From the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Colors and Breakwater Bay comes this unforgettable story—reminiscent of Kristin Hannah’s beloved novels—of friends, loyalty, and love as three women who are reunited in the idyllic beach town where they grew up are forced to re-evaluate their bonds Fifteen years ago, seventeen-year-old Vanessa Moran fell in love and lost her virginity but not to the same boy. Pregnant, desperate, and humiliated, she fled friends and family and Whisper Beach, New Jersey, never breathing a word about her secret to anyone. She hasn’t been back since. Now a professional Manhattan organizer, she returns to the funeral of her best friend’s husband. She intends on just paying her respects and leaving—though she can’t deny she also wants the town to see how far she’s come as a successful business woman. But her plans to make this a short visit fall by the wayside when her girlfriends have other ideas. Dorie, the owner of the pier’s Blue Crab Restaurant where Van and her friends worked as teenagers, needs help. Dorie’s roving husband spends every penny they make and now their restaurant is failing. Joe, the boy Van left behind without an explanation, has never stopped loving her. While he’s wary of getting hurt again, he also can’t help wondering what would happen if they took up where they left off. As the summer progresses and the restaurant takes on a new look, trouble comes from unexpected sources. For Van, this summer will test the meaning of friendship and trust—and how far love can bend before it breaks.

The holidays always seem brighter at Whisper Beach Van Moran is ready for happily ever after, even if she’s not quite convinced she can get it. After finally opening a second branch of her company in Whisper Beach, she’s enjoying her new romance with Joe Enthorpe, the local vineyard owner. She may never have a traditional family, but she won’t let that stop her from having a joyful Christmas. Joe is ready to spend a very merry Christmas with Van and his always rambunctious family. But when the mother of a local boy becomes tragically ill, Joe invites him and his sisters to stay at the vineyard. Everything soon begins to unravel as Joe fears the complications will drive Van away and he’s desperate to keep their relationship from crumbling. But with every Christmas comes a miracle and soon, Van and Joe learn that it isn’t always about the family you make, but the one that lives in your heart.