Jane Solomon has spent years putting everyone else first. Between her job at the local supermarket, caring for her struggling mother, and helping raise her teenage brother, there is precious little time left for herself. Writing a mystery novel is her private dream—and entering a competition for aspiring authors could finally change her future. But with Christmas carols everywhere and responsibilities piling up, Jane can hardly imagine life becoming more complicated.
Then Hal Muir arrives in Little Penhaven. A former successful gym owner from California, Hal is trying to escape a painful past and work out what comes next. He claims he is writing a novel, but his carefully constructed story begins to unravel when he meets Jane, a woman who understands how difficult writing can be—and is not easily fooled.
As the festive season brings the village together, sparks fly between two people who are far less different than they first appear. Yet Jane has enough doubts about her own future, and Hal has reasons for keeping his past buried.
Can two aspiring writers help each other find the courage to start again? This heartwarming Cornish Christmas romance is full of village friendships, unexpected attraction, and the possibility that the most wonderful gift of all is a chance to choose yourself—and love.