Joy To Paul's World

She's a new widow, very pregnant, and carrying around a truck load of guilt.

He's an accountant, carrying a truck load of bitterness over his dream of publishing a novel having been hijacked.

A cozy cabin resort in the Ozarks is the perfect place for each to seek peace. That is, until they recognize each other…

*****

Debbie Tanner didn't plan to make a stop in between her hometown in Ohio and her cousin's home in Texas, but the beauty of the Ozarks tempts her into finding a place to rest there for a few days. Two weeks away from giving birth to her first child, she figures she has time. And if she's going to continue feeling as unwell as she has the past couple of days, she'd rather do so in a place that feels homey.

Paul Furillo happens to show up at the Crazy Quilt Cabins resort within minutes of Debbie… and he recognizes her on sight. Not understanding why a woman so obviously pregnant should be alone, he nevertheless offers to help her if the need arises.

In exchange for his kindness, he gets hit with sharp words and Debbie's cabin door slammed in his face. Her response is as much, he knows, as he deserves.

But they are neighbors for a time, and have too much history together to ignore. They tentatively step into each other's lives, though Debbie feels hurt when she discovers a big secret that Paul is keeping from her.

Or so she believes.

At the same time, Debbie struggles with guilt over her husband's death six months earlier, and Paul is having to continually fight the hatred he feels toward his only sibling, his older brother Lenny, undeservedly his parents' favorite.

But these aren't the only things Debbie and Paul hide in their hearts.

The elderly owner of the resort, Phyllis Campbell, along with her sister, Barbara Wendell, and their grand niece, Angie Parker, stand on the sidelines and watch the couple with growing concern.

Then, the snow hits. Angie panics. Her great aunt Phyl soon follows suit. Because if Debbie goes into labor, not only will an EMT not be able to drive out there, but a large tree has fallen over the entrance to the resort.

No one can drive in or out of it.

An unexpected phone call from Lenny to Paul and an increasingly dangerous swirl of storm must force every secret out into the open… especially when Angie and Phyl's fear becomes reality…

*******

This Christian holiday romance novel is the first in author Emily Josephine's four-novel series, "Crazy Quilt Cabins Christmas." It's a friends-to-lovers romance that is sure to warm your heart.