Chapter One Again

Clarkson’s cheery debut and Avila Falls series launch centers on a writer at a crossroads. Ten years ago Jane Caldwell abandoned small-town Avila Falls, Colo., to reinvent herself in New York City. Now, at 29, she’s a successful ghostwriter with a star-studded roster of celebrity clients, though she privately dreams of making it as a novelist. Feeling restless and with her mom’s 70th birthday party on the horizon, she decides it’s the perfect time for a visit home. Avila Falls brings with it a return to her favorite bookstore and reunions with an old writing mentor and a slew of familiar faces, including Noah, a former party boy Jane can’t help seeing in a different light. At the same time, a book project with a singer who’s struggling with the price of fame spurs Jane to reflect on what fulfillment, happiness, and purpose mean. As her return to New York looms and questions about the future grow increasingly pressing, she turns to God for guidance despite never having seen “prayers make a difference in her life.” While the plot offers few surprises, it’s easy to empathize with insecure Jane as she grapples with ambition and self-doubt to work out what her own happy ending should look like. This should win Clarkson fans. (June)