First published 2023
Brenda Malloy discovered her husband's affair when their dog swallowed another woman's underwear on Christmas Eve. One year later, she volunteers with a Houston dog rescue and arranges to drive twelve rescued dogs to their new families in Avalon, New York. The cross-country trip offers the perfect excuse to avoid Christmas entirely. Brenda dismisses her friends' concerns about the two-thousand-mile journey. She knows the route and just wants to escape the holiday chaos. A fierce blizzard changes everything. When one dog escapes during the storm, Brenda meets Adam Bellamy, a single father and paramedic who helps her search. The weather forces her to stay in Avalon longer than planned. As Brenda delivers each dog to its forever home, she watches families reunite with their new pets. The joy she witnesses begins to soften her resolve against Christmas. Despite her determination to remain detached from the season, the small mountain town and its residents slowly draw her in. Adam's kindness complicates her plans to leave quickly. The dogs she transports become unlikely guides back to hope and connection.
Genres: fiction, romance, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, second-chance
Setting: Avalon, Houston, New York
Period: Christmas
254 pages · Kindle Edition · William Morrow