Knocked down by tragedy, Annie settles into the summer cottage where her family once vacationed. As she connects with those around her, making friends and even tempting a romance with a soft-spoken artist, Annie learns that helping others is the best way to heal. Big promotion for romance/women's fiction star Macomber.

Annie Marlow enjoys her life as a physician's assistant in L.A. Her weekends are filled with friends and the occasional visit with her family, and life is good. But one Thanksgiving, Annie loses everyone she holds dear in an unspeakable natural disaster. Broken and alone, she takes the advice of a friend and goes to visit one of the places where she was happy with her family: Oceanside beach in the Pacific Northwest and the little cottage by the sea that holds so many happy memories. The cottage is still there, and when she is offered a physician's assistant job at the local clinic she believes it's a sign she was meant to start over in Oceanside. Little does Annie realize that love was waiting for her to return, and that the lives of the people she soon calls family will embolden her to move beyond the hurt, toward love and a life full of possibility. VERDICT Macomber ("Cedar Cove" series; A Marriage of Inconvenience) never disappoints. Tears and laughter abound in this story of loss and healing that will wrap you up and pull you in; readers will finish it in one sitting. [See Prepub Alert, 1/22/18.]—Jane Blue, Andrews P.L., NC

Macomber's vivid standalone novel focuses on a tragedy that changes one woman's life. When Annie Marlow loses her parents, brother, sister-in-law, and niece in a mudslide in Washington State, the guilt and pain she feels is almost unbearable. After leaving her job as a physician assistant in L.A., Annie returns to Seattle to help settle her family's estate. Sixteen months later, Annie is still unable to move forward. Finally, she decides to move to Oceanside, the seaside town where she had vacationed with her family. Annie is hired by the town's clinic and meets Seth Keaton, a gentle giant of a man who is a talented artist. Seth convinces his friend Mellie to lease Annie her grandparents' cottage, fulfilling Annie's dream of returning. Annie becomes invested in Oceanside, helping the town's residents and embarking on a relationship with the kind, laconic Seth. When faced with the possibility of attending tuition-free medical school in Seattle, Annie must decide whether to leave Oceanside and Seth behind for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Macomber's story of tragedy and triumph is emotionally engaging from the outset and ends with a satisfying conclusion. Readers will be most taken by the characters, particularly Annie, a heartwarming lead who bolsters the novel. Agent: Theresa Park, Park Literary & Media. (July)