Book 5 Hoping for Love
He gave her a hand when she needed it. Can he give her forever?
At home for the summer, awaiting the launch of his debut album, music star-in-the-making Evan McCarthy is performing at the Tiki Bar when he notices Grace looking lost in a sea of happy people.
Evan comes to her aid and quickly finds himself smitten.
But the last thing Grace needs after all she’s been through is a guy who “doesn’t do relationships.
” Will Evan change his ways to win Grace’s heart?
Main Characters:
*Evan McCarthy, musician in Nashville.
*Grace Ryan, pharmacist from Connecticut.
*Indicates recurring throughout the series
Supporting Characters:
Trey Parsons, Grace’s crush since fourth grade.
Tom Quigley, Trey’s best friend.
*Owen Lawry, grandson of the owners of the Sand & Surf Hotel.
*Linda McCarthy, grandmother of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE and Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Big Mac McCarthy, grandfather of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE and Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE.
Mrs. Gold, owner of Gold’s Pharmacy.
*Ned Saunders, Engaged to Francine in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Francine Chester, grandmother of Ashleigh Sturgil, Thomas McCarthy and Hailey McCarthy, engaged to Ned Saunders in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Grant McCarthy, screenwriter, involved with Stephanie Logan in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Stephanie Logan, restaurant manager, McCarthy’s Gansett Island Marina, involved with Grant McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Luke Harris, involved with Sydney Donovan in READY FOR LOVE.
*Sydney Donovan, involved with Luke Harris in READY FOR LOVE.
*Laura McCarthy, manager of the Sand & Surf Hotel in FALLING FOR LOVE.
Mr. Gold, co-owner of Gold’s Pharmacy.
*Mac McCarthy, Jr., married to Maddie Chester in FOOL FOR LOVE, father of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE, father of Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Tiffany Sturgil, separated from Jim Sturgil in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Abby Callahan, engaged to Dr. Cal Maitland.
*Blaine Taylor, chief, Gansett Island Police.
*Justin Newsome, Laura’s ex-husband, father of her unborn child.
*Maddie McCarthy, mother of Thomas, married to Mac McCarthy in FOOL FOR LOVE, mother of Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Jim Sturgil, separated from Tiffany Sturgil in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Buddy Longstreet and Taylor Jones, superstar singers, touring with Evan.
*Seamus O’Grady, general manager, Gansett Island Ferry Company.
*Jack Beaumont, Evan’s manager.
*Bobby Chester, father of Maddie and Tiffany, husband of Francine.
HOPING FOR LOVE Headlines:
Grace and Evan meet at the marina after her date ditches her!
Evan takes Grace home to Linda’s house for the night and pays for her ferry ride home!
Jim Sturgil moves out and takes all of Tiffany’s furniture!
Abby is moving to Texas to be with Cal!
Luke has surgery on his injured ankle!
Grace returns to reimburse Evan and is buying Gold’s Pharmacy!
Tiffany is opening a store in the former home of Abby’s Attic!
Laura’s ex-husband plans to fight the divorce!
Grant and Stephanie host a going-away party for Abby!
Evan’s record company files for bankruptcy!
Owen cancels his fall gig to stay on the island with Laura!
Dan gets an emergency hearing in Charlie’s case!
Tiffany handcuffs herself to Jim and then has an explosive encounter with Blaine!
Charlie is freed from prison and comes to Gansett!
Grace and Evan are in love!
Gansett Island Soundtrack:
“Brown-Eyed Girl”
“Turn the Page”
“Bad Moon Rising”
“Take it Easy”
“Love the One You’re With”
“Sister Golden Hair”
“Please Come to Boston”
Places:
The Lobster House Restaurant, South Harbor
Grace Ryan is on a boat at McCarthy’s Gansett Island Marina, about to have sex for the first time with her long-time crush, Trey Parsons.
Until, that is, she sees a text from his best friend reminding him there’s $500 on the line if he “nails the whale,” referring to the horrible name kids called her before she lost 130 pounds.
She leaves Trey’s boat and walks up the dock to look for somewhere else to stay.
An older man, who turns out to be Ned, tells her she’s missed the last ferry, and the island’s hotels are sold out on for the weekend.
She’ll have to sleep on the small sofa in the boat’s salon because she’s not sleeping with Trey.
In no rush to get back to the boat, she watches two men perform at the marina’s Tiki Bar. Then she returns to the boat to find it’s gone, along with her clothes, purse and money. What was supposed to have been the greatest night of her life has turned into another disaster.
Evan McCarthy is having the time of his life playing at the marina his parents own with his best friend, Owen Lawry, as he counts down to the release of his long-awaited first album in December.
While he plays, he’s flirting with a table of young women, hoping for a weekend fling.
Owen nudges him and gestures to a dark-haired woman crying at one of the tables.
When they take a break, Evan is compelled to check on her because that’s what his father would want him to do.
He goes over to sit at Grace’s table. “Now tell me this—what in the world could’ve ruined such a great night for such a pretty lady? ”
Grace tells him that her date for the evening has left her stranded on the island without so much as a toothbrush or any money.
Evan is gorgeous, sweet and talented. Before she lost the weight, a man like him never would’ve spoken to her.
Now, he wants to help her. He offers her a room at his parents’ home up the hill and the money to take the ferry home the next day.
When Evan returns to the stage, Owen encourages him to play the first single off his new album, “Here for You.”
Owen teases Evan that if he takes Grace home, his mother will have them married with four kids by morning, which is true. With no other options on a sold-out weekend, Evan takes one for the team.
Grace tells Evan she can’t believe what an asshole Trey is, and that swearing is one of her character flaws, along with inappropriate laughter.
Evan says his are an overload of ambition as well as beer, women and a commitment-free life.
Linda makes Grace feel welcome and cooks breakfast for them in the morning.
Big Mac is cranky and out of sorts as he recovers from a head injury.
Grace doesn’t eat much but can’t tell Evan it’s because lap-band surgery reduced her stomach size.
Grace, a pharmacist, is intrigued by Gold’s, the island pharmacy, and asks to check it out as she and Evan walk to the ferry landing.
Mrs. Gold asks if Grace might be interested in buying the pharmacy.
She gives Grace a flyer, and she’s excited about the idea.
Evan gives her $100 to get home. She vows to pay him back, but he says it’s not necessary.
He enjoyed meeting her. They share an awkward hug before she gets on the ferry.
She plans to come back to the island to reimburse Evan.
Evan is sorry to see her go, even if she’s a forever kind of girl and he’s a temporary kind of guy.
Ned gives Evan a ride, and they discuss being worried about Big Mac.
Evan teases Ned about getting married and asks to be dropped off at Mac’s.
Evan says he might wait until he’s Ned’s age to settle down.
“Don’t be a fool,” Ned tells him. “I missed everything, never got to have kids, had to share yer dad’s family.
” Evan tells Mac that their parents are arguing a lot, and he’s worried about Big Mac.
Linda talks to her husband, and they make up.
His thoughts are still scrambled weeks after the accident, and he’s sick of the cast on his arm.
She talks him into an appointment with Dr. David Lawrence, even though he’s not keen on seeing the man who cheated on their daughter.
Linda reminds him that David also saved their granddaughter Hailey’s life.
Tiffany brings Ashleigh to see Thomas and cries on Maddie’s shoulder after a rough few weeks since Jim moved out around the same time their deadbeat dad showed up for the first time in decades.
She tells Maddie that Jim took everything in the house except beds for her and Ashleigh.
She’s sad about the demise of her marriage and fears she hasn’t done everything she could to save it.
Tiffany is curious about the father she doesn’t remember.
Tiffany tells Maddie that Abby is closing her store and moving to Texas to be with her fiancé, Cal.
Tiffany talks about taking over Abby’s retail space to open a store.
Maddie asks her about Blaine Taylor, and her sister admits to sparks with Blaine.
Celebrated defense attorney Dan Torrington is coming to Gansett and might be able to help Tiffany with her divorce—which would freak out Jim, Maddie suggests.
Stephanie and Grant are going write a screenplay about her story of getting Charlie out of prison.
Grace is on the ferry to Gansett to reimburse Evan and present a proposal to Mr. and Mrs. Gold to buy the pharmacy when she meets Luke, Sydney and Laura.
The man who killed Sydney’s family in a drunk driving accident was sentenced to twenty years in prison.
Luke had surgery on his ankle to fix a torn tendon.
Luke has asked Sydney to marry him, but she’s not ready yet.
Laura’s brother Shane is coming over for the winter to help her renovate the Sand & Surf.
Listening to Laura and Sydney, Grace wants to be friends with the gutsy women.