Counting Stars

When Bernadette Murphy’s brother, Mark, dies unexpectedly, her world is rocked. Jenny, the wife he left behind, skips grieving and goes straight into survival mode. That is, until she shows up at Bernie’s door in tears, holding a battered canvas journal in which Mark—once obsessed with adventure—had listed larger-than-life travel destinations.

Before losing her brother, life had been great for Bernie—a new career and a nice romance—even though she wavers on her boyfriend’s proposal and wears her diamond engagement ring on a cord around her neck instead of on her finger. But inspired by Mark’s unique bucket list, Bernie puts her mom, her dog, her best friend’s angsty teenager, and Jenny into a borrowed RV and sets off on a cross-country road trip, sharing quirky adventures and unexpected turns along the way.

But Bernie can’t run forever. Will she find a way to let go of the past, heal her losses, and open herself to life’s new possibilities?

Kathleen Long is the author of fifteen novels in the genres of women’s fiction, contemporary romance, and romantic suspense. Kathleen has won a RIO Award and is a two-time winner of the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. She has also been nominated for a RITA Award. Her additional honors include award nominations for National Readers’ Choice, HOLT Medallion, Booksellers’ Best, and Book Buyers Best, as well as appearances on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, she now divides her time between suburban Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore. When Kathleen is not plotting her next book or teaching creative writing, she spends her time bribing her tween to pick up her clothes, begging the dog to heel, and experimenting with photography.