Anthony Puckett was a rising literary star. The son of an über-famous thriller writer, Anthony saw his debut novel spend two years on the bestseller list and win the adoration of critics. But something went very wrong with his second work. Now Anthony’s borrowing an old college friend’s crumbling beach house on Block Island in the hopes that solitude will help him get back to the person he used to be.

Joy Sousa owns and runs Block Island’s beloved whoopie pie café. She came to this quiet space eleven years ago, newly divorced and with a young daughter, and built a life for them here. To her customers and friends, Joy is a model of independence, hardworking and happy. And mostly she is. But this summer she’s thrown off balance. A food truck from a famous New York City brand is roving around the island selling goodies—and threatening her business.

Lu Trusdale is spending the summer on her in-laws’ dime, living on Block Island with her two young sons while her surgeon husband commutes to the mainland hospital. When Lu’s second son was born, she and her husband made a deal: he’d work and she’d quit her corporate law job to stay home with the boys. But a few years ago, Lu quietly began working on a private project that has become increasingly demanding on her time. Torn between her work and home, she’s beginning to question that deal she made.