The trouble with brothers...

Daphne Malone has three of them - a cop, a fireman and a long-haul tucker - all older, all protective to a fault, all convinced that their little sister can’t take care of herself.  She’s twenty-six, for heaven’s sake, not six!

 Okay, it’s true that her career pursuits, not to mention her romantic pursuits haven’t always panned out.  Well, make that never panned out.  But now, diploma in hand, she’s starting a brand-new career in special-effects makeup.  For the moment she’s working as a birthday party clown, but one of the movie studios is going to notice her any day...

 Daphne gets notice, all right - by FBI agent Logan Grant.  They meet in unusual circumstances involving - clown costumes.  If she thinks her brothers flipped out before, wait till Logan ends up hiding in her apartment.  Wait till he becomes her temporary clown partner.  And wait till she falls for him - hard!

Sylvie Shea has lived most of her 26 years Briarwood, North Carolina.  She did live briefly in New York City, dreaming of becoming the next top wedding gown designer.  Something happened there that ruined her chances, soured her on men, and sent her running back to live in a home left to her by her grandparents.  Although Sylvie no longer designs wedding gowns, rumors swirl of a secret gown she’s designed and every bride wants it.  No one has seen it; some think it’s a myth and doesn’t exist.

 Cartoonist Joel Mercer arrives from Atlanta with his daughter, Rianne after his ex returned to that city.  Doubting a sleepy town like Briarwood will provide enough fodder to keep his strip alive, Joel thinks he’ll quit and find a job.  His boss cajoles him to continue his wildly successful syndicated strip depicting singles life.

 Joel has several encounters with his odd next door neighbor, Sylvie Shea.  A lummox dog she’s keeping is forever terrorizing Rianne’s poor cat.  His weird dressing neighbor never seems at a loss for dates with guys who drive hot cars that Joel envies.  He’s intrigued by the rumors floating around town about The Dress.

 His fertile mind begins to weave the dress owner into his strip.  Joel’s boss loves the hilarious episodes he pens of a country cousin who brings a half-finished wedding dress to the big city—presumably in search of a groom.

 When Joel’s daughter begins to spend more time with Sylvie, a very different woman emerges from the one he’s drawn.  Too late, Joel Mercer discovers that fictionalizing Sylvie Shea in his cartoon strip was a huge mistake.  The big question is can he recover and convince all of Briarwood that he loves Sylvie?

Unsolicited Review

"Noelle and the Wise Man" by Roz Denny Fox
Noelle Hale, who runs her family’s Christmas-tree farm in Oregon, has always dreamed of growing the White House tree. The perfect tree. Then newcomer Camden Latimer takes over the farm next door. Will Noelle’s dream blind her to the possibilities of a perfect life?

"One Magic Christmas" by Ann DeFee
Bah! Humbug. Honey Campbell is definitely a bit of a Scrooge. But when a snowstorm strands her at the Magic Tree Farm with the ex-husband she’s never stopped loving—and three kids plus a dog—she just might rediscover the spirit of Christmas!

"Tanner and Baum" by Tanya Michaels
Tanner Waide thought he was meant for bigger things than the town of Mistletoe, Georgia, could offer him. But leaving Lilah Baum was his biggest mistake, and now he’s determined to make it up to her by ensuring that this Christmas—and each one in their future—is absolutely perfect.

Unsolicited Review

The Best Reviews - Harriet Klausner says:
A fun regional romance.  Fans of a fine contemporary will enjoy this delightful Great Smoky Mountain romance.