Widower Tobias Cole has done a decent job raising his daughter Lindsey. Until now. On the cusp of adolescence, Lindsey is a bubbling cauldron of emotion—moody, dreamy, and rebellious. Toby feels guilt not only over his inadequacy in guiding his daughter through puberty but also over his wife’s death from cancer. He’s a medical doctor, and medicine failed to keep his wife alive.

His quiet life in Arlington, Connecticut takes a dramatic turn when Susannah Dawson moves into the house next door. Susannah isn’t a doctor, but she played one on TV, starring in a popular television drama set in a hospital. Susannah has turned her back on Hollywood and stardom, and only wants peace and anonymity. But Lindsey and her friends have other ideas.

Toby has other ideas, too. Susannah is smart, beautiful, strong, and determined. And she’s compassionate toward his difficult daughter. He needs more than Susannah’s help with Lindsey, though. He needs the Daddy School, which can teach him not only how to be a better father but also how to find the courage to open his heart to love.