My utmost appreciation goes to the entire team at Forever, including Sabrina Flemming, Estelle Hallick, Jodi Rosoff, Dana Cuadrado, Luria Rittenberg, and so many others behind the scenes for everything you do.

Thank you, Libby VanderPloeg, for creating my gorgeous cover. It perfectly captures the essence of the book, and I spend an inappropriate amount of time looking at it.

Samantha M. Bailey, thank you for being the best friend and critique partner in the world. I’m not sure I could write a book without you, and thank God I don’t have to! Thank you for pulling no punches with your feedback and for your brutal honesty. Most of all, thank you for being a loyal friend, a patient ear to vent to (oh, how patient you’ve been), and a constant cheerleader. Time and time again, you assured me that my dreams were within reach. You said, “Trust me. I’m right.” You were. I love you so much.

So much love goes out to my fellow Beach Babes, the aforementioned Samantha M. Bailey, Josie Brown, Eileen Goudge, Francine LaSala, Jen Tucker, and Julie Valerie. I hate that we missed our 2021 retreat. Hopefully, by the time you’ve read this, we’ll have been together in California, where we made up for all the hugs we missed and enjoyed a week of eating, drinking, laughing, writing, talking shop, and simply reveling in our special friendship. Our lives have all changed so much since that first trip, and our bond continues to grow stronger with time. It’s everything to me.

Thank you to fellow authors Hilary Grossman and Stacey Wiedower. I love you both!

Shout-outs to Tracie Banister, Tracey Livesay, and Nancy Scrofano for our long-standing Hallmark-movie chat on Facebook. Hopefully, you’ll appreciate what I’ve done here!

I am so thankful for the support and enthusiasm of book influencers, bloggers, and avid readers, some of whom have supported me since way back when, including Andrea Peskind Katz (Great Thoughts’ Great Readers), Suzanne Weinstein Leopold (Suzy Approved Book Reviews), Jamie Rosenblit (Beauty and the Book), Jennifer Gans Blankfein (Book Nation By Jen), Kate Rock (Kate Rock Book Tours), Tamara Welch (Traveling With T), Danyelle Drexler, Melissa Amster (Chick Lit Central), Sarah Slusher (Really Into This), Lauren Margolin (Good Book Fairy), Kathy Lewison, Suzanne Fine, Ashley Williams, Kelly Perotti, Bethany Clarke, Amanda Lerryn (Chocolate Pages), Chrissy (The Every Free Chance Reader), Kathleen Higgins-Anderson (Jersey Girl Book Reviews), Emily (Mrs. Mommy Booknerd’s Book Reviews), Gina Reba (Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers), Kaley Stewart (Books Etc.), Samantha March, Mary Smith, Regina Dowling, Brenda Gray, Susan Schleicher (The Book Bag), Charlotte Lynn (A Soccer Mom’s Book Blog), Linda Levack Zagon, Lindsay Lorimore, and Rebecca Moore.

Thank you to #TeamMelissa for the laughs, constant exchange of information, and sibbie dance parties.