Mistletoe the Line

Five years of crosswords. One fake boyfriend. Absolutely no feelings for the fire chief.

Every weekday at 6:50 a.m., Fernhollow's fire chief Marcus Bell sits on the end stool at Priya Nair's café, drinks from the chipped blue mug nobody else is allowed to touch, and helps her finish the crossword. They've done it for five years. Priya keeps a secret list of his almost-smiles. Marcus has never said one word about anything that matters.

So when Priya volunteers to bring back the town's beloved solstice skating party, the last thing she expects is Marcus standing up in front of the whole committee and saying no. The millpond isn't safe, he says, and he won't say why. Agatha Pruitt bangs her snowflake gavel and makes them co-chairs.

Then Priya's mother arrives for Christmas with a "surprise": a handsome orthodontist from Halifax with perfect teeth and a secret of his own. His offer is simple: pretend to date until New Year's, and both their mothers will finally leave them alone. It's a flawless plan. Then a snowstorm strands Priya and Marcus overnight in the old warming hut, and the fire chief starts behaving like a man who has a few things to say after all.

Mistletoe the Line is a cozy friends-to-lovers Christmas romance with fake dating, a snowed-in night, a jealous fire chief, an entire fire department with a plan, and the longest night of the year. Warm, fade-to-black heat and a guaranteed happily-ever-after.

Each Fernhollow Seasons book is a standalone with a new couple, the same town and a new festival.