After years of dreaming, Jessica is finally getting married, but the marriage isn't exactly what she thought. Daniel is her best friend, and she's known him all her life, but he's never gotten over losing his wife two years ago. His dream is to become the pastor of the church in their hometown, but the small-town congregation keeps balking over calling an unmarried minister. Since Daniel needs a wife and Jessica wants a husband and family, she proposes an arrangement that benefits both of them. They can get married. They can build a life together. They can celebrate Christmas as a couple. It's fine that he doesn't love her. And it's fine that she's not exactly suited to be a small-town pastor's wife. And it's fine that she's more attracted to her sexy, brooding husband every day. Jessica can be practical about this marriage. She knows what she's getting into, after all... This book includes fully-developed sex scenes between a husband and wife.

Alice Grantham lost her fiancé and her job, so she’s had to come home to Willow Park to live with her parents. To recover some sense of independence and security, she’s cobbled together different part-time jobs, including one as assistant to the pastor of her hometown church. Nothing seems to be going right for her. Even Micah, the pastor’s brother and the first boy she ever loved, is standoffish with her now. Micah has always been a prodigal son, but now he’s trying to put that lifestyle behind him. Then a five-month-old daughter he never knew existed is dropped on his doorstep, the result of one of his many one-night stands. He needs help from Alice to care for his daughter, but he can’t let himself hope for anything more from her than that. He can’t help but want it, though…

For years, Lydia has dreamed of overseas mission work, the way some women dream of getting married. How ironic that she needs a husband to finally make it happen. She's always been practical, however—even if it means a marriage-of-convenience so she can finally do the work she’s called to do. Gabe needs a wife at exactly the right time. Plus, he’s kind of hot. After a spectacularly failed marriage, Gabe isn't looking for a wife. He and his nine-year-old daughter are doing just fine on their own. But he's happy to negotiate a practical arrangement with Lydia in order to move into a new and more rewarding job. After all, a marriage like theirs won't end up changing his life very much. They both have their priorities, and marriage just isn't one of them. But their carefully planned relationship doesn’t exactly go as planned...

Abigail has been separated from her husband for almost two years. After a marriage that brought her only insecurity, she seeks a life now of peace and independence with their six-year-old daughter. Thomas wants to put their marriage back together, because he liked the wife he used to have, but she never wants to be that person again. She might need his help with their daughter and start to enjoy his company again, but she just can't trust him with her heart. Even when she discovers that her heart still wants him for a husband.

After being married for just six months, Sophie's journalist husband, Mark, was captured by a Syrian rebel group and held for more than two years. Now that he has finally returned home, he's like a different person. She hardly knows him anymore, and he keeps pulling away from her. She tries to be patient and support Mark in any way he needs, but it just gets harder and harder. With another Christmas in Willow Park fast approaching, Sophie and her husband need to get to know each other once more so they can both heal. And so they can fall in love again.