Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Friends-to-lovers is a classic romance trope. Did you find Frankie and George’s 22-year journey from inseparable childhood friends to romantic partners believable and satisfying?

2. How did you feel this novel compared to Fortune’s other books, like This Summer Will Be Different or Meet Me at the Lake? Did any similar themes emerge?

3. The setting of Tofino is a powerful presence in the story. How did the wild, remote landscape of Vancouver Island impact your reading experience and shape the novel’s emotional tone?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Frankie’s engagement to Nate represents her attempt to choose a “safe” and stable life after burning out in her high-pressure culinary career. Have you ever felt conflicted between a path that feels secure and one that feels more authentic or passionate?

2. Have you had a foundational friendship like the one Frankie and George share? Did their story change your perspective on your own friendships?

3. George struggles for years to voice his true feelings, fearing it will ruin his friendship with Frankie. Have you ever made the transition from friends to lovers? What was that experience like?

4. The mailbox in the cedar hedge becomes a private, safe space for Frankie and George to share their most difficult feelings. In your own life, what are some ways you’ve found to communicate honestly in important relationships when speaking face-to-face felt too challenging?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. What is the effect of weaving the real-world conservation crisis of the North Atlantic right whale into the plot? Does grounding the story in a verifiable environmental issue make the characters’ personal conflicts feel more or less significant?

2. Rebecca’s story explores the tension between motherhood and personal ambition, a conflict many women face. How does the novel engage with the societal expectations placed on mothers, and what does it say about the sacrifices often involved in caregiving?

3. When George returns from covering the wildfires, he is emotionally withdrawn and eventually starts therapy. What does the book reveal about the topic of trauma and the importance of seeking help for mental wellness?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. George’s career as an environmental journalist takes him to the front lines of climate change, from Canadian wildfires to mangrove restoration. How does his profession inform his character and provide a broader context for the personal “storms” in the novel?

2. The narrative makes frequent allusions to Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. In what ways does this classic literary parallel enrich your understanding of Frankie and George’s dynamic and the challenges they face?

3. What is the narrative effect of the novel’s structure, which alternates between the present-day timeline and flashbacks? How do these glimpses into Frankie and George’s shared past build suspense and deepen the emotional stakes of their week in Tofino?

4. What significance do Frankie and George’s matching name tattoos hold in the story, especially in moments of conflict or intimacy?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. George creates a seven-day recovery plan for Frankie with themes like “wallow” and “move.” Propose a theme and itinerary for an eighth day of their trip, one designed to help them transition from friends to lovers. What would you call the day, and what activities would it include?

2. Frankie envisions a cookbook that is an “edible passport” through Canada, with recipes tied to places. What would you name her cookbook? Write a recipe that you think she would create for it, connecting it to a specific Canadian location from her travels with George.

3. You’ve discovered another unsent letter from George inside his mahogany chest, written right after Frankie asks him to be her best man. What does this letter say about his conflicting feelings of love, duty, and heartbreak as he agrees to stand by her side at her wedding to another man?