Imagine, as so many burned-out suburbanites do, leaving the corporate rat race behind to renovate and run a charming inn or bed-and-breakfast in the countryside. Widower Steve Allen did just that when his only daughter headed off to college. He sold their large family home and his business, bought a run-down inn in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire (pop. approximately 500), and learned by doing. He spent the next decade mastering the art of innkeeping.

In this engaging memoir of following one’s dream, readers will follow Steve’s journey as he attempts to bring his rustic luxury aesthetic to the secluded White Mountains of New Hampshire. In a seemingly counterintuitive move, he turns a faded property and faltering business into a successful Select Registry- Distinguished Inns of North America by catering to a previously underserved market. Travelers seeking a premium high-end room at the inn appreciate the fine French/Refined American dining, Wine Spectator Award-winning cellar, and other special amenities Steve provides.

The extensive remodel included the bold step of creating the Dream Cottage, Steve’s personal idea of the perfect romantic getaway suite and light-years away from a grandmother’s fussy, Victorian-style room so common at other B&Bs. The epitome of relaxed, timeless chic, the sexy Dream Cottage was lovingly constructed by local craftsmen and features every creature comfort in an idyllic natural setting. In a perfect fairy-tale ending, Steve finds true love along the way after hosting numerous proposal weekends, weddings, and honeymoons, culminating in a fairy-tale wedding for Karen and Steve at the Sugar Hill Inn.