I don’t know if I could love a book more than this one. I really didn’t want it to end. I love Kristy’s writing - the way she chooses phrases that make me smile and are just plain clever. I love how her books have multiple generations and are always full of love. 

This one follows Keaton back to her grandparent’s house to clean it up for sale after she and her influencer boss part ways. Once she gets to Beaufort, NC, she finds the house just as it was the day their car was found in a lake and the grandparents missing. 

She quickly runs into a precocious boy, who happens to live next door with his (single) father. As she begins to go through her grandparent’s things, she finds journals and entertaining tips that help her piece more of their story to her. Through alternating chapters with these tips and her grandmother Becks’ words, we get to learn their story, too.

She also meets her grandmother’s closest friends, The Dockhouse Dames, that worked together to raise money for the historical society with a house tour. They would like her house to be on the tour as a representation of the 70s when the tour started. 

So much to love in this perfect summer read. A mystery, family / generational difficulties and secrets, and a little romance.

Kristy’s release party with Friends and Fiction is so much fun and worth watching. She talks about how she came up with character names, the tips from Becks, the idea behind the book and so much more! https://www.youtube.com/live/kmt5LjWgorc?si=McB5ytk14RFGUxY1

"Where the sky meets the sea" p106

"I could not possibly have had a happier life." P160

“My relationship with Allison is a lot like my relationship with my mother. I take care of her. I do her dirty work. Maybe it's dysfunctional, but this is what makes us work. This is a role I know how to play.” P174

“…maybe I coula stay here, that maybe I could make a new life, a happier life.” P193