Serenity Tomczyk isn’t dying—she just has anxiety, a WebMD habit, and a cat named Margaret Thatcher. After breaking off her engagement and losing both parents, she retreats into a predictable life of retail shifts, group therapy, and the safety of solitude.
Then a box of passionate letters appears in a dumpster behind her aunt’s home décor shop, and Serenity becomes captivated by the mysterious man who wrote them. Soon, she’s chasing a fantasy 900 miles from Michigan to Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, in search of the stranger she knows only as “Birdy.”
Thrown from her carefully padded comfort zone, Serenity discovers unexpected friendships, uncomfortable truths, and the possibility of love. But when her imagined happy ending begins to unravel, she must decide if holding on—or letting go—is the bravest thing she can do.
With wit, heart, and irrepressible warmth, Love and Other Incurable Ailments is a story about connection, courage, and becoming yourself—just when you thought it was too late.

Praise for Love and Other Incurable Ailments

“When Serenity Tomczyk hauls a mysterious package out of a dumpster, you know things are about to get messy—in the best possible way. Equal parts ballsy and fainthearted, Serenity is a character you can’t help but root for. A smart, satisfying story about reinvention, resilience, and the beauty of beginning again.”

—Kristin Bair, author of Clementine Crane Prefers Not To

“Love and Other Incurable Ailments is a deeply emotional novel that skillfully intertwines personal transformation and romantic mystery. The author’s authentic portrayal of the characters makes their joys and sorrows feel palpable, drawing readers into their world. Linda K. Sienkiewicz avoids the clichés of formulaic romance, instead offering a nuanced exploration of healing, vulnerability, and the surprising ways love can surface later in life. This book is a tender and layered story for readers who gravitate toward character-driven fiction steeped in emotion and human connection. It’s a book that doesn’t just entertain—it lingers.”

—Suzie Housley for Midwest Book Review

“Quirk personified, Serenity Tomczyk is single, health-anxiety disordered, and recently orphaned when she sees a red-haired woman throw a pile of love letters in a dumpster behind her slushy Michigan workplace strip mall. The return address: Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. Serenity falls in love with the letter-writer, and, grieving the loss of her cat, Margaret Thatcher, she does what many of us who grew up in the cold Midwest wish we could do, which is to take the wild risk of moving to a remote island off the Carolina coast. On Ocracoke—beautifully and accurately rendered—Serenity finds acceptance, community, friendship, and love in a place that’s as distinctive as she is. Funny, voice-driven, and heartbreaking, Love and Other Incurable Ailments speaks to the healing power of taking a leap of faith and finding a soft landing in the waves, sands, and salty air of true community.

—Heather Frese, author of The Baddest Girl on the Planet, winner of the Lee Smith Novel Prize

“Love and Other Incurable Ailments is breezy, funny, compassionate, and deliciously sexy. The story welcomes you into an oceanside community full of characters you’ll love getting to know and spending time with. What a delightful book!”

—Lisa Peers, author of Love at 350°, A POPSUGAR Best Book of the Year

“Wow! Wow! Wow! What an absolute delight to read. Love and Other Incurable Ailments by Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a delightfully engaging tale filled with quirky, insightful, and authentic characters. Her work is a booklover’s bacchanal.”

—Diana Muñoz Stewart, #1 bestselling romantic suspense author

“Love and Other Incurable Ailments by Linda K. Sienkiewicz, has it all. Romance. Travel. Quirkiness. Self-discovery. Serenity, the main character, is easy to love and cheer for as she works her way through relationships, issues from her past, and finally accepts her own imperfections as what makes her the unique individual she is. The reader will find herself welcomed into Serenity’s life and community, and like Serenity, the reader will experience the healing power of connection.”

—Kathie Giorgio, author of Hope Always Rises and Don’t Let Me Keep You

“A superbly satisfying novel on every level! I fell in love with Serenity and her meandering, surprising journey toward self-trust. So many of us will see ourselves reflected in this beautifully written character: an imperfect woman yearning for the love and validation she didn’t receive in her childhood. As she navigates her way through her ever-present anxiety and the rest of her complicated inner world—as well as the external world of relationships—she shows us that it’s through accepting all the messy parts of ourselves and our lives that we find the freedom to truly live.”

—Dr. Suzanne Manser, psychologist and author of I Hate You (A Love Letter to My Mother): Healing Paper Cuts, Mother Wounds, and Intergernerational Pain

“A heated love affair on a faraway island. Who wouldn’t be intrigued? That’s the irresistible invitation in Love and Other Incurable Ailments. Meet Serenity. Anything but serene, she begins every chapter with a log entry estimating her ‘chances of survival.’ An accidental discovery takes her on a trip, in search of love, in search of herself. Fortunately for the reader, her destination is Ocracoke Island in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. In this lovingly evoked setting, Serenity re-starts her life. There’s a large cast of colorful characters and plenty of trouble. Looking at the little cottage she’ll buy, she’s told, ‘There’s a fix for everything.’ And there is, for cottages, for ailments, and for broken hearts.”

—Rick Bailey, author of Drop & Add