Most people don’t have a nemesis, but I do. His name is Rafe Archibald. On the first day of kindergarten, he stole my chocolate cupcake. In sixth grade, he won the big essay contest, while I ended up runner-up. All through high school, he was my academic rival, and in college he dated all my friends. After graduation, I hoped to be rid of him at last, but he moved into the apartment across the hall. He’s always around. Inescapable. Constantly infuriating me with his too-long hair, his laid-back attitude, and his smug smile. Just when I think it can’t get worse, it does. Our grandmothers start meddling. They decide we must be secretly in love and concoct a matchmaking scheme. When my grandmother announces she’s inviting all her friends and family to her huge country estate for an old-fashioned holiday house party, I’m excited about a two-week break from running into Rafe in the hallway, at the coffee shop, and at our favorite bar. Then there he is. At my grandmother’s house for Christmas. In the room across the hall. Their set-up won’t work. I’ve developed a lifetime’s worth of resistance against Rafe’s dubious charms. Sure, I might slip and fall into bed with him, but that’s an accident and won’t happen again. And, even if it does, it still won’t touch my heart. After all, the last thing a smart woman should do is fall in love with her nemesis.

When I arrive at a luxury spa resort for a much needed vacation, the last person I expect to find is my best friend's grumpy older brother. Carlton got his heart broken years ago and has been jaded and reclusive ever since. He might be at the resort to work, but I'm here to relax, and I'm not going to let his obnoxiousness get in my way. Only it's hard to relax when he's around. He's much too good-looking, and he's always been able to rile me up. I shouldn't go out of my way to taunt and bicker with him, but he's too tempting a target. I can't help it. Then we accidentally end up in bed together, and the situation gets even more complicated. Because now we have to go back home to Green Valley and pretend it never happened. There has to be a limit to the mistakes I make with Carlton. An unwise vacation fling is one thing, but I'm not going to fall in love with the man. That would be the biggest mistake of all.

When I return to my hometown for Christmas, I have only two goals. Spend time with my family and discover the identity of my mystery pen pal. I'm not interested in holiday festivities or reconnecting with old acquaintances, specifically grumpy, infuriating Theo Humphrey For the past two years, I've been traveling the country in my tiny house, building a substantial social media following and recovering from the death of my fiancé, who died three weeks before our wedding day. Now I'm feeling more myself, and I want to find out who has been writing me anonymously for more than a year. Our online correspondence has become one of the best things in my life, and I'm determined to follow the clues to unravel this mystery. My plans keep getting disrupted by Theo. He was the best friend of my former fiancé, but he's never liked me. He always thought I was too frivolous and superficial to be a good match for his friend. Now he's always around, glowering and muttering sarcastic comments and generally making a nuisance of himself. My priority should be revealing my secret pen pal, but instead all I can think about is Theo.