A decade apart, a painful secret—can two childhood sweethearts find their way back to a love that defies cultures and time?

Lia Juma thought she’d buried the dreams of her heart long ago. But when she’s forced to return to her family’s summer cottage on Pike Bay, the life she’s carefully crafted begins to unravel. The perfect immigrant daughter, Lia has carved a successful career as a corporate lawyer and has just started dating a man who fulfills all her mother's criteria for the ideal son-in-law. But underneath her polished life lies a secret she’s never spoken of—one she fears could have destroyed her family a decade ago.

Back at the bay, Lia stumbles upon memories she thought long forgotten and, at the center of it all, is Wesley Forest—the boy she left behind, the boy who knew her dreams better than anyone. Their friendship and young love once burned bright, woven through long sun-drenched days and whispered promises of a future together. But when family pressures and heartbreak pulled the two lovers apart, they were forced to follow separate paths.

Now, Wes is back in her life, and with him, old wounds and feelings surface. As the two confront the choices and secrets that divided them as teenagers, Lia must decide if she can heal from the past and finally embrace the life and love she’s always craved. Could a second chance with Wes be worth risking everything for?

Told over the course of five years in the past and one summer in the present, Lia will discover that sometimes, the only way forward is through the heart’s deepest scars.

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Noreen Nanja is a writer, reader and chronic couch napper. A second-generation immigrant, Noreen’s writing explores themes of identity and belonging wrapped in stories of romantic and familial love. She currently lives in Toronto with her partner and small—yet demanding—dog.