Imo spent most of her childhood at Brightwater Falls – a peaceful lakeside resort tucked away in a picture-perfect village – where she made treasured memories with her beloved mother and doting godmother Dandy.
So when Dandy falls ill and asks for help running the resort, there’s no question in Imo’s mind. She’ll do whatever it takes to save the place that meant so much to her, even if it takes some convincing of her two older sisters. Ally and Kate have always felt more like strangers than family, but thrown together under the same roof, maybe now is the time to work together.
As summer unfolds, Brightwater Falls brings unexpected reunions and difficult truths to the surface. But perhaps by returning to the place that once felt like home, the sisters can finally find their way back to one another.
At sixty-four, Michelle thought her best years were behind her. She couldn’t have been more wrong . . .
When Michelle’s beloved husband Eddie dies, she thinks the best part of her life has gone with him. Then her mother passes away and leaves her half a million pounds — money Michelle is certain she doesn’t deserve.
Determined to give every penny to charity, Michelle sets out to find the worthiest cause. And she’s not doing it alone.
There’s Doug — her landlord, her brother’s oldest friend, and the rugby-playing heartthrob of her teenage dreams. He’s kind. He’s funny, and he still makes her stomach flip like she’s sixteen again. There’s just one problem, Doug has broken more hearts than Michelle has had hot dinners, and she’s not about to become another name on his list.
Then she meets dashing charity trustee, Luke, and is swept into a world of scarlet ball gowns and champagne. For the first time in years, Michelle feels beautiful. Desired. Worth it.
But a forgotten suitcase, hidden away in storage, holds a secret about her inheritance. As Michelle digs deeper into the truth, she faces some big decisions — about the money, her future and who her heart truly belongs to.
This book is about a grieving widow who unexpectedly inherits a large sum of money and is forced to confront her self-worth, family tensions, and what it truly means to do good with financial privilege. In this book, Sally Jenkins delivers an emotional, thought-provoking story centered on healing, identity, and the complicated relationship between money and morality.
Michelle has spent much of her life feeling inadequate and overlooked, and the inheritance from her late mother only intensifies her inner conflict. Unsure whether she deserves the money or should even keep it, she embarks on a search for a cause that feels worthy of her mother’s legacy. Along the way, she is supported—sometimes a little too closely—by her kind but intrusive landlord, Doug, whose quiet presence adds warmth and stability to her journey.
Meeting Luke Shiner and discovering the Pumpkin Donkey Sanctuary introduces Michelle to a world of compassion and purpose, but also raises questions about trust, intention, and emotional vulnerability. Her relationship with her daughter Sophie further complicates her decision, adding heartfelt tension and realism.
Sally Jenkins explores grief, generosity, and self-worth with sincerity, creating a reflective and emotionally rich story about learning that true value isn’t measured in money, but in self-acceptance and love.
