Finding His Way Home by Katie Mongelli
What's It About?
Zachary Hartmann, a man teetering on the edge of ruin, seeks solace amidst the tranquil embrace of Pine Lake. When he crosses paths with Missy Wagner, her girl-next-door allure and infectious spirit enchant Zach. As summer unfurls, Zachary and Missy chase summer dreams and come face to face with the promise ofZachary Hartmann is on trial for the biggest corporate fraud incident that Minnesota has seen in decades — a crime he insists he didn’t commit — and his financial assets have been frozen. He has no career, no money and no clue what will happen next. When his lawyer and friend, Scott, hands him a ticket back to his hometown of Pine Lake to take some time away, he doesn’t know what’s in store for him.
After a disastrous meet-cute, where Zach spills coffee on the curly-haired hotel receptionist, Missy Wagner, the two of them fall into a whirlwind romance nestled in the quiet serenity of Pine Lake. Finding His Way Home (Woodhall Press) by Katie Mongelli is a heartwarming small-town love story about returning to your roots, finding community, reconnecting with family and achieving your dreams.
Return to Quiant, Childhood Town
Zach isn’t ready to face a five-million-dollar fine and 30 years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. His boss and mentor, Mr. Anderson, took him in and gave him a career, letting him be seduced by a life of luxury. Now, thanks to Mr. Anderson, Zach’s life might be over before it has even started. When a pre-trial declares that Zach’s assets will be frozen and a verdict will soon be considered, he needs to get away.
There’s only one place he’s reluctant to return to, but can’t help and be drawn back. Pine Lake is a haven, tucked away between the mountains and the pines, away from the big city, where childhood memories of summers in the sun linger pleasantly in the back of Zach’s mind. But at Pine Lake is his dad, Blake, an absent father who sent money to Zach’s mother but wasn’t there for his first steps, his graduation, or formative father-son moments.
Lost in life and stuck in a small town with a dad who doesn’t get him, Zach is yearning to make the most of what might be his final summer of freedom. At the local inn, he has a run-in with Missy, the freckled manager with an infectious laugh and a sweet four-year-old daughter named Emma. Zach never imagined he’d find someone like Missy, who suddenly makes him realize that he deserves to have the future he always dreamed of — he just needs to fight for it.
Budding Romance & Family Drama
Missy, too, wants more than this small-town life. Abandoned by her own parents and her boyfriend when she got pregnant in college, Missy was taken in by her grandparents. Now, with Granddaddy gone and Ya-Ya aging, she takes care of both her daughter and the inn and is struggling to book enough reservations to keep the business afloat. In the back of her mind, she imagines the future she could have had before Emma was born — her own business, a stable partner, a way her world could expand outside of Pine Lake. And Zach might just be the one to help her dreams come true…
But when a woman from Zach’s past shows up in town, threatening to upend the new life he’s building for himself, he has to figure out how to achieve his happily ever after — even if that means learning how to ask for help. He’s always had “dreams of finding love, marriage, and a family.” But if Missy knew how close he is to ruin, would she still want to build a life with him?
We also get an inside look at Zach’s father Blake and his girlfriend Catherine’s complicated romance. Catherine — a CPA who loves her job and has a knack for forensic accounting that just might be Zach’s saving grace — knows she deserves someone who uplifts, supports and can’t wait to propose on bended knee. Can Blake change and become the man Catherine needs him to be? Or will he always remain the father who wasn’t good enough for his son, who couldn’t step up when Zach needed him most?
Readers Will Be Hooked
Finding His Way Home is a romance, of course, but it is also the story of hardworking single mothers, fathers trying their best to measure up, and relationships that take work.
Author Katie Mongelli shows that love isn’t the only thing that makes a relationship — it takes understanding, compromise, effort and determination. From exes to current partners, to estranged family members, the characters navigate the reality that some people are capable of change, while others stay true to their nature. We see characters for who they are — and that makes for a well-crafted story with sympathetic characters that are easy to root for.
As Zach, Missy, Catherine and Blake struggle to figure out what they want — and need — from life, from each other and from themselves, these four interconnected characters are barreling towards a better future. Zach must learn to stand up for what he knows is right and save himself from ruin before it’s too late. Missy must decide if she’s willing to open herself up to a future beyond Pine Lake, even if it feels risky. The story has a happily ever after, but readers will be hooked, wondering what Katie Mongelli has in store for the beloved characters of Pine Lake.
About Katie Mongelli:
Katie Mongelli grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, but has always preferred the quiet of nature. Her debut novel, Finding His Way Home, captures what means most to her in life: family, love, community, and of course, cute lakeside towns. You can find Katie online at her website www.katiemongelli.com or on Instagram @katie.mongelli.
