At fifty-five, Madeline Harper faces an unexpected plot twist in her own life, much like the romantic tales she pens. Once a celebrated romance author, she now confronts a crumbling marriage and a career at the brink of collapse. Her latest manuscript is rejected, and her agent delivers an ultimatum: reinvent your writing or risk fading into obscurity.

She’s 43 years old…and starting over from scratch. How did this happen? She had it all together. A stable marriage of two decades. Two grown daughters. And now she and her husband, empty nesters, were moving to a beach house. Until he showed up late one night and tore their marriage apart. A secret life. A different woman. Another family. Left alone, she has to begin again. And then her estranged sister and mother get thrown into the mix. When she buys a house on a small South Carolina island, will she learn what life is really about?

I NEVER wanted to be a daredevil. Even as the 49-year-old adult that I am, I still don’t want to ride a roller coaster or jump out of a perfectly good airplane. And I don’t understand people who want to do those things—even my lifelong best friend. And yet, here I am, holding a list of daredevil-ish things in my hand at my best friend’s will reading. I am SO going to get her back for this in the afterlife. So, my outgoing, adventurous best friend decided to leave me her estate but only if I completed her bucket list. HERS, not mine

Josie Campbell has spent her entire adult life distancing herself from her childhood in the small Southern town of Happy Harbor. Growing up with an alcoholic mother who was either absent or scandalizing the town with her antics, all Josie ever wanted was to escape to somewhere no one knew her. Now, she finally has it all—a great job, a condo in one of Atlanta’s most desirable areas, a successful fiancé, and her daughter, Kendra, enrolled at a top-rated school. But when that life falls apart, and her beloved nana dies, Josie is forced to return to the one place she never wanted to visit again.

Savannah Greene enters The Baking Games with a clear goal: win the $200,000 prize and secure her sister’s future. But her plan quickly crumbles when she discovers the competition includes her ex-boyfriend, Connor, who still harbors a grudge, and Rhett Jennings, her biggest rival from culinary school. Thrown together in a luxurious mansion under the constant gaze of cameras, Savannah finds herself part of an unexpected plot twist—a fake relationship with Rhett to boost their popularity with viewers. As they navigate this pretend romance, the lines between reality and performance blur.

Indy Stone is a well regarded professional therapist with her life all planned out. She's spent her life trying to escape her dysfunctional upbringing in Peach Valley. But when fate intervenes and causes her to return to her hometown with a huge responsibility on her shoulders, she never expects it to change her entire life. Through all of her hard times, there was always one bright spot in Peach Valley, but he disappeared years ago. Or did he?

Kyle Parker never expected to see her again, and now he’s standing on her front porch with a foreclosure notice in his hand. Jenna can’t believe her eyes. Her life is a mess, her daughter is depending on her, and the one person who can wreck the rest of her day is standing there with a pink slip of paper in his hand.

Mia Carter's life has always been about her family and their charming bed and breakfast in the idyllic Blue Ridge Mountains. When her mother passes away, Mia is left to run the Sweet Tea B&B alone. But a routine DNA test changes everything. Mia discovers she has a sister named Kate, who lives in Rhode Island. The sisters meet for the first time at the will reading and are shocked to learn that their mother's final wish was for them to run the B&B together.

Samantha Parker is picking up the pieces of her life—and a pen to sign divorce papers—after she finds out her husband has been cheating on her and the other woman is expecting his child. While the idea of leaving town and starting over is appealing, Sam's only option is to head back to her childhood home of Cocoa Beach, Florida, to help her recently widowed mother run their family inn. Can she go home and start her whole life over at forty-three?

When the Chambers sisters receive an invitation from their jet-setting aunt to spend the entire month of December at the family's cabin in Asheville, North Carolina, they have one question—why? The retreat, tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains, may be the site of many happy childhood holidays and summers, but it also holds sad memories. The sisters and their aunt have spent twenty-five years avoiding the cabin and renting it to strangers. Why would Aunt Elizabeth want her "dearest darling" nieces to put their busy lives in three different states on hold and spend a month in the mountains?

It’s the flight before Christmas and Molly just got an unexpected gift: a free first-class upgrade on her plane trip home for the holidays. Bring on the complimentary cocktails! But after one too many, she spills all her secrets to the hot guy seated next to her—only to wake up mortified when her buzz has worn off. At least she never has to see Liam again ... or so she thinks. When Molly arrives at Christmas House, the festive rental home that she and her family are sharing with her sister’s fiancé and his wealthy family, she discovers that Liam is one of the new in-laws. Oops.

When mystery author D. B. Ziegler is late delivering her book, Abi Schore steps in to help. Surely she can give her favorite author moral support over the holiday break and get the manuscript to her boss at Tea & Sympathy Publishing in time for the new year. When Abi shows up on Ms. Ziegler’s doorstep bearing holiday treats, she’s met by the author’s handsome grandson Dov, who reveals a startling plot twist. His grandmother isn’t able to finish the book and Dov promised he’d complete it so fans won’t be disappointed—a task that’s harder than he ever imagined.

Living in a year around Christmas town has its drawbacks. The caroling, the decorations, the insanely cheery spirit, it never disappears. It's why I like to hibernate away in my cave - I mean housekeeping a healthy distance from the holly jolly spirits. And all was going according to plan until my nemesis, Storee Taylor, moved in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Without blinking, she turned my simple world into a real nightmare-before-Christmas, especially when she decided to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest - which she was determined to win.

There's no place like home for the holidays ... especially for Lesley Carver. Life in the big city just wasn't her jam and now she's back in Hickory Falls, working at the family diner and helping her mom after she took a tumble. Lesley longs to build a life here, working at the cafe, selling her handmade ornaments and ... er, apparently reviving her high school crush on her best friend’s older brother. Only one problem, her mom wants her to leave Hickory Falls far behind.

Evie Crowe is starting over in a strange town with her newborn, and men are the furthest thing from her mind. If only the quiet, hulking farmer, Luke Ward, would stop coming into the thrift shop and piquing her reluctant interest. Evie wants to stay single all the way—she can’t trust anything more than friends-with-holiday-benefits. But Luke is in it for the long haul. He’s fixed on making this a Christmas Evie will remember forever. If she gives him a chance.

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read.

Tilly Farriday isn’t feeling very jolly this season. Recently divorced and broke, she’s squatting in one of her rental agency’s properties until her new home is ready. The sprinkles on top of the burnt Christmas cookie that is her life? The new owner shows up early, forcing Tilly to hide in the attic to save her job…and what remains of her dignity.

Clark Griswold was onto something...at least with his annual holiday meltdown. And since the last three weeks of my life have been riddled with humbug—another breakup, a broken toe, an office promotion I deserved and didn’t get—I’m not at all in the mood to celebrate nor have the happ, happ, happiest Christmas EVER.

After a snowstorm grounds her flight, Lucy makes a last-ditch effort to get home for Christmas using a rideshare app. She thinks she’ll be taking a road trip with a stranger...but the guy who shows up is someone she knows all too well. He’s the hookup she ghosted a few months ago, and now she’ll be stuck in a car with him for the most awkward road trip of her life.

After a bad breakup, Nola wants nothing to do with Christmas, especially in her quaint hometown of Bright Harbor, Maine. Infuriatingly charming and cheery, Nola’s surroundings only worsen her sour mood. To make matters worse, Caleb, the boy who broke her heart years ago, is all grown up and still living in town. While doing her best to avoid him, Nola bumps into the local mailman, who gives her a mysterious letter. And when she finds that the writer is a fellow Scrooge, she can’t help but feel her spirit lifting.

At fifty-five, Madeline Harper faces an unexpected plot twist in her own life, much like the romantic tales she pens. Once a celebrated romance author, she now confronts a crumbling marriage and a career at the brink of collapse. Her latest manuscript is rejected, and her agent delivers an ultimatum: reinvent your writing or risk fading into obscurity.

I NEVER wanted to be a daredevil. Even as the 49-year-old adult that I am, I still don’t want to ride a roller coaster or jump out of a perfectly good airplane. And I don’t understand people who want to do those things—even my lifelong best friend. And yet, here I am, holding a list of daredevil-ish things in my hand at my best friend’s will reading. I am SO going to get her back for this in the afterlife. So, my outgoing, adventurous best friend decided to leave me her estate but only if I completed her bucket list. HERS, not mine

Savannah Greene enters The Baking Games with a clear goal: win the $200,000 prize and secure her sister’s future. But her plan quickly crumbles when she discovers the competition includes her ex-boyfriend, Connor, who still harbors a grudge, and Rhett Jennings, her biggest rival from culinary school. Thrown together in a luxurious mansion under the constant gaze of cameras, Savannah finds herself part of an unexpected plot twist—a fake relationship with Rhett to boost their popularity with viewers. As they navigate this pretend romance, the lines between reality and performance blur.

She’s 43 years old…and starting over from scratch. How did this happen? She had it all together. A stable marriage of two decades. Two grown daughters. And now she and her husband, empty nesters, were moving to a beach house. Until he showed up late one night and tore their marriage apart. A secret life. A different woman. Another family. Left alone, she has to begin again. And then her estranged sister and mother get thrown into the mix. When she buys a house on a small South Carolina island, will she learn what life is really about?

Mia Carter's life has always been about her family and their charming bed and breakfast in the idyllic Blue Ridge Mountains. When her mother passes away, Mia is left to run the Sweet Tea B&B alone. But a routine DNA test changes everything. Mia discovers she has a sister named Kate, who lives in Rhode Island. The sisters meet for the first time at the will reading and are shocked to learn that their mother's final wish was for them to run the B&B together.