Sylvia Moore returns to Dickens during the annual Christmas in July festival, hoping to land the New England location for a new Christmas romance movie. She knows the town will award only one filming permit a year but is confident the deal’s in Santa’s bag. After all, she’s the hometown girl with the hometown advantage. But her rival, Chase Ellis, is also in town, and he’s out to grab the Dickens location for a movie, too, working the locals and smooth-talking the town council. This is a familiar snowy path and Sylva ponders whether to confront or avoid him. They’re both staying at Holly Hill Inn, so avoiding him—and his molten chocolate brown eyes—is impossible. Then Chase proposes a sweet as Christmas candy deal. When that falls through, Sylvia counters with a deal of her own. Both know their reputations and careers are on the line. Sylvia assures her boss the contract is in her Christmas stocking. Chase knows if he loses, he risks future jobs for his newly formed company. And if that isn’t enough, the competition takes on an unexpected twist when the two sneak kisses that could scorch even the hottest of days during the Christmas in July festival.

A star-crossed, holiday romance story of young love, old love, holding on, and letting go. During the summer of 1989, Jenny Anderson meets Ben Matthews during a beach vacation with their families. Fresh out of high school and ready to get on with life—Jenny to Penn State in the fall and Ben to work for his uncle at Dickens Hardware—they didn’t expect to fall in love. But love-at-first-sight happens anyway. This long-distance relationship doesn’t deter them. After a summer of love letters and clandestine trips in the fall, Ben asks Jenny’s father for her hand in marriage over Thanksgiving weekend. Much to Jenny’s horror, her father angrily denies his request. That’s when Ben and Jenny devise a plan to elope, enjoy a Christmas honeymoon in the mountains, and settle into life in Dickens, the Christmas Village. Jenny hopes her parents will come around, finally give their blessing, and welcome Ben into the family. But plans go awry when Ben’s truck breaks down not far out of Dickens. The young couple takes refuge from a fast-approaching snowstorm at an old farmhouse with elderly occupants. The pause in their getaway causes Jenny to have doubts—until she witnesses first-hand the power of love and the magic of Christmas.

Sometimes all we need is to believe. Ariana Angelo's blog specializes in "all things Christmas, all year long." While traveling New England in search of the perfect Christmas village, she lands in Dickens amid the town's Christmas festivities—and a snowstorm. She's delighted and giddy with holiday cheer and can literally feel the magic of the season in her bones. Matt Matthews—owner of the century-old Dickens Hardware—dislikes the season, despite all the Christmastime holiday hoopla. He's all about regular business, not a holiday ornament or tree trimming bauble to be found in his store. The holiday triggers unwanted memories, so he avoids the festivities—and the people—as much as possible. While she set out to find the perfect Christmas village, Ariana instead finds the town Scrooge. Will two days snowbound together at the historic Holly Hill Inn bring them closer together on their holiday differences, or send them each on their merry way?

Krissy Kringle’s dream of owning her own business and settling into a community with her ten-year-old daughter, Merry, came alive when she moved to the Christmas village of Dickens. The dream happened with hard work, sacrifice, and a bucket-load of luck—but Kringle’s Diner now exists, and business is booming, even if she is beyond weary doing the work of three people. So, she hires a man who frequents the diner. He needs the work, or so it seems. Thing is, he comes with a huge Bernese Mountain dog named Prince, who takes up residence in the corner booth every day with Merry. Krissy tells herself she can deal with it—help in the kitchen trumps a few dog germs. Right? Contrary to popular belief around Dickens, Max Alexander (aka Alex Maxwell) is not homeless, but royalty. Alexander Henrik Vincent Maxwell III, Prince of Beldova, heir apparent to the throne, is searching for something. Incognito, of course. That “something” is Krissy. Twenty years earlier, as awkward pre-teens, the two shared a magical summer vacation on a lake in upstate Wisconsin. The next year, both their lives changed forever. Finding Krissy, Alex thinks, may help him ground him before he takes a permanent step toward becoming King. They happily work together for several weeks, and their attraction for each other grows, but Alex doesn’t tell Krissy he is the boy from the lake. He understands her need for community with the security of home. His future is uncertain. When he must abruptly leave Dickens and return to Beldova, he gifts Prince to Merry and Krissy, with a promise to return. A rapid unraveling of withheld truths entangles their shared reality like Christmas lights dumped in a box. Can they untangle the omissions and half-truths—along with their feelings for one another—and recover the magic of that one special summer by Christmas?