A star-crossed, holiday romance story of young love, old love, holding on, and letting go.   During the summer of 1989, Jenny Anders meets Ben Matson on a family beach vacation on the North Carolina Outer Banks. Fresh out of high school and ready to start their new lives—Jenny to Penn State in the fall, and Ben to work at the family hardware store—they didn't expect to fall in love.   But love-at-first-sight happens anyway.   The long-distance relationship doesn't deter them. And after a summer of love letters and clandestine trips in the fall, Ben travels to Philadelphia for Thanksgiving with Jenny's family and asks for her hand in marriage. Much to Jenny's horror, her father angrily denies his request.   Ben and Jenny devise a plan to elope, enjoy a holiday honeymoon in the mountains, and settle in Ben's hometown in the Adirondacks, the Village of Charmington. Jenny slips away in the night on Christmas Eve, certain her parents will come around and welcome Ben into the family.   But plans go awry when Ben and Jenny argue, and a snow squall prevents them from getting to the judge. The young couple take refuge from the snowstorm in a farmhouse with an elderly couple. The pause in their getaway causes Jenny to have doubts about their elopement—until she witnesses 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?

"I can't do this, Will. I can't fake my way through the holidays just to make our families happy. We both know our happily-ever-after is a farce." "You could if you tried, Ava. It's not that difficult to be nice to each other. We used to do it all the time." "We used to be in love, Will." "We still could be." Ava stared at him. "What are you saying? You want to call off the divorce?" "I'm saying that I don't think we are through, Ava. Not yet."   Can a couple on the verge of divorce find romance again during their last Christmas holiday at Holly Hill Inn?   Will and Ava Cohen were wildly in love—five years ago. Today, they are ships passing in the night, two professionals driven to reach the pinnacle of their professions. When Will steps in the door of their restored brownstone in Brooklyn each evening, Ava is already on stage at the Gershwin, playing the role of Glinda in Wicked.   They've decided to call their marriage quits—but not until they spend one more Christmas holiday together with their families at Holly Hill Inn. Traditionally, the family arrives in New York, and they all take the Christmas train to Dickens together. Will and Ava plan to share their news on the train ride back home.   That was the plan, anyway.   As the Christmas spirit of Dickens and the Holly Hill Inn spins around them, Ava and Will start looking at each other differently, and both begin to wonder if they've been too hasty in deciding to divorce. Have they really thought this separation through? But the train is about to leave the station, and neither are sure if they can halt it—or if they should.   Will this really be their last Christmas at Holly Hill Inn?