In Merryhearth Manor & Me, Abigail Darby artfully balances humor and poignancy to tell a superb story about the adventure one woman undertakes in her quest to restore a historic house and rediscover her vivacity. From the Shenandoah Valley to the mountains of Colorado, Louisiana's mystic Northshore, and legendary Italy, we experience a journey with twists and turns that makes us laugh out loud and inspires our dreams!

Amanda Grayson had everything she wanted, a happy marriage, a beautiful home, and a successful career-until she didn't. Starting over in her mid-thirties was the last thing she expected to be doing. She started searching for a way to bounce back and return the fun spark to her life. That's when she discovered a once-grand, historic house that took on a talismanic power the moment she saw it. The nearly two-hundred-year-old, abandoned brick manor, surrounded by rolling, checkered farm fields, and the crests of Virginia's old Blue Ridge Mountains was just the challenge she needed. Her friends Danielle and Alex play a critical role supporting her in her ambition to restore the manor to its former glory, but there are risks here as well. Alex is sexy, smart, single, charming . . . and totally gay-and yet Amanda finds herself attracted to him for reasons she can't explain and Alex acts like he feels the same about her! Further complicating matters is Amanda's demanding career at a federal agency in Washington, D.C., which won't slow down for even a minute as she juggles her improbable attraction and construction crews all in the same day. Amanda tries to help her coworkers, but things at work take an unexpected twist, leaving her balancing a tightrope of agency politics, personal agendas, and turf guarding, that threatens to destabilize her plans and her future.

Come along for the ride with Amanda as she tries to restore this once-beautiful historic manor home with a gentle soul all its own. It's a roller-coaster journey through the wineries of Virginia, the ruins and palazzos of Italy, and the raging rapids of the heart versus logic. Her quest will leave you laughing and cheering for joy!