Roberta Black has spent forty years perfectly capable of looking after herself. Then Anton Sinclair walks into her life.

He’s arrogant, infuriating and dangerously attractive—and from the moment they meet, Roberta knows there is something about him she should stay well away from. She doesn’t.

What begins as an unwanted attraction becomes harder to dismiss as Anton draws her into a hidden world of ancient secrets and impossible dangers. Forced together, the two grow closer, and Roberta begins to discover the man beneath Anton’s charm and arrogance—a man who sees her in ways no one else does.

But Anton is keeping secrets of his own, and falling for him could be the most dangerous thing Roberta has ever done.

Because the closer she gets to discovering what Anton really is, the harder it becomes to imagine walking away from him.

“Best new book to read.”—New York Post

“... a wonderfully witty chronicle of awkward first dates, with Avalie slowly coming to understand what makes a relationship work, guided along the way by a supportive network of friends.... Abedi’s emotionally charged portrait of what it takes to heal from heartache resonates. It’s an uplifting ode to self-love.” ­—Publisher’s Weekly

Newly heartbroken, a woman embarks on a glamorized summer of couch surfing to rediscover herself and learns that though life may not go according to plan, there is magic in the unexpected.

Avalie Monfared has a theory about saying “I Do”—that the magic ends there. After thirteen years of magic-free marriage to her high school sweetheart, she’s discovered where it went: gambling and prostitutes.

Now, Ava is on a quest to rediscover herself—and men. Her soul-searching finds her living on a succession of friends’ and family’s couches, which happen to be in some of the most luxurious zip codes in and around Los Angeles. What follows is an unpredictable summer full of shamans, attack birds, awkward dates, sizzling flirtations, and unsolicited advice—especially from her traditional Persian family members, who are eager to see her remarried. With every laugh-out-loud adventure in each locale, Ava finds more solace and wisdom. And while it’s not how she planned to spend the last year of her thirties, Ava learns that there is power in letting go.