Christmas for One

Prowse’s unsatisfying fifth No Greater Love contemporary (after A Little Love) pulls romance out of the ashes. Meg Hope’s life has shattered more than once. She spent childhood bouncing between foster homes; in early adulthood, her fiancé died in an accident, leaving her pregnant. Now Meg and her four-year-old live above the London bakery Meg works in, and the owners have taken her in as a near daughter. Meeting American architect Edward Kelly sparks a fairy tale romance, but after so much rejection and loss, Meg has difficulty believing in fairy tales. Prowse spins gorgeous details of food and culture on two continents, but inconsistent characterization and an obnoxious leading man drain this Christmas confection of its tasty flavor. (Oct.)