by Susan Wilson
First published 2018
Skye Mitchell has invested everything into the LakeView Hotel, a faded property in the Berkshire Hills where she hopes to build a new life with her fourteen-year-old daughter Cody. The inn proves harder to manage than expected, and Cody grows increasingly distant while hiding a devastating secret. When Adam March arrives with his pit bull Chance, seeking refuge from his own grief, he becomes a regular guest. Adam and Skye develop a cautious friendship built on shared understanding of teenage troubles and personal loss. Their fragile bond deepens when Cody finds Mingo, a homeless teenager who has overdosed. Adam takes in Mingo's pit bull while the boy recovers. As these four damaged people navigate their pain and secrets, the two dogs become catalysts for healing. Gradually, an unconventional family takes shape, held together by growing trust and the quiet wisdom of their canine companions.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Berkshire Hills, LakeView Hotel
352 pages · Paperback · St. Martin's Griffin
Content warnings: addiction, mental-illness