A single summer. Two rivals. An unexpected plot twist…
Nora Stephens is a true connoisseur of books—she has devoured them all. Yet, she doesn’t fit the mold of a typical protagonist. She’s not the spirited and daring type, nor the carefree and whimsical dreamer, and certainly not the archetype of a sweetheart. In fact, the only roles where Nora embodies heroism are when she secures massive deals as a ruthless literary agent for her clients and cares for her cherished younger sister, Libby.
It’s Libby who implores Nora to embark on a sisterly getaway to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, for the entire month of August. Libby envisions a transformation for Nora, urging her to become the leading lady in her own narrative. While Libby envisions idyllic picnics in meadows or chance encounters with a charming country doctor or a brawny bartender, Nora’s encounters take an unexpected turn as she repeatedly crosses paths with Charlie Lastra—a brooding and bookish editor from her urban life. Their meetings would seem like the stuff of romantic comedies, were it not for the fact that they have met numerous times before, and none of those meetings have ever been characterized as “cute.”
Nora acknowledges she’s no conventional heroine, just as Charlie recognizes he’s far from being anyone’s hero. Yet, their lives collide again and again, driven by an uncanny string of coincidences that even the most astute editor wouldn’t believe. Through these chance encounters, they unearth revelations that might just shatter the meticulously crafted narratives they’ve constructed around themselves.
