Hope Masterson, who first appears in the popular Tillamook Tillie series, is an independent-minded ex-Marine. Currently teaching self-defense in the seaside community of Bannoch, Oregon, and recently married to Reverend Gideon Hopkins (introduced in Mrs. Thistlethwaite and the Whippersnapper), himself a former Army Ranger, Hope finds herself on unusually shaky ground as she adjusts to the unfamiliar challenges facing a pastor’s wife. Although the members of the First Ladies Club are eager to help her, Hope’s prior struggles have left her reluctant to lean on anyone. Hope’s efforts to find her footing are further complicated by the expectations of her new congregation, the needs of a wayward teen, a disastrous weekend camping trip, and even being targeted by murderous drug dealers. Can toned muscles and self-defense techniques shield her from the dangers and heartache ahead?