When Annie was 18 and Joe was 20, they planned to get married due to a surprise pregnancy. After losing their baby, Joe felt such guilt that he committed himself to the church and became a priest (known fondly by his parishioners as Father What-a-Hunk). Annie took his abandonment hard and became a bit loose, never giving her heart when she gave away her body.
Joe, now 35, has never been able to commit himself fully to the church, as he still has feelings for Annie. His decision to leave the church was not taken lightly, though his mother and grandmother give him a hard time about it.
Joe pursues Annie with vigor (particularly funny is when he sings "Annie's Song" to her at his best friends wedding, much to her mortification) and he tries to reconcile with her. But Annie has never forgiven him for deserting him when she needed him most. He takes a job that will put him in close proximity of her, and sparks fly. Of course, Joe's Mother, Sophia has plans for her now single son - to marry a nice Italian girl, and Annie does not fit into her plans.
As they slowly get to know each other again, and Joe constantly professes his love to a very reticent Annie, both realize that they cannot relive the past if they are to carve out a future.
The premise of this book had me so looking forward to it, but I was a little let down - I was expecting more tension between the leads, and more challenges to overcome besides their meddlesome parents. I also got a little tired of all the Yiddish and the overuse of the term "oy" - I found it annoying and somewhat stereotypical.
Overall, they are likeable characters and it is a fun book to read, and provides readers with an update on Mary and Dan from "The Trouble With Mary."