What a great story! This is a contemporary work of fiction, but it’s easy to see very real emotions and actions in very real situations as displayed by the characters. The main character is Erin, a woman in her 50s, married, mother of three children. She and her best friend, Sharlene, have been planning for two and a half years to open their bridal planning business called “Happiest Day”. On opening day, they get their first client and things look good for the future.

Erin’s entire life she has sought her father’s approval. Just once does she want to hear him say that he is proud of her or that he loves her. Her mother died about five years earlier and her father remarried and moved from California to the Oregon coast. He has bought a dilapidated cabin that he and his wife are slowly renovating into a charming home. It’s called Hidden Cottage and it’s right on a cliff above the sea. He moved there saying he had nothing left in California, which is where Erin lives. Oh! Also, her father has been separated from Erin’s brother, Tony, for 20 years. However, throughout her life her father and her mother have been believers in the Lord, teaching her children by living their faith.

A health crisis brings Erin to Oregon and the company of her stepmother, whom Erin views as abrupt, controlling, and sometimes downright mean. How could her father marry someone who is the complete opposite of his first wife? Erin’s anger grows and causes her to make assumptions about certain situations. Erin begins spending time outdoors in Oregon, appreciating God’s creation. The reader can see Erin’s emotions reflected in the actions of the waves of the sea. As Erin spends more time with her father, she begins to work out her problems with her father and she loves him more. She’s also about to drive her business partner and best friend to the brink, as Sharlene must handle the entire burgeoning business alone while Erin is in Oregon. Sharlene starts making unhappy noises. Will they be able to work things out? Will Erin be able to keep her part of the business? Erin has a wonderfully supportive and loving husband. Together they make decisions after praying first.

This book has it all on the emotional spectrum: love, forgiveness, mercy, anger, resentment, compromise, and so much more. The author has done a great job bringing these characters to life and making their emotions easily relatable to the reader. The way the author brings all the events together to create a satisfying story that tugs at your heartstrings is wonderful.

My rating for this work of fiction is 4.5 stars.