I got to do something really fun recently: I sat down for a chat with actors Andie MacDowell and Chyler Leigh. The occasion was the Season 2 premiere of their Hallmark show, The Way Home, in which the pair play a mother and daughter repairing their relationship after family trauma and many years of estrangement. The fun twist? There’s a magical, time-traveling pond involved.

We talked about the show, Hallmark, motherhood and the challenges and rewards of aging. For one thing, after you read it, you’ll actually look forward to going gray — so thank you for that, Andie MacDowell.

Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor

“2023 was a wild, crazy, beautiful, educational, amazing year for reading,” writes Emily Weaver. “We were swept away to glistening sandy beaches along the East Coast, to our country’s breathtaking (but sometimes eerie) national parks, to charming small towns, and bustling big cities. We read about awkward threesomes, heart-wrenching breakups, and the most adorable meet-cutes.” So she decided to ask what the authors of those excellent reads are looking forward to in 2024. Go ahead and lock in those pre-orders!