All romance ever brought Becca Williams was a lot of heartache and one miracle—her brilliant, beautiful daughter. But now her baby is a college graduate headed for a new life of her own in New York City. And this 48-year-old empty nester is facing a new life alone in Dayton, Kentucky.

Except she’s not alone. She’s got her Fab Four—the core group of besties she’s had since high school she still sees every day. She has a job she loves in a vet’s office and volunteers at an animal rescue—love and joy galore. She might occasionally still dream of finding a soulmate, but she has no illusions. At her age, all the good ones really are taken, whether they admit it or not. The rest are broken and looking for a caretaker. All in all, she’d rather get her kisses from Roscoe, her most high energy rescue client, the dog she wishes she could adopt herself. 

After five years as a widower, David Green is just as gun-shy as Becca, and like her, he’s gotten used to feeding his soul with work. But his best friend and fellow nurse, Luisa, insists he just needs to “put himself out there.” Even after a series of first dates that range from empty to outright disaster, she’s still pushing, still saying he has too much life and love left inside of him to just give up. But looking for a second soulmate after losing his first wife feels like he’s asking too much. When he meets Becca, he is utterly charmed. But that spark feels too good to be true.

Luckily for both of them, Roscoe and destiny are working together on a plan. All it takes is one massive, crazy, adorable dog and a whole lot of mud to shove these two out of their own way and into one another’s arms. And once they’re there, nothing can stop them from taking a risk on love.