Summer in the Spotlight

In the sweet conclusion to Johnson’s Prince Edward Island Shores trilogy (after The Last Way Home) a school facilities director and a charismatic drama teacher team up to save a high school drama department. Strong but silent Levi Ross has crushed on Kelsey Ahern since their own high school years, but he still can’t work up the courage to speak to her. When a hurricane hits the school, Levi rescues an injured Kelsey from under a fallen tree, and the two forge a tentative friendship. The hurricane badly damages the local Victoria Playhouse, and without a place to stage productions, the school board cuts the drama department. Desperate to fix the theater, Kelsey plans a benefit play to raise money for the repairs, recruiting Levi to build an outdoor stage and set. As the two grow closer, Levi opens up to her about the traumatic childhood that left him reticent and insecure, but when Kelsey asks for a giant favor, he must decide whether his growing love has limits. Johnson sets out a tender, slow-burning romance woven through with an earnest message about overcoming one’s past and the restorative power of second chances. Series fans will savor this feel-good finale. (Aug.)