Two years ago this Christmas, Sadie Bennett's beloved husband was killed in a tragic accident at the local sawmill. What was once her favorite time of year now haunts her, with its cheerful trappings a cruel reminder of the love she lost. The young widow would like nothing more than to hibernate until the festivities are over. When she finds herself assigned to the committee tasked with picking a Christmas tree for the town square of Little Hickman Creek, she begrudgingly agrees but determines to fulfill her duties to the bare minimum.

As the search for a suitable tree gets under way, Sadie is dismayed to learn that one of her fellow committee members is a man she's worked hard to avoid. Reed Harris owns the local livery, and while he's friendly enough good-looking, too Sadie isn't ready to invest in another relationship. In fact, she may never be ready, unless a Christmas miracle manages to thaw her frozen heart.

You are cordially invited to summer on New York State's idyllic Fire Island.
Thirty miles of golden sand:
No traffic. No tourists. No trash.

The city elite gather here every year, trailing kids, their nannies, wine and seafood imported from Manhattan: hard workers need their playtime.

Take the Parkers and the Weinsteins. Lauren and Jen hold sway on the beach and the tennis court. Their husbands are childhood friends bearing grudges as deep as they are secret.

Their lone single friend, Rachel Woolf, is looking to meet her match, whether he's the new tennis pro - or someone else's husband. She's not picky.

And while this season starts out quietly as any other, it soon changes when beneath the boardwalk, a body is found.

No one is claiming to be a good person . . . But is someone actually capable of murder?

'A truly moving, uplifting story about love, connection and finding the courage to start over' - Rowan Coleman 'The perfect holiday read' - Josie LLoyd What are you most afraid of . . . ? Gemma is terrified of slowing down, because if she does, she'll have to admit how lonely she's felt since losing the love of her life. So she fills her days with work and taking her dog, Bear, to comfort young patients at the local hospital. That's enough, isn't it? Dan is scared of anyone getting to know the real him. He's the life and soul of every party, but he's certain that if people find out what he's done, everything will fall apart. Casey is Dan's twelve year old daughter - though they barely know each other. She's starting four weeks of treatment for a benign tumour, and is scared this summer could be her last. When Gemma, Dan and Casey meet one scorching July, the connection is instant. Yet they're all used to protecting themselves from heartbreak by keeping their distance. Now that fate - and a small, scruffy terrier - have brought them together, can they find the courage to connect? A story of bravery in all its guises, Eva Carter's Owner of A Lonely Heart is about taking the plunge even when it frightens you - because it's never too late to find the people who make your world make sense. 'Sensitively and beautifully written. This is a book that will stay with you after the last page is turned' - Milly Johnson