Christmas on Mistletoe Lane

Rains (One Last Kiss) charms with this Christmas-themed contemporary series launch about a hard-nosed former Marine turned police officer and a vulnerable up-and-coming interior decorator. Kaitlyn Russo left New York City after she was fired for protesting a celebrity client’s unwanted advances. She hopes to start over with a B&B her grandparents left her in the quaint town of Sweetwater Springs, N.C. Turns out she’s not the only heir: the other is Mitch Hargrove, who is just finishing up a stint in the military and has no intention of staying in Sweetwater. To make matters worse, they must jointly run the business for two months or lose it to charity. Mitch agrees to stay on temporarily, but soon he’s hoping to stay forever—if Kaitlyn is amenable. This first installment of Rains’s Sweetwater Springs series is cozy and most enjoyable. A strong cast of supporting characters (especially Kaitlyn’s bestie Josie and cappuccino-reading fortune-teller and fudge-maker Dawanda) as well as expert characterizations and strong plotting will have readers looking forward to future installments. Agent: Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literary. (Oct.)