A heart-wrenching story of love and loss set in the mountains of rural Vermont.

Flashing blue lights and a pink sandal in the middle of a rural Vermont road mark the end of a dream for Mina Mason. The tragic accident halts her elopement to Sam Miller and takes her family—all except her peculiar mother. Left as the sole caregiver to her aging parent amid piles of hoarded possessions with no respite in sight, Mina breaks her engagement to Sam. He deserves the normal life he’ll never find with her.

Half a world away, Sam’s life as a military sniper turns out to be anything but normal. The ruthless chaos of war leaves him drowning in a haze of booze and blood. Nights are a blur. Days, he does his job, mission after mission. Until the day he squeezes the trigger and not only destroys his target, but any hope for inner peace as well. Haunted and adrift, Sam returns just as the world Mina’s dedicated herself to crumbles.

He offers strength; she offers healing, but Mina and Sam must learn to trust each other with their secrets or lose their second chance at a life together.

Praise for C.L. Howland

"Howland's debut novel is a coming of age story that keeps readers hungering for the next page, the next chapter, indeed, the next book." — Marisa Miller

"Clear depictions of Vermont rural life: tough upbringing in beautiful natural surroundings. Highly recommended!" — Charlotte R. Williams