Christmas is a time of excitement, anticipation, and joy for most people, but not for Kimberly. After enduring her mother’s suicide at Christmas when Kimberly was only twelve, then being jilted in two engagements and publicly humiliated in a divorce after discovering her husband has cheated on her, Kimberly does not trust happiness. She is just hoping to get through her life with no more heartache.

The only person she places any trust in is her father. When Kimberly decides to explore the possibilities of writing a romance novel, Kimberly’s father pays for a writer’s conference that will be held before Christmas. Kimberly commits to attend the conference because her father has paid for it and because an author who once inspired her is scheduled to attend, after 10 years of seclusion.

Arriving at the conference, Kimberly quickly establishes a friendship with Samantha, who is also single. Samantha is a daredevil, ready to try anything and eager to take whatever chances come along. She is the spark that helps Kimberly decide to make the most of the conference by putting her writing out to agents in order to improve what she has already done. This is an opportunity for Kimberly to put a new spin on her life. When an unplanned encounter with Zeke turns into something more, Kimberly steps carefully. She can feel the memory of her mother’s suicide creeping back in to block the happiness that is knocking at Kimberly’s door.

This is a story of resilience and perseverance. Each of Evans’ characters have to deal with the past in order to move toward a happier future. This is a “read in one sitting” kind of book, as are most of this author’s writings. You will not want to break your reading to do anything mundane or routine. You will want to immerse yourself in these characters and their story until the end.