This book has romance; funny moments; and sweet, small-town charm. It's structure is a chronological tapestry of quiet, day-in-the-life vignettes of Jane, an elementary school teacher who lives in Boyne City, Michigan. Jane goes through an on-and-off-again relationship with the handsome, charismatic Duncan, a woodworker who has an ex-wife he's still pretty close to and who has also slept with many women in the town. Jane's mother is eccentric to say the least, while Jane has a soft spot for Jimmy, the intellectually disabled son of an older woman in town.

While this book is getting raves on here, I, unfortunately, could not get into it. I've never read Heiny before, so maybe it's just a matter of author preference? I do enjoy "quiet" novels that celebrate the beauty and fun of ordinary life, but I couldn't connect with the characters in this one, particularly Jane. She seems to only show true emotion when she's feeling put-upon, upset, or frustrated...which is often. And yes, that can be true-to-life, but I think when it comes to creating a character for me as a reader to "root" for, I need someone who's a bit more hopeful. I also thought Duncan wasn't a compelling love interest. Yes, he's sweet, helpful, and handsome, but his strong feelings against marriage and true intimacy) felt lacking to me. Plus, we don't really get to "see" Jane fall for him or see how their relationship grows. And, I know she provides some humor, but Jane's mom grated on my last nerve.

Again, I think my lack of enjoyment might just be that even with ordinary novels set in small towns, I need more "oomph," from both the characters and situations. If you're looking for a soothing, easy-to-read, small-town character piece, this might be it. And, just an FYI, the "Duncan is a philanderer" plot point touted in the description is not as prevalent as it's made out to be, so if romances with a hero with a wandering eye annoy you, don't worry about that here.