second chances, unforgettable characters, and the life-altering choice between the love that returned and the love that quietly remained.

In an age defined by constant connection, notifications, and digital interruption, Lofstrom offers something rare and deeply needed: stillness.

Set along the New York coast, Cooper's Beach transports readers into the heart of a beloved seaside inn filled with salt air, candlelit evenings, beach-town charm, lively kitchen gossip, and a loyal staff who feels more like family. At the center of the novel is Whitney, who has built something beautiful in Cooper's Beach Inn alongside Leo—handsome, steady, charming, and quietly devoted—the man who helped her turn a crumbling property into an extraordinary coastal refuge.

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But when Charles, Whitney's worldly and magnetic former love, arrives unexpectedly, the life she thought was settled begins to shift.

As summer heats the coast, Whitney is drawn into an impossible emotional crossroads: the man who stayed has her trust, but the man who returned still holds a piece of her heart. What unfolds is a sweeping romantic story of timing, memory, desire, and the choices that cannot be postponed forever.

Yet it is not only the central love triangle captivating readers. Lofstrom's rare ability to create place and community has emerged as one of the novel's most praised qualities. Readers describe feeling pulled directly inside the coastal town and the inn itself—as though they are walking its sunlit porches, overhearing its kitchen whispers, and sitting among its charmingly unpredictable guests. Alongside the emotional ache of Whitney's choice, readers are finding themselves laughing out loud at the supportive staff, the spirited inn gossip, and the delightfully dramatic guests who give Cooper's Beach its warmth, humor, and irresistible ensemble energy.

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"With Cooper's Beach, I wanted to create a world readers could step fully inside—a place that feels alive, where the setting matters, the people matter, and love is never reduced to a simple choice," says Lofstrom. "The novel holds romance, yes, but also friendship, loyalty, humor, longing, and the quiet truth that sometimes the life we have built must be seen clearly before we understand what our heart is asking of us."

"Sun-soaked, emotionally addictive, and impossible to put down."
— Charis Michelsen, Author

Book Details

Title: Cooper's Beach
Author: Monica Lofstrom
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women's Fiction
Publication Date: April 14, 2026
Formats: Paperback and eBook
Amazon (https://a.co/d/0iRPqiUT)
Universal eBook Link (https://books2read.com/u/31NJOl)
Website (https://www.monicalofstrom.com/)