Melissa Eversoll Burgess never wanted to marry her first husband, but keeping the peace in her family seemed worth the cost at the time. Now both her husband and father are dead after they were caught up in a string of crimes, and she’s ready to start a new life with her mother in a place called Hope Hollow. But when she is introduced to handsome farmer, Garret Pearce, as his soon-to-be bride, she's reluctant to enter into a marriage agreement with him. How can she ever trust any man with her battered heart again? Garret Pearce came to Oregon three years ago to homestead, thinking he would be bringing a new bride with him, but fate dealt him a mighty blow. Entering a marriage of convenience with Melissa isn't part of his plans, but how can he say no to his good friend who made the arrangement, especially when the young, pretty widow is expecting a baby? Keeping his heart from being torn in two is going to be the challenge of his life. One that he just might lose. Will Melissa and Garret be able to look past each other's mistakes and find their own happily every after? Welcome to Hope Hollow, Oregon, a place where hope abounds for the downtrodden and weary, and where peace and love abide amidst life’s trials. ***Warning: sensitive topics such as domestic abuse and familial suicide are mentioned as past experiences for Melissa and her mother in the story, though the author has made every effort to keep the focus on the development of the main characters' relationship with each other in this sweet romance.