by Sarah Sundin
First published 2026
Maggie Oliver stares at empty stages and dwindling budgets in wartime San Diego. The USO director must create a Christmas spectacular for thousands of sailors with almost no resources and time running out. She takes a desperate gamble on Prescott Duke, a former Hollywood leading man whose career collapsed after an accident left him physically and emotionally scarred. Duke jumps at the chance to perform again, hoping the stage might restore what the war took from him. Drawing inspiration from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and classic Christmas carols, they begin crafting their production at a local Shakespearean theater. As rehearsals intensify, Maggie uncovers a secret that could completely transform their show. Romance blooms between the unlikely collaborators, but opening night looms and the pressure mounts. Maggie faces a crucial choice about how much she will risk to save not just the production but everyone counting on its success.
Genres: romance, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adult, adult-fiction
Vibes: dramatic, emotional, heartwarming, inspirational, romantic
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, second-chance-romance, slow-burn
Setting: San Diego, Hollywood
Period: World War II, Wartime, Christmas
208 pages · Paperback · Revell
Content warnings: physical-abuse, war