Empty Words - Paul Mercy

  Jonathan Summit has always lived in the world of ideas-grand, beautiful, impossible ideas. But when a reckless friend crosses a line, a department's future hangs in the balance, and a young woman from another country begins to change the way he sees everything, Jonathan is forced to confront a truth he's long avoided: ideas alone can't shape a life.

  As friendships shift and loyalties are tested, Jonathan must decide what kind of man he intends to become-and what he's willing to stand for when the world stops telling him. Guided by a mentor at the end of his career and a woman who sees the light in him even when he can't, he steps into a future he never expected to face.

  Empty Words is a novel about love, responsibility, and the quiet courage it takes to grow up. It asks what we owe to each other, what we owe to ourselves, and whether hope can still matter in a world that prefers the easy answer.