A lovely story, evocative and contemplative, about loss, betrayal and new love. Dr. Hayden Luschcombe is a gifted physician, dedicated to his work, and sensitive to his wife’s demands. In trying to comply with his job’s demands, he frequently fails his wife, and is torn apart. I could tell from the first moment that his life was in shambles and his wife was not an understanding woman, appreciative of such a talented husband. Bernadette was a self-involved woman, with a demanding job as an event planner, and she expected her husband, an emergency physician, to be available to assist to all her events. Never mind that there may be lives to save!

An act of betrayal completely upends his life and he flees to his childhood town in Walhalla, where he finds the cottage where he lived as a child to be in sad disrepair. He is still torn by the loss of his parents, he’s melancholic in a house full of memories, not all of them happy. Yet, Hayden wants to honor his parents, so he starts working on repairing and bringing the cottage to its glory days.

Isabelle Sampi is running away from a violent past, and is working hard to bring her grandparents’ bakery to life. She has a precious seven year old little girl, Genevieve, who is deaf and a happily adapted girl, loved by everyone in the little town. She used to bully Hayden when they were kids and she spent summers in town.

I think Hayden first fell in love with Genie because she was so full of life and personality. They made good friends and then Hayden fell for Isabelle. I liked this couple because Hayden is the soft one, a curious, inventive scholar who tackles all the chores he faces using his brilliant mind and investigative personality. His manner is mild, well-mannered, considerate and kind. I loved him. Isabelle is more assertive, yet she comes to depend on Hayden for support and help on renovating the bakery. Their path to love moves slowly, strongly supported by Genie until their past explodes into the scene and threatens to tear them apart.

The setting of this book happens in a little town in Walhalla, full of good people who help each other. Max and Annette, Hayden’s parents’ best friends, are a column of support for both Hayden and Isabelle and love Genie like a grandchild. The feeling of a little town with lots of townfolk greeting and helping each other is very comforting. When the worst happens, they gather forces and get into action to help, no holds barred. The book starts slow and picks up speed until the dramatic finale. A very entertaining read, comforting and sweet.