Swept Away (Sixteenth Summer #3)

Mandy Sullivan enjoys her life in Rocky Point, Maine, where she lives with her mother, who works in the library in the town, and her older brother Justin. Her father passed away when she was young. She has a best friend, Cynthia, who is going to spend the summer at theater camp, but all is not lost; regular summer visitors Patti and Joanna are just as fun to hang out with at the variety of summer celebrations that the town has. Cynthia is the Lupine Queen, and at the flea market that takes place during the Lupine Festival, Mandy sees a very cute boy hanging out with local recluse, "Freaky" Farmingham. Their eyes meet, and Mandy is instantly smitten. She's not even sure how long the boy will be around, but when he comes to the lighthouse where Mandy's mother is making her volunteer, he strikes up a conversation with her. Oliver's very interested in history, so comes to visit Mandy most days. He finally asks her if she would like to work on a project with him. The two meet at his grandfather's house and make a scale model of the lighthouse, known locally as the Candy Cane. Mandy doesn't want to tell her mother that she's spending time at the Farmingham's, but Rocky Point is a small town, so she finds out. Of course, "Freaky" is anything but, and is a good cook and generally welcoming to Mandy. Oliver and Mandy hang out, go to local sites, and finally share a sweet kiss. They spend a lot of time together, although they do have one squabble about what activities they should do. Mandy is unfairly mad, and apologizes, and the two decide that they need to be honest with each other. The Candy Cane is is need of funding, and since it is now a place dear to both of their hearts, both Mandy and Oliver throw themselves into working to find funding. When Cynthia comes home from camp, Mandy hopes that she and Oliver will get along, but they seem to hate each other. When Mandy finds out a secret about a local painter who created the iconic painting of the lighthouse, she hopes that this will lead to a way to fund the lighthouse. It's clear that when summer is over, Oliver will return with his mother to California. Mandy and Oliver spend their days trying to enjoy every moment, and share a sweet goodbye.