Elise Harper has spent years climbing the corporate ladder in Chicago; early flights, late nights, and a phone that never stops ringing. Success is what she wanted... or at least, what she thought she wanted. But when a holiday business trip goes sideways and a snowstorm strands her at a rustic mountain inn, Elise finds herself in a world far removed from deadlines and boardrooms.

At Hollow Pines, time slows. Pine trees stand heavy with snow, the lake freezes into glass, and the locals gather beneath twinkling lights to sing carols and share cocoa by the fire. Amid the stillness, Elise begins to remember what it feels like to truly breathe; and to wonder if the life she's been chasing is the one she's meant to keep.

Then there's Jake; the inn's steady, quietly charming maintenance man whose calm strength seems to anchor everyone around him. As the snow keeps falling and the holidays draw near, Elise finds herself questioning everything: the job waiting for her in the city, the promotion she's worked years for, and whether her future might just belong here in the mountains, beneath the glow of the porch tree... and maybe, with Jake.

Dianna Aubin is a passionate storyteller and explorer at heart. Whether she's immersed in a captivating book, hiking scenic trails, tending to her garden, or traveling to new places, she finds inspiration in the world around her. When she's not writing, she enjoys unwinding with her husband over video games and spending time with her two playful cats. Her love for adventure, creativity, and nature shines through in everything she does.