First published 2018
Cara Rutledge stands on the familiar shores of Isle of Palms, surrounded by memories that cut deep. She has come back to her family's beach house in South Carolina, seeking refuge from a life that has fallen apart. Every corner of the house reminds her of what she has lost, yet she cannot bring herself to leave. Her niece Linnea arrives from Charleston, fresh out of college and desperate to escape the suffocating expectations of her historic family home. On the island, Linnea joins the turtle conservation team and learns to surf, finding freedom in the ocean's rhythms. She falls in love while rediscovering the passion for sea turtle protection that her great-grandmother Lovie instilled in her years ago. As three generations of Rutledge women gather for a summer that will change everything, they must confront the destructive patterns that have shaped their family for decades. Together, they search for the courage to forge new paths and create bonds strong enough to heal old wounds.
Genres: fiction, romance, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Isle of Palms, South Carolina
Period: present-day
389 pages · Hardcover · Gallery Books