A charming, heartfelt tale of love lost and regained in a gated community in Savannah, Georgia.

After almost forty years in New Jersey, Catherine, Ralph, and their beloved Boston Terrier Karma are hitting the road, relocating to a gorgeous, serene island off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, where Catherine can work on her backhand and Ralph can hit the links. But upon their arrival in the Seven Oaks gated community, it becomes apparent that Catherine and Ralph’s visions of retirement couldn’t be more different. While Catherine is intrigued by their quirky neighbors, Ralph’s golf-and-poker routine seems to be interrupted only by his flirtations with their zealous real estate agent.

As the pair drift further apart, Catherine cannot help but sense her marriage is at risk. Then, she meets recent widower Fred at the dog park. United by their dogs, they embark upon a friendship that could be something more—until she discovers that he’s not quite what he seems. As she sorts out fact from fiction and discovers what sorts of secrets might be hiding behind Seven Oaks’ pristine picket fences, she’ll have to make a decision affecting her future happiness and her chance at newfound love.

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Christina Kelly is a graduate of Vassar College and she holds an MFA in Fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She has worked as a charter yacht chef, tennis professional, dog sitter and cruciverbalist. (She’s had nine crossword puzzles published in The New York Times). She has an appetite for spoonerisms and a working knowledge of string theory. When not writing, she likes to play the ad side and visit small towns in Maine. She lives with her husband and their rambunctious Boston terrier on an island near Savannah.