by Lisa Kleypas
First published 2010
Mark Nolan never expected to become a guardian. When his sister Victoria dies in an accident on a rainy night, he inherits six-year-old Holly, a girl who hasn't spoken since losing her mother. Mark feels unprepared for parenthood, but Victoria's will leaves him clear instructions: love Holly first, and everything else will follow. Holly desperately needs someone who understands her silence and grief. Enter Maggie Collins, who owns a toy shop in Friday Harbor and believes in the power of imagination to heal wounded hearts. Maggie lost her husband after just one year of marriage and has sworn off love, but she recognizes Holly's need for magic and wonder. As Christmas approaches, three broken people find themselves drawn together. Mark learns that caring for Holly transforms him in unexpected ways. Maggie discovers that helping Holly opens her own heart to new possibilities. Holly begins to trust again as the adults around her create safety and joy. Their separate wounds become the foundation for an unlikely family, proving that love can emerge from loss during the season of miracles.
Genres: romance, contemporary-romance, holiday, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Friday Harbor
Period: Christmas
211 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press