Hazel Stillman is a woman of rare independence and limited opportunities. Born with a clubbed foot, Hazel knows marriage is unlikely, so she devotes herself to teaching at a private girls’ school.
When her uncle offers Hazel a substantial inheritance if she marries, she is offended. What kind of decent man would marry for her money? But when she learns the school might be sold, she knows she must consider all her options.
Duncan Penhale thrives on order and process. He has no interest in marriage, so when Elliott Mayfield, his guardian’s brother, offers him an inheritance if he weds, Duncan finds it intrusive. However, an inheritance means he could purchase a building and run his own accounting firm.
Hazel and Duncan believe they have found a solution to both of their problems: marry one another, claim their inheritances, and then part ways to enjoy their individual paths. But then Uncle Mayfield stipulates that they must first live together as a couple for one year.
Over time, their marriage of convenience becomes much more appealing than they had anticipated. At the end of the full year, will they go their separate ways or could an unlikely marriage have found unsuspecting love?
Josi’s top 10 Christmas list, in very particular order:
10. The Christmas Season
9. Singing Christmas songs at church
8. Wrapping presents
7. October 15th, when I buy all the presents online
6. The nativity
5. Christmas Afternoon when we watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy
4. December 26th, when I put away all the Christmas decorations
3. Christmas eve dinner by candlelight
2. Christmas Morning when we open the presents
1. Thanksgiving
P.S. Yes, I’m also super fun at parties. 🙂
—Josi
About the Author
Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and credits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and has written thirty-three novels, one cookbook, and several short stories since then. She is a four-time Whitney Award winner, including two Novel of the Year awards for Lord Fenton’s Folly and As Wide as the Sky and a Best of State winner in Fiction. She writes her national women’s fiction under the pen name of Jessica Pack (say Josi Kilpack really fast and you’ll see why she chose it). Josi currently lives in Northern Utah and is the mother of 4 wonderful kids. For more information about Josi or her books, please visit her blog, What is a Sundial In the Shade?
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