NEW USES FOR OLD BOYFRIENDS

After her glamorous life falls apart, Lila Alders is left with nothing; she returns home to Black Dog Bay to re-evaluate only to find her mother in crisis and her childhood home in jeopardy.

When Lila comes limping back to Black Dog Bay after her marriage and her career disintegrate, she looks forward to sanctuary and comfort. Instead she finds a financial crisis and her mother in denial. Exhausted and emotionally depleted, Lila rallies after she discovers her mother’s treasure trove of vintage clothing from her young modeling days. Deciding to open a vintage clothing boutique, Lila reconnects with her high school boyfriend—now a prominent Black Dog Bay real estate owner and developer—and arranges to rent a space, then sets her mind to convincing her mother to part with her fashion collection. Both she and her hometown have changed. Her friends have moved on, she and her ex-boyfriend are more like friends than lovers (despite their best efforts), and Black Dog Bay has much more to offer her than it ever did in high school, including a whole set of interesting new friends and an intriguing new relationship with a man she doesn’t quite remember from her youth. Enigmatic Malcolm has a mysterious military past, a high–security-clearance career and a wicked way with a sewing machine—nothing she ever thought to look for in a man yet somehow perfect for her in the here and now. Kendrick follows Cure For the Common Break-up (2014) with another enchanting, heartwarming Black Dog Bay–set story of reinvention and romance. Fans will be happy to see Summer, Ingrid, Dutch and other characters integrated into this story, and the return to the lightly magical town feels like a welcome vacation to a favorite resort. Kendrick has a light, breezy writing style that manages to take readers on unexpectedly poignant journeys with some startling twists and turns on the road.

An astute and charming look at friendship, love and self-discovery.