Janice Marckmann

In this novel, a young woman searching for serenity and an escape from a stressful work environment relocates to a cottage in Iowa, where she starts a new chapter in life.

Melissa Blakesly is a young woman living in Chicago who holds a demanding job as a marketing project manager. Tiring of the hectic lifestyle and an unfulfilling relationship, she decides to take time to regroup and heal. She heads to the cottage she has inherited from her grandmother, in the quiet town of Sovereign, Iowa.

When a violent lightning storm swirls around Melissa and plunges her into darkness, she is not afraiduntil she hears the front door rattling. When it is forced open, it takes all her courage to stand her ground. She soon finds out that she needs more than self-reliance. After the storm passes, however, Melissa discovers that the people of Sovereign are willing to nurture her and help her find the peace she has been seekingand a love she could never have imagined.