Frankie lives with her dad and grandma in a B&B that they own and operate; Frankie's mom died when she was four years old. Frankie's mission now is to find a new "person" for her dad so they can be a family of three again - so she joins Connection.com, posing as her dad, and creates a profile to find a new mom (ideally in time for the Winter Family Festival Parade).

Meanwhile, Frankie's best friend Elliot thinks there is a ghost haunting the B&B; he's excited about the possibility, but unfortunately a reputation for being haunted is keeping potential visitors away, which means the B&B is in danger. Frankie's Gram's hoarding is also getting to be a problem, plus she seems to be keeping a secret. And Frankie has been paired with her former best friend Jessica-now-Jess to work on a Shakespeare project.

Even though Frankie breaks a few house rules (#10, don't keep secrets), her heart is in the right place, and she discovers that family is more than just the people you're related to by blood.

See also: Pie by Sarah Weeks, A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord, Greenglass House by Kate Milford

Quotes

I look at his face and wonder how many people one person gets in a lifetime. I mean, is there some sort of cap on heart space? (28)

[Gram] says loss is hardest when it's out of order. I don't know. I think loss is always hard. (75)

"Everything's fine, Francine."
Why do grown-ups always say that? No kid really believes them. (123)

Everything feels so complicated now. Like runny watercolors. Like I can almost see what's going on but not really. (142)

"She says everything's okay, but I know it's not." (183)

...my mind feels twisty and my heart feels heavy like my backpack when I have homework in every subject. I don't know what to do with this feeling. It won't fit behind my big toe. (224)

...I tell myself that it's okay. It doesn't matter....But in the part of my heart that hides stuff, it matters. (262) ( )

Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommend: Optional
Grades: 4-7
Mystery/Realistic Fiction

Main character, Frankie, is a 6th grader, who lives with her father and Gram in their family run Bed and Breakfast. After dealing with the loss of her mother when she was younger, she is forced to figure out how she and her family fit together. Recently, there have been rumors about ghosts haunting the B&B and several cancellations from future visitors, but there is nothing suspicious going on, which leaves Frankie and her friend, Elliot, extremely curious. While alll this is going on, she is trying to secretly find a new mom and a wife for her father, try to reconnect with her ex best friend also try to figure out why her father's business is failing.

This book has a lot of different plots going on at the same time. Not sure I would recommend it. If a student has issues keeping track of plots in a story, I would not pass it their way. I think if it was simplified a little, or focused on one or two things, it would be better. ( )