Jim Sanders is dealing with depression. Still recovering from a broken engagement and desperately needing alone time, the near thirty-year-old plans a two-week biking trip from Lansing to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Dave, Jim's retired neighbor, places a friendly bet that Jim won't be able to keep within a two-hundred-dollar spending budget. Just prior to leaving, Jim espies a tiny silver shoe charm in the grass. Since an image of a beautiful woman comes to his mind whenever he holds the silver stiletto in his hand, Jim decides to stow it safely in his fanny pack for good luck. Hoping to win his parlay with Dave, Jim has no idea just how tricky it will be to keep to their bargain once he meets Sandy Hill.

Roger S. Nelson weaves philosophy and spirituality into his debut biking romance novel. Set during 1996 in Michigan, Nelson centers his third-person plot on a young man's soul searching amid difficult times in his life. While Nelson highlights the subtle nuances (i.e., sights and sounds) of nature on a Michigan bike trail, much of Nelson's plot is filled with conversations between Jim and his imaginary friend, a cricket named Chris. Jim creates Chris for a couple of reasons: to curb his loneliness during the trip and as someone (or something) to help him process his jumbled thoughts as he pieces away at his personal problems. Although intended to offer a bit of narrative humor, readers may find the dialogue scenes a bit disturbing and looking more schizophrenic than comedic, especially when Chris becomes possessive of Jim's attraction to Sandy. Fortunately, Nelson's inclusion of Sandy adds a saner dimension to Jim's life as they engage in religious discussions about love, forgiveness, and personal healing that eventually lead to a happy storyline closure.

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