Introduction

Welcome back to Three Sisters Island, where family, forgiveness, and a second chance at love await

For Madison Grayson, life is good. Newly licensed as a marriage and family therapist, she can't wait to start her practice. Despite the unfortunate shortage of eligible bachelors on the island--they're all too young, too old, or too weird--Maddie feels like she's finally found her sweet spot. Not even one panic attack in the last year. Not one.

And then Ricky O'Shea drops in. Literally. Floating down from the pure blue sky, the one man in the world she hoped never to see again--the one who'd been her archnemesis from kindergarten through her senior dance--parachutes into town, landing on Boon Dock, canopy draping behind him like a superhero. Ricky O'Shea. Now Pastor Rick, the new minister on Three Sisters Island.

Time to panic.

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Excerpt

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Discussion Questions

1. This novel has many sub themes, but one major one: to
face your deepest fears. Pastor Rick said, “I think everyone
has a Jonah moment. Everyone.” He meant that we all
have an imagined worst-case scenario, something that
could take us down. Something we don’t think we could
ever recover from. Do you agree or disagree with Rick’s
remark? And why or why not?

2. Over the last year, Maddie did a lot of work to curb her
anxiety (she preferred to call it hypervigilance). She developed
techniques to control panic attacks so they could be
nipped in the bud: breathing, prayer, and meditation. And
they all helped with the symptoms . . . but not the source.
What was at the core of Maddie’s anxiety?

3. It’s not hard to see why women were drawn to Rick
O’Shea. His George Clooney-ish looks, his dynamic personality,
strong and fearless. As Maddie noted, he was un-
apologetically masculine. But, aside from the fact that she
was the one girl he could never impress, why do you think
Rick was smitten with Maddie?

4. Rick told Maddie, “A boy can get his heart broken too.”
Doesn’t it seem as if girls and their emotions claim all the
attention? It’s easy to minimize boys’ feelings. How would
this story have changed if Maddie had realized she had
broken Rick’s heart?

5. Blaine is a frustrating character. So talented, so full of potential.
She gets this close to a finish line, then drops out
of the race. Why? What do you think she’s looking for?
And why isn’t she finding it? What does her missing palate
represent? If you were in Blaine’s shoes, what might “go
missing” for you?

6. Name a few pivotal moments in the book when Blaine
calls out, though no one listens to her. Why do you think
Blaine sees her family’s situations in a different light? And
why do you think her family ignored her advice?

7. Cam’s motto: If something is worth doing, it’s worth
overdoing. Her energy project for the island would provide
multiple benefits for everyone on the island. It’s easy to
see how it became a priority to her. A passion. But at what
cost?

8. Cooper is a funny, complicated, endearing little boy. Cam,
as his adoptive mother, seems like a total mismatch to
him. While Cooper and Cam might be extreme characters,
the mismatch of personalities in a family is not such an
unusual situation. Cam felt defeated by their differences.
But how was Cooper so good for her? And she for him?

9. Paul Grayson turned sixty. Normally decisive, he suddenly
couldn’t make a decision. He lost his enthusiasm
for Camp Kicking Moose. What were some of the reasons
behind Paul’s sagging season? What advice would you give
him?

10. Say only what is necessary. That was the advice Paul’s
speech therapist gave him to avoid undue strain on his
damaged vocal cords. What kind of wisdom did Paul, as a
father to three daughters, discover in that advice?

11. Rick asked Maddie, “What would change if you knew
you might die today? Or next month? Or next year?” How
would you respond to that question?

12. Did you catch the connection between Maddie’s client,
Elizabeth, and the cardiologist who treated Rick at the
hospital? What was their link?

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