Book ~ "The Girl Who Chased the Moon" (2011) Sarah Addison Allen

From Amazon ~ Emily Benedict has come to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realizes that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re a way of life: Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbor, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, not only wishing to satisfy the town’s sweet tooth but also dreaming of rekindling the love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily’s backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

Emily is 17 and her mother has recently died.  She has to live in a small town with her only relative, her rich old grandfather who she'd never met or knew existed.  Emily's mother had left town in the midst of a scandal right after high school.

Julia had been an outcast in high school and bullied by Emily's mother.  Twenty years later, Emily and Julia are neighbours and is one of Emily's few friends.

Sawyer is still sniffing after Julia ... they had a one night stand in high school and neither has forgotten each other even though both have moved on and away over the last 20 years.
 
Without giving any spoilers, here are something of the things I had a hard time with:

• Emily's wallpaper in her bedroom keeps changing
• The Coffey men can't go out after dark and try to keep it a secret as to why
• Emily's grandfather is a giant who keeps looking in the dryer
• Sawyer has a special craving for sweets

The ending wrapped up too cleanly for me.  Plus this story was too "magical" for me. I guess it's not my kind of book.

I enjoyed the writing style and that's why kept me going.  I doubt I'll read any more of her books, though.