Austin, Texas. 1991. An enigmatic stripper captivates a self-assured 6th Street bartender. Could their covert friendship embolden her to break free from the confines of a self-help community?

Jewels still hasn't learned to trust herself. Grateful that her spiritual leader has temporarily healed her debilitating panic attacks, the anxious 25-year-old doesn’t question the man when he encourages her to take a job at a local strip club. But when she starts putting his behaviors together, she becomes suspicious of his motives.

James is determined to step out of his father's shadow. Though he’s focused on opening his own bar, he can’t shake the gorgeous but unavailable Jewels from his mind. And while he’s willing to be drawn into a world of this hard-to-get beauty, he begins to wonder what she's involved in when he overhears someone suggest her therapy group may be something more sinister.

Confused when her flirtatious forbidden suitor walks away without a word, Jewels reexamines the world outside her group. And as their paths cross, James refuses to allow his own mad crush to get in the way of the friendship she shyly requests.

Can they both defeat self-doubt and unending obstacles to find their happy ending?

The Jewels of January is an edgy work of women’s romantic fiction. If you like witty and funny heroines, sprinkles of intrigue, and introspection on real-life issues, then you’ll adore Julia Heart’s upbeat look back at a crazy time in her early 20s.