This novel held absolutely everything that I personally look for in a novel: intensely likeable characters, stories of personal and emotional healing, a beautiful setting, some loving soul-searching, and finally just the right amount of romance. From the very first pages, the author brought me into the world of her characters. The way that she brought in sensory detail through smell, taste, touch, sight, and sound, made me feel like I was right there with them. I could feel what each character was feeling, and I could identify a little bit with some and a lot with others. I do love it when a novel isn't just about romance, but more about the characters' inner struggles with how and why to connect/not connect with someone else. I have added this to my "read again" list and will be on the lookout for other books by this author.