Book excerpt: With forty right around the corner, a small-town woman is content with her quiet life until a silver fox of a single dad walks through the door and sweeps her off her feet. Tending bar and helping out around the Northern Star Lodge gives Nola Kendrick something to do evenings and weekends and allows her to meet new people. From the moment Ian Emerson checks in, it’s clear he’s not going to be just another guest. She’d given up on ever finding love, but suddenly she’s longing for things she’s never wanted before. Ian’s kids are busy young adults and he's looking forward to spending quality time with them, so he books a week-long snowmobile trip in Maine before they head off to their mom's for Christmas. But when the beautiful woman checking them in sets his blood on fire, he knows this vacation is going to be more than he’d bargained for. There’s no denying the chemistry between them and as the clock ticks toward his checkout time, neither wants to say goodbye. Are they caught up in the holiday spirit, or is it love at first sight? Spend your holidays at the Northern Star Lodge in this standalone Christmas novella set in the world of the reader-favorite Kowalski Family series from New York Times Bestselling Author Shannon Stacey.