Northern Girl by Annie Cabot

Set against the harsh beauty of coastal Maine, this is a novel for anyone who’s ever wondered if it’s too late to become who they were meant to be.

When Kate Perkins finds herself ice fishing alone on a frozen Maine pond, she’s facing the potential loss of everything she’s ever known: her father’s failing mind, her family’s historic inn on the verge of foreclosure, and her own dreams that died with her mother five years ago.

As a brutal March storm threatens to destroy Whaler’s Landing, the family business, Kate’s estranged siblings return to Kennebunkport, successful but broken in their own ways. Together, they must navigate their father’s dementia, their complicated grandmother’s unexpected reappearance, and the weight of family secrets that span decades.

And then there’s Ben. Patient, steady, and always fixing what’s broken (literally and metaphorically), he’s the handsome contractor who she’s known all her life but never really noticed. Until now.

With his help, and the discovery of a gift her mother left behind, Kate must decide: Can she save both the inn and herself? Or will choosing her own path mean abandoning the family legacy she’s sacrificed everything to preserve?

Northern Girl is a poignant story about coming home, forgiveness, and learning that you can honor the past while still claiming your future.