Into Spring is a spirited look at the lives of young women who are gay and comfortable with the knowledge of their sexuality. This novel is an introspective story of women who are coming to terms with their strengths and weaknesses and overcoming personal struggles and allowing their love to flourish.
Cassie and Spring, the main characters, meet in very specific circumstances: Cassie is in her late twenties, working on her Ph.D. and needs to observe and write a paper on a young boy, Ryan, who has high-functioning Asperger’s, a form of Autism. She has been contracted by her faculty mentor, Dr. Grainger, and an overbearing, manipulative parent, Roger Hobbs, to accompany Ryan for 3 weeks where they live and work with a special teacher for Ryan, Spring.
Spring, a former college professor (and colleague of Elaine’s) occasionally does consulting work with Autistic students by using her Newfoundland dogs for therapy. She has sheltered herself in her beach wonderland where she has built a lively mix of friends, whom Cassie and Ryan come to adore.
Both women are immediately attracted to each other, but, as befits a romance novel, love is never smooth sailing. Each woman has a troubling past. Cassie grapples with the remnants of mis-diagnosed childhood epilepsy that left her over-medicated as a child and young woman. She fights to be strong and the kind of woman to whom Spring would be attracted. Four years ago, Spring’s life companion died and Spring is still grieving. And there was the unfortunate incident at the university which caused the Spring to be asked to leave her faculty position.
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