Avery Markham hasn't lived in Winslowe, a tiny town in northern Vermont for long. When she arrived, she knew no one, not even a friend of a friend. But now, she knows everyone in town and has a thriving business upstairs over the general store. Life is good-until dependable Eliza Clayton blows off her first day of work the summer between her high-school graduation and matriculation at an elite New England college. Avery's overloaded and overworked until a solution presents itself from the most unlikely source, her nemesis, her curt and distant landlord, Rhys Williams. As the months pass, Avery sees Rhys in a new light, and her heart begins to thaw. There are surprises for all the characters in this sequel to Sunrise Side of the Mountain. Some have their hearts broken. Some have their hearts mended. And they all come to recognize and value the friendship of those whose hearts are true.