Emma Rini is in a rut so deep she could shelve books there. While her sister awaits her first baby, and her parents kick off retirement with vow renewals and travel, Emma stays put among the stacks of the family bookshop.
In fact, she can’t remember the last time she took a vacation. Or had a romance that hovered above disappointing. When her parents assume she’ll take over the shop for them without a break, she realizes she needs to get away—back to the nineteenth century. Channeling her favorite poet recluse, Emily Dickinson, Emma rents a crumbling manor house outside Amherst where she can learn how to be quietly, blissfully alone.
But becoming a world-weary spinster isn’t easy. She can’t start a fire or reason with the bunnies that are destroying the garden. She finds herself sparring constantly with the grumpy-hot architect who is renovating the manor. And then there’s the secret admirer who keeps sending her complicated floral messages…
No matter what she does, the outside world keeps knocking, and Emma starts to dream about the future. Will she forgo love for the family legacy? And will she shrink away or become the sort of bold person fortune favors?
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This book follow the journey of Emma Rini—a woman burned out from corporate life and motherhood—who takes a bold leap into solitude, hoping to channel the spirit of Emily Dickinson in a remote Amherst mansion. What she finds instead is a chaotic garden, failed domestic experiments, and the gruff (but charming) handyman Davis Sommers.
The story shines in its emotional nuance. Emma’s attempts to disconnect and rediscover herself are portrayed with both vulnerability and humor. Her budding connection with Davis is slow-burning and satisfying, evolving naturally as both characters confront their own insecurities. With vivid prose, gentle pacing, and a strong sense of place, this novel is a cozy, uplifting read perfect for fans of character-driven fiction and second-chance narratives. It’s a tribute to the messy, beautiful process of starting over—and the unexpected joys that come with letting go of perfection.
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