First published 2013
Kristin Stevens finds herself starting over after losing her administrative position at a California university. She and her husband Cal move to Massachusetts, where she takes a job at a smaller college outside Boston. The campus politics prove complicated and intense. Cal stays home renovating their house, pursuing music as a hobby while Kristin works. Both in their early fifties, they drift into separate lives. Their neighbor Matt Drinnan faces his own troubles as his ex-wife begins dating someone else in their hometown. Matt blames himself for the failed marriage. Kristin and Matt both feel isolated in their new circumstances. They begin spending time together, initially seeking friendship and understanding. Their connection deepens beyond what either intended. The story examines how people reach for each other when loneliness takes hold.
Genres: domestic-fiction, contemporary, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, second-chance
Setting: Boston, California, Massachusetts
Period: 21st-century
288 pages · Hardcover · Knopf