Bridget O'Bannon Marshall's life is perfect--or at least that is the fiction she has created. Married for three years to Jim Marshall, her marriage has been on the rocks almost from day one. She has been telling her family all is well, when in fact, it was far from it. Jim was a controlling, difficult man, and Bridget has been ashamed to admit the truth. After Jim's death, Bridget is surrounded by the well-meaning but suffocating family she has been on the outs with for years. Moving back home to her tight-knit Dorchester neighborhood, Bridget slowly begins to repair her relationships with her three sisters and her over-bearing mother.

Soon after coming home, Bridget is persuaded to go back to work at the family bakery, and there she gains the strength and confidence to take back control of her life. Bridget meets a widower and lawyer who becomes a close friend. Though she isn't sure she is ready for another relationship, Bridget can't deny the solace it brings to connect with someone who understands her, and she is intrigued by this man who doesn't want to control her life. Taking a chance on him, Bridget begins navigating this new and different relationship. But, will family secrets ruin Bridget's new-found peace?