Love and Other Incurable Ailments
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Pub Date Oct 27 2026 | Archive Date Nov 5 2026
Regal House Publishing | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles
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Description
Serenity Tomczyk isn’t dying―she just has anxiety, a WebMD habit, and a cat named Margaret Thatcher.
After breaking off her engagement and losing both parents, she retreats into a predictable life of retail shifts, group therapy, and the safety of solitude.
Then a box of passionate letters appears in a dumpster behind her aunt’s home décor shop, and Serenity becomes captivated by the mysterious man who wrote them. Soon, she’s chasing a fantasy 900 miles from Michigan to Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, in search of the stranger she knows only as “Birdy.”
Thrown from her carefully padded comfort zone, Serenity discovers unexpected friendships, uncomfortable truths, and the possibility of love. But when her imagined happy ending begins to unravel, she must decide if holding on―or letting go―is the bravest thing she can do.
A Note From the Publisher
ebook:9781646037063
hardcover:9781646037070
Additional Book Formats with (ISBN-13):
ebook:9781646037063
hardcover:9781646037070
Advance Praise
“Witty and raw… a story of second chances… a fainthearted yet feisty woman finds love where she least expects it.”
—Foreword Reviews
“A tender and layered story for readers who gravitate toward character-driven fiction steeped in emotion and human connection. It’s a book that doesn’t just entertain—it lingers.”
—Suzie Housley for Midwest Book Review
“When Serenity Tomczyk hauls a mysterious package out of a dumpster, you know things are about to get messy—in the best possible way.”
—Kristin Bair, author of Clementine Crane Prefers Not To
“Breezy, funny, compassionate, and deliciously sexy. The story welcomes you into an oceanside community full of characters you'll love getting to know and spending time with.”
—Lisa Peers, author of Love at 350°, A POPSUGAR Best Book of the Year
“Funny, voice-driven, and heartbreaking… Love and Other Incurable Ailments speaks to the healing power of taking a leap of faith and finding a soft landing in the waves, sands, and salty air of true community.”
—Heather Frese, author of The Baddest Girl on the Beach and The Saddest Girl on the Planet
“This beautifully written character shows us that it’s through accepting all the messy parts of ourselves and our lives that we find the freedom to truly live.”
—Dr. Suzanne Manser, psychologist and author of I Hate You (A Love Letter to My Mother)
Love and Other Incurable Ailments has it all. Romance. Travel. Quirkiness. Self-discovery.”
—Kathie Giorgio, author of Hope Always Rises and Don’t Let Me Keep You
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781646037056 |
| PRICE | $19.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 230 |
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Average rating from 10 members
Featured Reviews
kaliane s, Reviewer
By some divine coincidence, I received the advanced reader copy of “Love and Other Incurable Ailments” right around the same time I began to watch Sterling Point, one of this summer’s most buzzy shows. While one set of characters were dealing with secrets and trauma on an island in Muskoka, Canada, another set was dealing with eerily similar themes on a different island all the way down in Ocracoke, North Carolina. Reading the book and watching the series alongside each other made it very easy for me to imagine Serenity’s life in her rundown cottage next to the sea. Much like Annie, Serenity runs away from the hardships of her daily life in pursuit of answers when a mysterious box of love letters is dumped behind the store she works in. Determined to find (and fall in love with) the author of the letters, Serenity trades her life in Michigan for something entirely new. She quickly finds out that everything is not exactly as she imagined it would be. The house she bought is falling apart, the man who wrote the letters has a dark reputation and an even darker past, and her own insecurities keep getting in her way. Among all the chaos, she befriends a few quirky characters and finds out her cottage isn’t the only thing in need of fixing-up on the island. Serenity has to decide how much of the truth is worth uncovering, how much she’s willing to heal, and how much of her past she needs to let go of to truly be free. With love triangles, precocious twelve year olds, and real issues that pull at your heartstrings, this is the perfect read while waiting for season two of Sterling Point. Or even to extend that summer feeling for just a bit longer.
Pros:
* Vivid characters and scenery
* Great sense of humor throughout the novel
* Strong friendships
* Realistic representation of someone with a form of health anxiety and OCD
* Heartwarming
Cons:
* Main character can come off a bit unlikable and immature in a few ways
* The friendship formed with her 12 year old neighbor borders a bit on co-dependent. I would’ve liked to see this fleshed out in a more appropriate, mentorship type of way. A 32 year old woman does not need to be discussing her emotional needs so heavily with a child.
* The pacing at the end could’ve been a bit quicker
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