by Dana Perino
First published 2026
Dorothy "Dot" Clark feels trapped in her New York PR career and dating life at twenty-five. When she gets assigned to Cedar Falls, Wisconsin, a crucial swing district that could determine the presidential election, she brings her best friends Mary and Harper along for the escape. The picturesque town along Cedar Creek offers cozy cafes, local breweries, and the beloved Reader Falls Bookshop, where Dot meets Danny Dawson. This big-hearted truck driver cares more about hockey than headlines and represents everything different from her usual dating pool. Mary and Harper also discover that Midwestern men surpass the finance bros and wannabe influencers they left behind in New York. But as the campaign intensifies, Dot struggles to balance her professional obligations with her growing feelings for Danny. She faces an impossible question: how can she pursue love with someone from the opposite political side when she's returning to New York after the election? The story explores whether genuine connection can bridge political divides and if love is worth choosing above career ambitions.
Genres: fiction, romance, contemporary-romance
Vibes: cozy, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: New York, Cedar Falls, Wisconsin, Cedar Creek, Reader Falls Bookshop
Period: 21st-century
384 pages · Hardcover · Harper