First published 2015
Maris Carrington stands in seaside Stony Point, Connecticut, two weeks before her wedding to coastal architect Jason Barlow. Wedding guests fill the charming cottages along the shore. Old friends gather at their favorite beach hangout, spinning records on the jukebox and walking the worn boardwalk under stars. The salt air carries memories of Neil, a friend whose life ended too soon but whose spirit lingers in their circle. When Maris discovers Neil's forgotten journal, she opens the leather cover to find pages that reveal a devastating secret. The truth threatens to tear apart friendships that have weathered years together. A family reunion turns bitter. An accident brings an unexpected encounter. A marriage crumbles under a shocking confession. The peaceful Connecticut coastline becomes a storm of emotional chaos as the wedding day approaches. The close friends who once found comfort in this beach sanctuary now face truths that could destroy everything they built together. Yet friendship and love may still find a way to heal what seems broken.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, friendship, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Connecticut, Stony Point
Period: Contemporary
370 pages · Paperback
Content warnings: mental-illness