Independent Publishers Book Awards, Gold Medal - US Northeast: Best Regional Fiction In this sparkling, heartwarming debut set at an iconic Vermont spa, massage therapist Joan Johnston struggles with grief. Can a quirky assignment from a demanding, eccentric author help Joan rewrite her life? Massage therapist Joan Johnston can't seem to get her life back on track. She's wallowing in grief over the accidental death of her boyfriend, Samuel, and her attitude is now seriously jeopardizing her job at Apex Inn & Spa, a Vermont institution, as well as her friendships. Then a new client, Carmen Bronze--famous for her bestselling romance novels as well as her crazy demands and flaming temper--offers Joan the chance to pay down her massage school debt and get back in her boss' good graces at work. All Joan needs to do is funnel Carmen insider dirt for her next book, which is set at a spa. Joan's not sure, but she's out of better options and takes the deal. As the task unexpectedly reawakens a dormant talent in Joan, she's irresistibly drawn to writing her own romance novel--one based on her relationship with Samuel that stretches into the bright future they didn't get to share. Writing seems to be the therapy Joan so desperately needs, and her heart begins to open to unlikely friendships, workplace injustice, and even a new romance. But it's not that easy, especially with the intensity of Carmen breathing down her neck. When Carmen discovers what Joan has been up to, she snatches Joan's hand-written manuscript and claims it as her own, leading Joan's new motley crew of friends to hatch an audacious (and hilarious) plan to get it back. A heartfelt look at taking second chances in life and in love, Tady's uplifting debut will have readers rooting for Joan on every page--as well as laughing out loud at her one-of-a-kind wit.
