Sweethearts #33

A young woman finds her relationship with her steady boyfriend—pleasant and predictable—somehow lacking that vital spark, until a double date with another couple opens her eyes to what's been missing. But when Joan Drake realizes what truly makes her happy, she discovers the path forward isn't as simple as she'd hoped.

Engaged to Doug Masters, the most popular boy in Melrose, Grace finds her jealousy spiraling out of control as she suspects him of flirting with every girl around town—until a misunderstanding at a dance makes him question whether *she's* the one being unfaithful. When Doug disappears for a week, Grace realizes the painful lesson her own suspicion has taught her about trust.

Mary cherishes her small hometown and the family bonds that tie her there, so when she marries Tod Dirksen, she chooses to stay behind rather than follow him to his new job—making her what she calls a "long distance wife." But when Tod stops answering her calls, Mary rushes home to find him asleep with an unsent letter in his hand, and what she reads forces her to confront how her refusal to leave has driven a wedge between them that may have grown too wide to repair.

Donna Danet arrives in a new town convinced she's cursed—a "jinx" that brings misfortune to everyone around her—and takes a job as secretary-companion to Mrs. Carter, only to find herself drawn to Frank, the kind and charming son of her employer. When business setbacks strike the family, Donna's old fears resurface, threatening to push her away from the man she's come to love.