First published 2010
Seventeen-year-old Ronnie Miller arrives in Wilmington, North Carolina for a summer she never wanted. Three years have passed since her parents divorced and her father left New York City. She carries her anger like armor, especially toward the man who abandoned their family. Her father has transformed from concert pianist to quiet beach town resident, pouring himself into composing music for a local church. Ronnie expects nothing from this forced reunion. But the coastal setting becomes the backdrop for discoveries she never anticipated. She encounters first love while navigating the complex terrain of family wounds. Her father's patient presence and artistic dedication slowly chip away at her defenses. The summer unfolds as a story about the different faces of love: romantic, familial, and forgiving. Relationships that seemed broken beyond repair reveal their capacity for healing.
Genres: romance, young-adult, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: North Carolina, Wilmington
Period: Summer
390 pages · Paperback · Grand Central Publishing