Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Gabriel is in Troping to find the girl who captured his attention from merely a picture thousands of miles away. For weeks he’s been pretending to be her book club bestie online, and now that he’s fallen in love it’s time to come clean.
Warning: What do a librarian, a stranger, and a town full of Christmas cheer have in common? It’s the perfect holiday treat to cozy up with! Find out if these two can share secrets and still meet under the mistletoe.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter One
NOEL
I pull out my phone to check my messages the second I exit my parents’ house. My parents live close to downtown, so I can walk to work each day. Today is my first day, and I am so excited. I’m finally a full-time librarian, whereas before I was only a volunteer. Hence why I still lived at home. My mom and dad would give me small jobs to do for their accounting firm to earn some extra money on the side while I took some online college classes.
I’m pretty sure they didn’t want me to go away to college any more than I wanted to leave Troping. I love it here, and even though I may not have been born in this town, I was raised here. This place is where my parents adopted me when I was only a few days old. I don’t think they could have hidden the fact that I was adopted, not with my wild red hair, green eyes, and all my curves.
It’s a stark contrast to them, but it never mattered. They are my mom and dad, and I’ll never see them any other way. Even if they can be a bit overbearing at times. Not in a controlling way, but my mom can be nosy. Today she even packed my lunch, which I’m thankful for, but I’m also twenty.
I’ve been volunteering at the Troping library since I was old enough to read. Mrs. Kringle would give me small tasks at first, and the older I got, the more she would let me do. I thought there was no way I’d be asked to take over her position when she retired, but I could run the place in my sleep. Whenever Mrs. Kringle wasn’t there, I could do everything she did, but I was sure everyone would think I was too young.
When both Mayor North and Mrs. Kringle pulled me in for a meeting and asked if I would take over, I almost screamed with excitement, yet I somehow managed to keep it together.
A message pops across my screen, and of course it’s my mom. This is what I mean by overbearing. She stuffed me with breakfast and kissed my cheek before I went out the door, and she’s already texting me. I’m not even all the way down our sidewalk yet.
Mom: Have a great first day! Love you. See you tonight.
Me: Love you too.
She’s so full of it because we both know I will not see her tonight. I bet all the icicles in Troping that she’ll end up at the library at some point this afternoon. I smile when I see I have a text from Snow.
Snow: You’ll do great
Me: Thanks
Me: Did you read it?
Snow: Of course I read it.
Me: Why aren’t you saying something?!
Is she trying to kill me with suspense? I met Snow in an online book club. I have one in Troping that’s in person, but sometimes a girl needs a few book clubs. I read a lot, and I want to talk about what I’m reading all the time.
Snow and I hit it off quickly and switched over to texts. She’s always asking me for book recommendations and then reads them all. This time, though, I sent her something I was working on. I don’t know why I started writing, but I read so many romance books that I started to crave to have something with my own touch on it. I don’t think I have some big passion to write, I’m just yearning for a romance to call my own. The downfall to a small town is there aren't a lot of romantic options unless you're willing to date someone that someone else you know already dated. No thanks.
Snow: The heroine. She’s you.
Me: Maybe.
I don’t know why my face warms with a blush when I admit that, but I suppose it’s personal. Although I share everything with Snow. It’s crazy how quickly we got close even if it’s only ever been through our phones.
Snow: Your hero is dominant.
I snort a laugh at that.