First published 2025
Beth lives quietly with her husband Frank in their village, their marriage built on keeping certain truths buried. When Frank's brother kills a dog attacking their sheep, Beth discovers the animal belonged to Gabriel Wolfe, the man who shattered her heart years before. Gabriel has come back with his young son Leo, a boy who stirs painful memories of Beth's own child, lost in an accident. As Beth gets drawn back into Gabriel's world, old jealousies and secrets begin surfacing throughout the village. The tension builds toward violence, forcing Beth to choose between her current life and the woman she used to be. The story moves between past and present, revealing how first love can echo through decades and reshape everything it touches.
Genres: literary-fiction, mystery, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Village
Period: Past, Present
319 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster