Grace has been (silently) in love with Billy for years but finally put herself first and cut him out of her life when he moved away with her best friend. This is such a hard but relatable situation. Grace had such little self-confidence and having him not see her as anything more than a friend did nothing for her state of mind. But getting away and making a life without him helped her discover more about who she is and her worth. Having him back again threatens that … but its difficult to turn him away.

Billy had no clue about Grace’s feelings and was hurt when she stopped talking to him. He’s back now, a little girl he didn’t know he had in tow, and seeing Grace again seems like a godsend. His own troubles are pretty overwhelming – making a connection with Poppy and trying to figure out how to raise a super-smart daughter while continuing to hide a lifelong secret – so having her around again brings him hope.

Johns does a great job of taking two people with their own insecurities and putting them in a situation where they have no choice but to face them. These are real, every day issues and they are handled with a good deal of care. Both Grace and Billy have a lot of discovery to do and have to really talk with those that mean something to them. There’s no way that they can successfully move forward without addressing their problems first.

**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**