Adele has finally come to claim the house her mother left
her in a small, rural Pennsylvania town. Her mom, Marge,
named the cottage Grumble Knot and it's sort-of how Adele
feels about her ignominious retreat from New York City to
what she's thinking feels like the middle of nowhere.
Little does she know this return "home" is going to be the
first step into a the next chapter of her life. Her
neighbors, Beatrice and Al, lend unexpected support and
encouragement as Adele attempts to settle back in, but even
better is the assistance they provide by asking handyman
Jay to swing by Grumble Knot and offer his help. He does
help with the cottage, with Adele's sense of self, and with
creating a different future for them both. But Adele has to
believe and she has to agree. Will she?
It's easy to care for these characters and to hope they
each find what they need from their tight-knit community.
Adele's long-term anger at her mother and Jay's uncertain
childhood are believable stumbling blocks and the ending is
just dramatic enough to satisfy.
Adele Matin couldn't wait to put her lonely childhood and
hometown behind her. Amid the bright lights and hustle and
bustle of New York, she built a life for herself--until one
terrible mistake brought it crashing down. Now Adele is
running again, this time to a cottage she inherited from her
mother in rural Pennsylvania. And she's about to realize
that a small town has more to offer than she ever dreamed.
An artist and woodworker, Jay Westvelt knows
a thing or two about living in the country. Adele is
intrigued by her mysterious and sexy green-eyed neighbor, a
man who took care of her house and soon cares deeply for
her. But even as Adele's heart begins to soften toward him,
secrets from her mother's past threaten to send her fleeing
back to the city. Can Jay convince her to stay with
him?
Only if she can learn an important
truth: that happiness begins with SIMPLE WISHES.