Christmas Comes to Main Street

Kara Hastings has the Christmas spirit but is a little sad to realize that she is a singleton among many recently engaged couples in Briar Creek, Vt. (last seen in Love Blooms on Main Street). But she also has a lot of hope, because her cookies-only bakery is thriving and her uniquely decorated gingerbread houses are in demand. That’s why Kara bristles at management consultant Nate Griffin’s unsolicited business advice, which seems to mirror her family’s skepticism about her romantic prospects. Nate, a real Scrooge, is reluctantly spending Christmas with his aunt, the local innkeeper, and gets drawn into the town’s over-the-top annual decorating contest. Initially he dismisses his attraction to Kara (despite his aunt’s best matchmaking efforts), thinking she is a rich heiress; she initially funded her business via an inheritance from her father, whereas Nate started with very little and doesn’t think she shares his strong work ethic. These misperceptions are small obstacles to their sweet love story. Readers seeking a peppermint-filled, cozy Christmas contemporary will be satisfied with Nate and Kara’s tale. Agent: Paige Wheeler, Creative Media. (Oct.)