The Maine Stop

by Mollie Anderson · 2025

She's back in the town she swore she'd left behind. He's still the boy next door-and the best friend who knows her better than anyone. Is this the fall they finally rewrite their story? Murphy Kennedy's life has always had one constant: Banks Benson. Since she was four years old, he's been her person-the neighbor who climbed through her window, the boy who made her laugh when life felt heavy, the best friend who never let distance get in the way-even when Murphy left for Boston to chase her dream design career. But when burnout hits hard, she finds herself back in her coastal Maine hometown, moving into her grandmother's house for one last project: fixing it up before it sells. Which also means¿ living right next door to Banks again. Their friendship slips easily back into rhythm, but being back in Bellmere means facing the grief she thought distance would soften-the reminders of her mom woven into every corner of town. But as Murphy pours herself into reviving her grandmother's house and bringing cozy charm to Main Street, the ache starts to shift. With Banks next door, a circle of friends reminding her what life is for, and autumn wrapping it all in golden light, she begins to see that maybe home was never something to run from, but the place she was meant to return.