Life is hard when too many of your plans and dreams crash to the ground at the same time, but often, with time, new beginnings and new opportunities come that bring fresh and unexpected joy and even surprising resolutions and answers to old sorrows.

As Ella Quinn stood at the door of the Chestnut Street Bookstore in Boston looking at the tearful faces of the children, disappointed there would be no Saturday morning Story Time today with the bookstore closing, she choked up with tears herself. How could this be happening? The owner Adelynn Lake, like a mother to her, had died unexpectedly and the store Ella hoped might be hers one day was closing, nearly bankrupt, and all of it a shock and surprise to her. It didn't take much persuasion from her father for her to agree to head to the Smoky Mountains to Townsend to stay with her grandmother who'd broken her arm. Perhaps while there, Ella could figure out what to do with her life now that all her dreams lay shattered and broken.

Jesse Helton had graciously offered to drive from Townsend to the airport to pick up Hershel and Naomi Quinn's granddaughter. He loved the Quinn family and had worked at the old mill with Hershel since a boy. He was glad, too, that their granddaughter, Ella, could come to be a help to them with Naomi's arm broken. However, he hardly recognized Ella when she got off the plane, so different from the freckle-faced girl he remembered from childhood. His interest, that sparked up right away, he squelched down quickly. Hadn't he had enough disillusion with women already and enough family sorrows to last a lifetime? He would work hard to keep his distance while Ella visited. Besides, she wouldn't be here in the mountains for long.

PRAISE FOR LIN STEPP AND HER SMOKY MOUNTAIN NOVELS

"A heartfelt story full of hope, small town charm and belief in second chances." - Cleveland Daily Banner Review

"Stepp is a gifted storyteller who skillfully captures the mystical and enduring history and beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains and the faith, loyalty, and resilience of the people who call them home." - PJ, Romance Dish Review

"Rich in small town values, a sense of place, and the importance of family. If you're looking for a story that's truly heartwarming, this is it." - Peevish Pen Review

"Your books take me out of the fast-paced world I live in ... I come away with a feeling of life being refreshed." - Susan Reichert, Editor in Chief, Southern Writers Magazine