Talk of the Town

In the picture-perfect town of Smith Falls, where white picket fences gleam in the morning sun and everyone knows your business before you do, life is about to get deliciously complicated.

Carolyn Whitaker runs the Homeowners Association with an iron fist in a cashmere glove, obsessively documenting violations with her ever-present clipboard and keeping tabs on her husband Chase, who occupies the mayor's office—when he's not secretly occupying Sissy Franklin's bedroom. Chase, whose collar frequently bears the telltale smudges of Sissy's signature ruby-red lipstick, somehow believes his indiscretions go unnoticed in a town where even the squirrels seem to gossip.

Meanwhile, at The Grind, owner Luke Sullivan serves up more than just the town's best coffee. Recently divorced and surprisingly unbothered about it, Luke finds himself drawn to the quiet charms of Tori Matthews, the town librarian whose dating life—or apparent lack thereof—has become the subject of relentless speculation. The Smith Falls gossip circuit has collectively decided that Tori's virginity is somehow public property, a topic to be discussed between aisles at Piggly Wiggly and during manicures at Curl Up and Dye.

In Smith Falls, gossip travels faster than the seasonal flu at the elementary school. Whether it's whispered over garden fences, exchanged in knowing glances at church potlucks, or debated in hushed tones at the hair salon, no secret stays buried for long. When Carolyn's carefully constructed world begins to crumble under the weight of her husband's indiscretions, the town's rumor mill kicks into high gear.

In this laugh-out-loud debut, scandals bubble up like the town fountain after teenagers add dish soap, proving that in Smith Falls, the only thing bigger than the annual Fourth of July parade is the locals' appetite for gossip—served piping hot with a side of schadenfreude.