Snowfall on Cedar Trail (Sweetwater Springs #3)

Rains makes a delightful return to tiny Sweetwater Springs, N.C. (last seen in Springtime at Hope Cottage), in this sweet Christmas-themed contemporary. Halona Locklear’s got more than enough on her plate: in addition to running the charmingly named Little Shop of Flowers, she’s a single mother raising a young son, Theo, who developed mutism following his father’s untimely death. The holidays have been hard for police chief Alex Baker since his father’s hit-and-run murder 11 years earlier. After Alex joins a new youth mentoring program, he’s matched with Halona’s son. Though Halona and Alex initially fight their attraction, they finally give in, and all is bliss—until Alex hides important information from Halona and a violent criminal from Alex’s past targets him. Rains paints a moving portrait of Theo’s difficulties and Alex’s grief as they try to get into the Christmas spirit. The plot only falters around the supposed motivation for the murder of Alex’s father, which is hard to believe in. Rains highlights the happily-ever-afters of past books, making even new readers feel like residents catching up with the town gossip and giving romance fans plenty of sappy happiness. This edition includes a novel by Miranda Liasson, not seen by PW. Agent: Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literary. (Oct.)