First published 2009
Coco Barrington walks dogs in the artsy beach town of Bolinas, having dropped out of law school and fled her legendary Hollywood family. Her mother Florence writes bestselling novels under the pen name Florence Flowers. Her sister Jane produces major films and lives with her partner Liz in Los Angeles. When Jane asks Coco to house-sit and care for her dogs, Coco reluctantly agrees. She arrives to find Leslie Baxter, a British actor hiding from an unstable ex-girlfriend, already staying there. Leslie is a single father to a six-year-old daughter. Despite their different worlds, Coco and Leslie feel an instant connection. Meanwhile, Florence begins a secret relationship with a man twenty-four years younger, and Jane and Liz decide to become parents. As Coco falls for one of Hollywood's biggest stars, she watches her family members navigate their own romantic challenges and discovers that love creates families in unexpected ways.
Genres: fiction, romance, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, opposites-attract
Setting: Bolinas, Los Angeles
Period: Contemporary
416 pages · Paperback · Random House Large Print