How to Hide in Plain Sight BY Emma Noyes

In The Wedding Fortress, Eliot Beck returns to Canada for her older brother’s wedding after a three-year absence. She’s left behind her boisterous, loving family and her chaotic past to build a new life in Manhattan, where she immerses herself in work. Despite her affection for her eccentric family, Eliot has good reasons for her self-imposed exile—primarily her struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder, which she fears could resurface if she reveals her past.

Eliot braces herself for the four-day wedding extravaganza, convinced she can handle the whirlwind of family interactions. However, her resolve is tested when she encounters Manuel, her childhood best friend and the one person she tried hard not to fall for—but did. Manuel's unexpected presence at the marina is a jolt to her carefully constructed stability.

As the wedding festivities unfold, Eliot’s carefully guarded emotional barriers begin to crack. The joy and chaos of the event, coupled with Manuel’s reappearance, threaten to unravel the fortress she has built around her heart and mind. Her struggle to keep her OCD at bay while confronting unresolved feelings for Manuel becomes a poignant backdrop to the celebration.

The Wedding Fortress is a beautifully tender exploration of family dynamics, love, and the personal battles that test our strength. Eliot’s journey through the wedding and her emotional turmoil offer a heartfelt examination of how the bonds of family and love can both challenge and heal us.