First published 2013
Vera Sterling stands in a drafty colonial house on the banks of Addison Cove, Connecticut. She has just spent her severance pay on this rundown property and its old timber barn. The former journalist stayed in her New England hometown after her sister's winter wedding and made an impulsive real estate investment. Inside the barn, she finds a hidden treasure left by the previous owner who once ran the Christmas Barn gift shop. As Vera repairs the creaking floors and broken banister of her wood-sided home, this secret begins to transform the small town. Her discovery particularly affects Derek Cooper, a man whose personal tragedy has made local headlines. Vera falls in love with Derek, but their relationship faces obstacles. When the first snowstorm arrives during Derek's annual Deck the Boats Festival, townspeople become trapped. Vera must unite the community and fight for the heart of the man she fears losing.
Genres: romance, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, cozy, emotional
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Addison Cove, Connecticut
Period: winter
207 pages · Paperback