Author: Irene Vartanoff
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 0998526908
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 190
Book Description
“I have a girlfriend,” he said. “Several, in fact.” He didn’t pretend to misunderstand what I’d asked. “What I need is a friend. Will you be my friend, Abbie?” My heart sank. The friendzone speech. I withdrew my hand. I should have known better. Sean might have some genuine interest in friendship, or he might be the kind of guy who denies he could ever be hot for a curvy girl. I’d met both kinds. I’d seduced my share, too, but today I didn’t have the heart for the struggle. I didn’t want to start myself down the same old path of wanting more than a man wanted to give me. Plus-sized soprano Abbie Fisher has a great opera career and a lousy love life. Dieting down a hundred pounds hasn’t changed her luck with men. Sexy baritone Sean Grant friendzones her—dashing her hopes for a romance—as they intimately rehearse the opera Tosca in Baltimore. Lots of touching to raise her temperature, and yet she’s supposed to keep her hands off. But then Sean snatches kisses and flirts with her, anyway. Is he pursuing a romance with her after all? What does he want from her? Confused and angered by Sean’s sexy overtures, Abbie consults her trusted Tarot cards before taking a bold step that could resolve her romantic dilemma—or break her heart. This novel is a stand-alone story and also Book 2 in the Singers in Love series about love, opera, and (maybe) the supernatural. A sweet contemporary romance with a hint of steam, much talk of food and dieting, and an upbeat happy ending. Enter the world of opera through the eyes of a woman in love. The Singers in Love Series: Haunted Tenor Friendzoned Soprano Defiant Diva
Friendzoned Soprano
Author: Irene Vartanoff
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 0998526908
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 190
Book Description
“I have a girlfriend,” he said. “Several, in fact.” He didn’t pretend to misunderstand what I’d asked. “What I need is a friend. Will you be my friend, Abbie?” My heart sank. The friendzone speech. I withdrew my hand. I should have known better. Sean might have some genuine interest in friendship, or he might be the kind of guy who denies he could ever be hot for a curvy girl. I’d met both kinds. I’d seduced my share, too, but today I didn’t have the heart for the struggle. I didn’t want to start myself down the same old path of wanting more than a man wanted to give me. Plus-sized soprano Abbie Fisher has a great opera career and a lousy love life. Dieting down a hundred pounds hasn’t changed her luck with men. Sexy baritone Sean Grant friendzones her—dashing her hopes for a romance—as they intimately rehearse the opera Tosca in Baltimore. Lots of touching to raise her temperature, and yet she’s supposed to keep her hands off. But then Sean snatches kisses and flirts with her, anyway. Is he pursuing a romance with her after all? What does he want from her? Confused and angered by Sean’s sexy overtures, Abbie consults her trusted Tarot cards before taking a bold step that could resolve her romantic dilemma—or break her heart. This novel is a stand-alone story and also Book 2 in the Singers in Love series about love, opera, and (maybe) the supernatural. A sweet contemporary romance with a hint of steam, much talk of food and dieting, and an upbeat happy ending. Enter the world of opera through the eyes of a woman in love. The Singers in Love Series: Haunted Tenor Friendzoned Soprano Defiant Diva
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 0998526908
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 190
Book Description
“I have a girlfriend,” he said. “Several, in fact.” He didn’t pretend to misunderstand what I’d asked. “What I need is a friend. Will you be my friend, Abbie?” My heart sank. The friendzone speech. I withdrew my hand. I should have known better. Sean might have some genuine interest in friendship, or he might be the kind of guy who denies he could ever be hot for a curvy girl. I’d met both kinds. I’d seduced my share, too, but today I didn’t have the heart for the struggle. I didn’t want to start myself down the same old path of wanting more than a man wanted to give me. Plus-sized soprano Abbie Fisher has a great opera career and a lousy love life. Dieting down a hundred pounds hasn’t changed her luck with men. Sexy baritone Sean Grant friendzones her—dashing her hopes for a romance—as they intimately rehearse the opera Tosca in Baltimore. Lots of touching to raise her temperature, and yet she’s supposed to keep her hands off. But then Sean snatches kisses and flirts with her, anyway. Is he pursuing a romance with her after all? What does he want from her? Confused and angered by Sean’s sexy overtures, Abbie consults her trusted Tarot cards before taking a bold step that could resolve her romantic dilemma—or break her heart. This novel is a stand-alone story and also Book 2 in the Singers in Love series about love, opera, and (maybe) the supernatural. A sweet contemporary romance with a hint of steam, much talk of food and dieting, and an upbeat happy ending. Enter the world of opera through the eyes of a woman in love. The Singers in Love Series: Haunted Tenor Friendzoned Soprano Defiant Diva
Haunted Tenor
Author: Irene Vartanoff
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 0996840389
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 199
Book Description
He's her brother's best friend. He thinks she's a stalker. There's a ghost involved. Kathleen Grant, a newcomer to the opera world, falls hard for hot tenor JC Vasquez, her brother's best pal. But things get very awkward when a ghost repeatedly forces her to interfere with JC's performances in the opera Don Carlo. Only JC can see her ghostly transformations, and he thinks she's deliberately stalking him. They soon become romantically entangled despite JC's hostility, but Kathleen can't stop the compulsions pushing her on stage. Now she's in danger of being fired from her job at the major New York City opera house. How can she prove to JC that the ghost is controlling her actions? And what does the ghost want?
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 0996840389
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 199
Book Description
He's her brother's best friend. He thinks she's a stalker. There's a ghost involved. Kathleen Grant, a newcomer to the opera world, falls hard for hot tenor JC Vasquez, her brother's best pal. But things get very awkward when a ghost repeatedly forces her to interfere with JC's performances in the opera Don Carlo. Only JC can see her ghostly transformations, and he thinks she's deliberately stalking him. They soon become romantically entangled despite JC's hostility, but Kathleen can't stop the compulsions pushing her on stage. Now she's in danger of being fired from her job at the major New York City opera house. How can she prove to JC that the ghost is controlling her actions? And what does the ghost want?
Cleaning Her House
Author: Irene Vartanoff
Publisher: IRene Vartanoff
ISBN: 0998526959
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 383
Book Description
Publisher: IRene Vartanoff
ISBN: 0998526959
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 383
Book Description
Second Chance Reunion
Author: Irene Vartanoff
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 0996840354
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 202
Book Description
Beware of second chances! Gothic romance in the classic tradition: an isolated mansion, a brooding hero, a strong heroine—and another man equally haunted by the tragedy of the past. Which man holds the key to the heroine's future happiness? Hollywood film editor Sara Finer has loved brilliant movie director Lucas Steel from afar for years. She finally has a chance to win his heart when she's sent to his New Mexico desert retreat, but there's a catch. Lucas abandoned his career after the accidental death on location of his ex-wife. Sara's mission is to convince him to finish the film—a hot-button issue made hotter by the sudden appearance of his bitterest rival. Two tortured men fighting over the haunting memory of a long-dead lover—and over Sara's love and loyalty today. This stand-alone sweet contemporary romance tackles predatory Hollywood behavior past and present. Contemporary Hollywood angst in the Gothic tradition of Daphne du Maurier's classic Rebecca—with a much happier ending.
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 0996840354
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 202
Book Description
Beware of second chances! Gothic romance in the classic tradition: an isolated mansion, a brooding hero, a strong heroine—and another man equally haunted by the tragedy of the past. Which man holds the key to the heroine's future happiness? Hollywood film editor Sara Finer has loved brilliant movie director Lucas Steel from afar for years. She finally has a chance to win his heart when she's sent to his New Mexico desert retreat, but there's a catch. Lucas abandoned his career after the accidental death on location of his ex-wife. Sara's mission is to convince him to finish the film—a hot-button issue made hotter by the sudden appearance of his bitterest rival. Two tortured men fighting over the haunting memory of a long-dead lover—and over Sara's love and loyalty today. This stand-alone sweet contemporary romance tackles predatory Hollywood behavior past and present. Contemporary Hollywood angst in the Gothic tradition of Daphne du Maurier's classic Rebecca—with a much happier ending.
Hollywood Superheroine
Author: Irene Vartanoff
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 1734080744
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 185
Book Description
How am I supposed to keep my new job in Hollywood when my father insists on summoning me to his universe over and over? I'm a storyboard artist, not a bodyguard, but Diabolical Dave McCay demands that I protect pioneer feminist actress Judy Anthony as she campaigns for women's rights in his retro society. Why are clowns attacking an activist actress, anyway? Are these mere pranks, or something more serious? Why aren't there other superheroes in Dave's universe? And in my own universe, how can I fend off the advances of my charming but pushy new boss, a powerful Hollywood director? PG-rated nonstop comic book style adventure set in two universes, with plenty of super-powered battles and recognizable classic comic book scenarios—and some iffy romance thrown in. This novel can be read as a stand-alone story. Other adventures in the Temporary Superheroine series are also stand-alone stories. CHARACTERS IN THIS NOVEL: Chloe Cole: Reluctant female superhero, possessor of superpowers, snarky 26-year-old with parent, career, and love life issues. Diabolical Dave McCay: Maverick comic book artist, man who wants the modern world to be like it was in 1962, troublemaking genius who has access to great power. Jason Dellon: Hollywood success story, entirely too focused on starting a personal relationship with his new young employee—Chloe. Judy Anthony: Oscar-winning actress running for the presidency of the Screen Actors' League, she's campaigning for women's rights. Michael Ellsworth: Studio head opposed to Judy Anthony and to women's rights, could he be the secret instigator of the Sad Clowns? The Sad Clown Society: Supposedly Hollywood actors against Judy Anthony's campaign for women's rights. They disguise themselves as clowns and disrupt her speeches. Are they for real? FBI Agent Shelly: He's the agent in charge of protecting Judy Anthony. Behind his stoic facade, what is he thinking? Whose side is he on? Jovial Jerry Fine: Beloved elderly icon of the comic book world, benign but skeptical participant in fast-paced adventures, would any superhero story be complete without him? The Temporary Superheroine series of novels all feature Chloe's super-powered adventures: Book 1 Temporary Superheroine Book 2 Crisis at Comicon Book 3 Hollywood Superheroine
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 1734080744
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 185
Book Description
How am I supposed to keep my new job in Hollywood when my father insists on summoning me to his universe over and over? I'm a storyboard artist, not a bodyguard, but Diabolical Dave McCay demands that I protect pioneer feminist actress Judy Anthony as she campaigns for women's rights in his retro society. Why are clowns attacking an activist actress, anyway? Are these mere pranks, or something more serious? Why aren't there other superheroes in Dave's universe? And in my own universe, how can I fend off the advances of my charming but pushy new boss, a powerful Hollywood director? PG-rated nonstop comic book style adventure set in two universes, with plenty of super-powered battles and recognizable classic comic book scenarios—and some iffy romance thrown in. This novel can be read as a stand-alone story. Other adventures in the Temporary Superheroine series are also stand-alone stories. CHARACTERS IN THIS NOVEL: Chloe Cole: Reluctant female superhero, possessor of superpowers, snarky 26-year-old with parent, career, and love life issues. Diabolical Dave McCay: Maverick comic book artist, man who wants the modern world to be like it was in 1962, troublemaking genius who has access to great power. Jason Dellon: Hollywood success story, entirely too focused on starting a personal relationship with his new young employee—Chloe. Judy Anthony: Oscar-winning actress running for the presidency of the Screen Actors' League, she's campaigning for women's rights. Michael Ellsworth: Studio head opposed to Judy Anthony and to women's rights, could he be the secret instigator of the Sad Clowns? The Sad Clown Society: Supposedly Hollywood actors against Judy Anthony's campaign for women's rights. They disguise themselves as clowns and disrupt her speeches. Are they for real? FBI Agent Shelly: He's the agent in charge of protecting Judy Anthony. Behind his stoic facade, what is he thinking? Whose side is he on? Jovial Jerry Fine: Beloved elderly icon of the comic book world, benign but skeptical participant in fast-paced adventures, would any superhero story be complete without him? The Temporary Superheroine series of novels all feature Chloe's super-powered adventures: Book 1 Temporary Superheroine Book 2 Crisis at Comicon Book 3 Hollywood Superheroine
Dance at the Beach
Author: Irene Vartanoff
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 1736384821
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 221
Book Description
Aerospace engineer Linda Winthrop loves her post-divorce life. Her kids are grown and her ex is someone else's problem, so she's free to live as she chooses, dividing her time between her career at NASA and surfing on the Florida coastline. But when she goes to Cape May, New Jersey, to urge her elderly mother to move to a safe retirement complex, Linda runs into unexpected opposition. And what might be romance with another surfer. Dan Decatur, surfer dude grown up into a respectable business owner, is tired of the Los Angeles beach scene, but he never expected a visit to family in Cape May would lead to an argumentative relationship with feisty Linda. And something more. But what? They're both just visiting Cape May. They live on opposite coasts. How can they be together? Should they be together? Linda and Dan are both supposedly free, but are they? As surprising new family obligations pop up, Linda and Dan each have to reconsider their priorities and their next steps. Is it possible for them to be happy and also do the right thing? The Romantic Mid-Atlantic series of romantic women's fiction titles in chronological order (each is a stand-alone story): Cleaning Her House How They Met (And What Happened Next) Life Is Too Short Dance at the Beach
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 1736384821
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 221
Book Description
Aerospace engineer Linda Winthrop loves her post-divorce life. Her kids are grown and her ex is someone else's problem, so she's free to live as she chooses, dividing her time between her career at NASA and surfing on the Florida coastline. But when she goes to Cape May, New Jersey, to urge her elderly mother to move to a safe retirement complex, Linda runs into unexpected opposition. And what might be romance with another surfer. Dan Decatur, surfer dude grown up into a respectable business owner, is tired of the Los Angeles beach scene, but he never expected a visit to family in Cape May would lead to an argumentative relationship with feisty Linda. And something more. But what? They're both just visiting Cape May. They live on opposite coasts. How can they be together? Should they be together? Linda and Dan are both supposedly free, but are they? As surprising new family obligations pop up, Linda and Dan each have to reconsider their priorities and their next steps. Is it possible for them to be happy and also do the right thing? The Romantic Mid-Atlantic series of romantic women's fiction titles in chronological order (each is a stand-alone story): Cleaning Her House How They Met (And What Happened Next) Life Is Too Short Dance at the Beach
Celia's Challenge
Author: Irene Vartanoff
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 1736384805
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 69
Book Description
A novella. When rich, reclusive, cat-loving Celia Thorsen is forced by her mother’s will to interact directly with the world, her life changes in a big way. As she takes her first reluctant steps, she constantly consults her priest and rails against her situation. She also seeks advice from the redoubtable Long Island activist, Dorothy Duncan, about how to create the no-kill cat shelter the will demands. Celia navigates setting up a nonprofit business with handsome new employee Noah Spangler, also a pet lover. When she discovers her Manhattan co-op board intends to oust all the pet owners in the building—including her with her two cats—Celia forges a friendship with another co-op resident, attractive Randolph Whitney, who has a large dog. Together, they plan to foil the board. New work, a new battle to fight, and two new men in her life. Because of a will. A novella. Celia’s Challenge is a novella sequel to Summer in the City and a prequel to A Daughter’s a Daughter. After Summer in the City: Remember Celia Thorsen, the sulky grown daughter of Senator Thorsen in Summer in the City? Remember how outraged she was that her elderly (he was seventy!) father had taken up with another woman soon after his wife’s death? Celia was a sad case: divorced and alone (except for her cats), without a career and living on a trust fund, and angry at her father for wanting to find happiness late in life. She didn’t present a pretty picture. Celia obviously was unhappy. In Summer in the City, as long as she got out of the way of her father’s plans and didn’t make a public scene, that was enough. But couldn't Celia find a better future for herself? Celia's Challenge is the next chapter in her life story. Before A Daughter's a Daughter: Remember Dorothy Duncan? She was Pam Ridgeway's difficult mom in A Daughter's a Daughter. Before Dorothy retired from her busy life as an activist, she helped many people. In this novella, Dorothy is still in her prime, mentoring Celia. Every life story has an arc. Celia's is finally on the ascendant in Celia's Challenge. Summer in the City Celia's Challenge A Daughter's a Daughter
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 1736384805
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 69
Book Description
A novella. When rich, reclusive, cat-loving Celia Thorsen is forced by her mother’s will to interact directly with the world, her life changes in a big way. As she takes her first reluctant steps, she constantly consults her priest and rails against her situation. She also seeks advice from the redoubtable Long Island activist, Dorothy Duncan, about how to create the no-kill cat shelter the will demands. Celia navigates setting up a nonprofit business with handsome new employee Noah Spangler, also a pet lover. When she discovers her Manhattan co-op board intends to oust all the pet owners in the building—including her with her two cats—Celia forges a friendship with another co-op resident, attractive Randolph Whitney, who has a large dog. Together, they plan to foil the board. New work, a new battle to fight, and two new men in her life. Because of a will. A novella. Celia’s Challenge is a novella sequel to Summer in the City and a prequel to A Daughter’s a Daughter. After Summer in the City: Remember Celia Thorsen, the sulky grown daughter of Senator Thorsen in Summer in the City? Remember how outraged she was that her elderly (he was seventy!) father had taken up with another woman soon after his wife’s death? Celia was a sad case: divorced and alone (except for her cats), without a career and living on a trust fund, and angry at her father for wanting to find happiness late in life. She didn’t present a pretty picture. Celia obviously was unhappy. In Summer in the City, as long as she got out of the way of her father’s plans and didn’t make a public scene, that was enough. But couldn't Celia find a better future for herself? Celia's Challenge is the next chapter in her life story. Before A Daughter's a Daughter: Remember Dorothy Duncan? She was Pam Ridgeway's difficult mom in A Daughter's a Daughter. Before Dorothy retired from her busy life as an activist, she helped many people. In this novella, Dorothy is still in her prime, mentoring Celia. Every life story has an arc. Celia's is finally on the ascendant in Celia's Challenge. Summer in the City Celia's Challenge A Daughter's a Daughter
Summer in the City
Author: Irene Vartanoff
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 0986125261
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 389
Book Description
It's summer in New York, and everything is possible all over again for three Baby Boomer women. Three Old Friends...Three Summer Dreams When long-married Susan meets younger man Michael, all her sensible plans for a dream summer in New York derail. Sharing a Manhattan co-op with her dear friend Rona and working as an unpaid senior intern for a romance publisher suddenly aren't enough to distract Susan from her powerful yearning for the handsome Wall Street mathematician who is so eager for intimacy with her. While Susan struggles with her surprising new desires, college professor Rona is devastated by the renewal of her secret love affair years after the adulterous liaison ended in heartbreak. Once Bev shows up unexpectedly from Boca, surprises, secrets new and old, and tangled relationships among old friends play out against the background of second chances one summer in the city. New York, 2004, when "Sex and the City" on cable television set many women to dreaming about living a glamorous big city life. Fireworks abound and secrets are revealed when three old friends reunite for a summer in a New York City co-op. Keywords: women's fiction, heartwarming mature heroine, secret baby adoption, cougar romance, hoarding, girlfriends friendship, Boca bitch, marriage fatigue adultery separation divorce, romance in New York City, romance publishing, senior intern, women's friendship
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 0986125261
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 389
Book Description
It's summer in New York, and everything is possible all over again for three Baby Boomer women. Three Old Friends...Three Summer Dreams When long-married Susan meets younger man Michael, all her sensible plans for a dream summer in New York derail. Sharing a Manhattan co-op with her dear friend Rona and working as an unpaid senior intern for a romance publisher suddenly aren't enough to distract Susan from her powerful yearning for the handsome Wall Street mathematician who is so eager for intimacy with her. While Susan struggles with her surprising new desires, college professor Rona is devastated by the renewal of her secret love affair years after the adulterous liaison ended in heartbreak. Once Bev shows up unexpectedly from Boca, surprises, secrets new and old, and tangled relationships among old friends play out against the background of second chances one summer in the city. New York, 2004, when "Sex and the City" on cable television set many women to dreaming about living a glamorous big city life. Fireworks abound and secrets are revealed when three old friends reunite for a summer in a New York City co-op. Keywords: women's fiction, heartwarming mature heroine, secret baby adoption, cougar romance, hoarding, girlfriends friendship, Boca bitch, marriage fatigue adultery separation divorce, romance in New York City, romance publishing, senior intern, women's friendship
Life Is Too Short
Author: Irene Vartanoff
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 1734080760
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 356
Book Description
Lifelong friends facing the future after cancer, Kathy, Eileen, and Charlotte are each dealing with complex family relationships and emotional issues. Kathy’s husband is a serial cheater. Eileen’s mother keeps telling her she’s not wonderful like her sister. Charlotte still aches from losses of years ago. This is their second chance, the moment when they can make important life changes before it’s too late. As they take up the challenge of finding hidden treasures at a family beach house in Cape May and back home in the affluent Washington, DC, suburb of Bethesda, Maryland, these best friends discover shocking family secrets as well as new strengths in themselves. Their story entwines with those of Steve, an old friend with a mystery he’s trying to solve, and much younger Brian, whose army career has been his whole focus until he faces a life-changing dilemma. What must each of them do to take the next bold step to happiness?
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 1734080760
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 356
Book Description
Lifelong friends facing the future after cancer, Kathy, Eileen, and Charlotte are each dealing with complex family relationships and emotional issues. Kathy’s husband is a serial cheater. Eileen’s mother keeps telling her she’s not wonderful like her sister. Charlotte still aches from losses of years ago. This is their second chance, the moment when they can make important life changes before it’s too late. As they take up the challenge of finding hidden treasures at a family beach house in Cape May and back home in the affluent Washington, DC, suburb of Bethesda, Maryland, these best friends discover shocking family secrets as well as new strengths in themselves. Their story entwines with those of Steve, an old friend with a mystery he’s trying to solve, and much younger Brian, whose army career has been his whole focus until he faces a life-changing dilemma. What must each of them do to take the next bold step to happiness?
How They Met (And What Happened Next)
Author: Irene Vartanoff
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 1734080787
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 317
Book Description
A Fish Out of Water It's culture clash when suburban Maryland widow Lauren Nash attends a house party in the West Virginia mountains to please her daughter, Wendy, and get a break from the stress of a pending lawsuit plus an in-law’s weird demand for a family heirloom. Wendy’s almost-engagement to Brandon Rawlings won’t become official until his mother approves of Wendy and her family—and his mom quickly makes her disapproval clear. So does her brother, Gary Murphy, who challenges Lauren in a hostile manner over politically charged topics. Lauren can’t flee soon enough, but a sudden snowstorm traps them all on the mountain, upending her relationship with Gary and Wendy’s with Brandon. As Lauren and Gary grow closer, Wendy and Brandon grow apart. Once the snowy roads are cleared and everyone goes home to their normal lives and problems, will new relationships blossom or wither? Shocking family secrets, a missing heirloom, culture clash, and a hike in a life-threatening snowstorm combine to make one wintry December memorable. --- Readers of Cleaning Her House will meet old friends in this story, the second in the timeline of stand-alone novels set in the extended Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Life Is Too Short is the third in the timeline.
Publisher: Irene Vartanoff
ISBN: 1734080787
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 317
Book Description
A Fish Out of Water It's culture clash when suburban Maryland widow Lauren Nash attends a house party in the West Virginia mountains to please her daughter, Wendy, and get a break from the stress of a pending lawsuit plus an in-law’s weird demand for a family heirloom. Wendy’s almost-engagement to Brandon Rawlings won’t become official until his mother approves of Wendy and her family—and his mom quickly makes her disapproval clear. So does her brother, Gary Murphy, who challenges Lauren in a hostile manner over politically charged topics. Lauren can’t flee soon enough, but a sudden snowstorm traps them all on the mountain, upending her relationship with Gary and Wendy’s with Brandon. As Lauren and Gary grow closer, Wendy and Brandon grow apart. Once the snowy roads are cleared and everyone goes home to their normal lives and problems, will new relationships blossom or wither? Shocking family secrets, a missing heirloom, culture clash, and a hike in a life-threatening snowstorm combine to make one wintry December memorable. --- Readers of Cleaning Her House will meet old friends in this story, the second in the timeline of stand-alone novels set in the extended Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Life Is Too Short is the third in the timeline.