Heart Restoration Project

In Provence, a burned-out reality show star embarks down a path of self-renovation in a witty and enlightening novel about celebrity, love, sacrifice, and the resilience of the human heart.

Who is the real Plum Everly? Wouldn’t she like to know.

Raised in front of the cameras on her family’s hit reality show, Plum has reluctantly ridden the wave of D-list fame for way too long. Fading under the spotlight, she’s ready to ditch Hollywood forever when a new opportunity arises: a DIY in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. Château Mirabelle and Plum’s identity. Both in need of restoration.

Bienvenue en France. The village is gracious and welcoming. Elliott Schaffer, the flirty head of production, isn’t bad either. But it’s Mirabelle itself—a symbol of courage reaching back to World War II—that pushes the show in a new direction. Focusing on its profound connection to history, Plum and Elliott are developing a greater appreciation for the legendary château and, along the way, for each other.

The best part of this makeover of the heart and soul? Plum gets to write her own ending. This time, for the first time, her life is going to be the real thing.

Beth Merlin earned her BA from the George Washington University and her juris doctor from New York Law School. A lifelong New Yorker, Beth loves anything Broadway, romantic comedies, and a good maxi dress. When she isn’t writing, you can find her spending time with her husband, daughter, and two cavapoos, Sophie and Scarlett, at home or at their favorite vacation spot, Kiawah Island, South Carolina. She and Danielle Modafferi are the coauthors of The Last Phone Booth in Manhattan.

Danielle Modafferi, a high school English teacher and pun enthusiast, earned her MFA in writing popular fiction from Seton Hill University and, shortly after, founded Firefly Hill Press in 2016. By day, she helps her students discover the magic of language, and by night, she’s a writer and publisher on a mission to unleash her creativity and help others do the same. Danielle loves making memories with friends and family, traveling to faraway (and some not-so-faraway) places, and snuggling with her two dogs, Jackson and Liam, who are also incidentally her biggest fans. She and Beth Merlin are the coauthors of The Last Phone Booth in Manhattan.