Dean is a (long-distance) friend of mine, so admittedly I am a BIT biased here. But the reason I was drawn to him in the first place was that I loved his writing (when I read his first novel, The Hambledown Dream), and subsequently learned he was an awesome person as well, so if that's bias, I'm proud to have it.

As Dean likes to do, in another characteristic I like about him, he has switched genre yet again for this book; it's pretty much a contemporary romance, which none of his others have quite been so far. But he brings his unique fearlessness to it, giving our characters nasty and upsetting experiences from which they arrive damaged, ready for the tranquil setting of Walhalla, Australia, to heal them. 

Dean also, of course, excels at bringing alive an Australian setting. (That's one thing all his books have in common.) This setting was especially lovely, with lush, cool, forested mountains you might not associate with the desert-covered southern continent. And the small-town feel, along with the family dramas and budding romance, sometimes gave me a delightful Gilmore Girls feel. (Dean also likes Gilmore Girls. Another point in his favor.) 

In past books he's brought us paranormal romance, gritty interracial family saga, and medical thriller, and now he brings us a beach read of a contemporary romance that serves as a lovely virtual vacation. Enjoy!