Have you ever wondered ... If I had listened to my heart, would I have forgotten my dreams so easily? For fans of Lucy Score's Things We Never Got Over and Beth O'Leary's The Road Trip. Lena is coasting. Ignoring. Avoiding a life she feels too guilty to live-until, thirteen months after a fateful phone call, she is forced from her hiding place in Oregon to drive a vintage Volkswagen van back to its rightful owners in Florida. As Lena grapples with grief, unexpected engine troubles, and a broken ankle, a stranger comes to the rescue. Lena is left with no choice. Someone else has to drive the van to Florida. But not without her. Palmer is often the first to help and always has a plan. But when he discovers the family's furniture business has declared bankruptcy, his perfectly crafted future shatters in front of him. Angry at his father and frustrated by his uncertain career, Palmer makes a new plan to leave the state. Fortunately for him, a fascinating woman he's met needs a driver to take her and her van to Florida-a perfect opportunity to leave town and scout for reclaimed wood. What follows for Lena and Palmer is a winding journey of self-discovery, as life breaks open and all that's left is their dreams. Dream for a Second is a contemporary fiction novel about the difficulty of healing, the intimidating possibilities of change, the fear of letting go, and, ultimately, the path toward one's unrealized dreams. "Grab your favorite beverage and be prepared to read this one straight through. It is delightfully unputdownable."-Kimberly Nixon, author of Rock Bottom & Rock Bottom Rising "From the midwestern front to the Florida heat, DFAS captivated me and held me just as securely as a snug little VW camper van."-Jessika Grewe Glover, author of Stars Like Gasoline & Another Beast's Skin "After reading Smyth's first novel, Time for Once, I couldn't wait to dig into this story."-Samantha Laure, author of Breaking Free & People Watching Jes is a Chicago-area native with a degree in Psychology from the University of Iowa. From a young age, Jes has been an avid reader, writer, and dreamer. She's also a small artist appreciator, a budding bourbon connoisseur, an accidental poet, and a lover of fuzzy socks. When she's not wandering the great outdoors, you can find her at home with her son while wearing a multitude of hats as a somewhat responsible adult. She says she writes every day and hopes the stories she creates will resonate with those who find curiosity in the changes life throws our way.Jes Smyth loves to write about love, relationships, and life messes. Or what she calls emotional fiction. Dream for a Second is her second novel.