Family - fiction, Love stories, Indiana - fiction 

15 years ago, Anne's older sister Brooke was murdered. Anne's controlling mother, guilt-ridden brother, emotionally absent father, and even the well-meaning small town have all contributed in keeping Anne in an emotional limbo. She's tried to please her mother by being perfect, and everyone else has tried to protect her by being smothering and over-protective.

Into this half-life rides true-crime author Niell, whose motorcycle breaks down in Anne's small town. His attraction to Anne shakes up her world, and brings on emotional confrontations with friends and family. The book isn't a suspense. The lasting effects of Brooke's murder are the backdrop for the awakening of this particular Sleeping Beauty. The tension level is kept fairly low.