First published 2010
Beth Cardall rushes through a Christmas Day blizzard in 1989, her world crumbling around her. Her six-year-old daughter Charlotte suffers from a mysterious illness that doctors cannot identify. Her marriage has collapsed into betrayal and pain. Her job at the dry cleaners hangs by a thread. At a 7-Eleven, she meets Matthew, a striking stranger who seems to know intimate details about her life. He pursues her with relentless determination. Beth falls deeply in love with this mysterious man, only to discover his incredible secret that transforms everything she believes about the world and her own fate. For eighteen years, Beth keeps this secret locked away. Now, on Christmas Eve 2008, she prepares to reveal the truth that has shaped her destiny. Her story explores how love can transcend the boundaries of what seems possible, even amid profound loss and pain.
Genres: romance, mystery-thriller, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: second-chance, secrets
Setting: 7-Eleven
Period: 1989, 2008, Christmas
334 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: medical-trauma