The night before her wedding, in the middle of an oh-so-smart rehearsal dinner, interior decorator Keeley Murdock chances upon her fiance and maid of honor in flaming flagrante delicto. Keeley throws the hissy fit to end all hissy fits and storms out.

The next day, though, she has to deal not only personally with a broken engagement but also with her business being shut out by folks in a town financially obligated to her ex. Rescue comes in the form of the new owner of the local bra plant. He hires Keeley to redo the broken-down antebellum mansion he's bought for the woman of his dreams. So Keeley dives in, scouring for antiques and searching for clues to her mother's puzzling disappearance. Keeley finds out that things can work out even for those who throw humdinger hissy fits.

Discussion Questions

What do you think of Keeley's reaction to her fiance's behavior at their engagement party? Does she do the right thing? How would you react in a similar situation?

Do you find it surprising that Will Mahoney is so determined to impress a woman he's never met? Why?

Is the picture that Mary Kay Andrews paints of life and business in a small town a realistic one?

When Keeley gets underneath the facades of some people she's known all her life, what does she discover? What does this novel say about how well we ever really know each other?

What part do antiques play in this story? Are Keeley's questions about her own past reflected in her search for enduring old furnishings and her wish to create beautiful homes for her clients?

Do you feel any sympathy for A.J.? Does he get the comeuppance he deserves? Does Stephanie?

What secrets does Keeley unearth in her search to find out about her mother's disappearance?

The novel, which begins with a broken engagement, ends with a wedding. Is the identity of the happy couple a surprise?