A woman's first Christmas on Martha's Vineyard comes with a mysterious surprise gift in a heartfelt novel that “brims with holiday cheer” (Library Journal). In her cozy rented cottage on Chappaquiddick, novelist Annie Sutton is finally following her dream of living on Martha's Vineyard. As she settles in for her first Vineyard winter, a fierce nor'easter brings high winds and deep snow. But the blizzard also brings something unexpected to Annie's front porch: a baby girl in a basket. The note reads: “I named her Bella, after my grandmother. Please help her, because I can't.” Annie has always been grateful for her adoptive parents who raised her as their own. Yet she now hopes to spare little Bella the feelings of abandonment that still haunt her. Rather than take the baby to the police, Annie tries to find the birth mother, giving her a chance to change her mind. But it's not easy keeping a secret in a close-knit island community, especially amid the bustle of Christmas. Before the holiday ends, there will be revelations, rekindled hope, and proof that families—the ones we are born into and the ones we claim for ourselves—are the gifts that truly matter.

"An injured army veteran. A near-fatal car accident. And a snow-capped Martha's Vineyard Christmas -- the kind that can mend any broken family. Andrew Montgomery is the black sheep of the Montgomery family. Seventeen years ago, Andy and his best friend, Kurt, took off for the army and planned to never look back. Once overseas, they realized the depths of their mistake. But once Kurt died in combat, Andy decided to turn his back on his past for good. Years later, Andrew is bound to the US again with an injury. A phone call a few weeks before Christmas changes everything and beckons him home. His father, Trevor Montgomery, has been involved in a horrible car accident. He might not make it. When Andrew returns to the island, he finds himself in the center of so many ghosts. His siblings are all in their late-thirties and forties. Their children have grown up, some of them with children of their own. Andrew has missed so much, and he also realizes just how alone he's been over the years. They still call him "Andy," but they no longer see their baby brother. They see an injured vet. And worse than that, Kurt's sister and Andrew's high school love, has lived so much of her life alone while raising a child with autism. Just one look in her eyes reminds Andrew of all the passion he once had for her. It isn't gone. As days pass, Andrew finds himself falling deeper into a world he once abandoned. He realizes just how much his siblings have needed him over the year -- especially when it comes to Kelli's verbally abusive husband and Charlotte's husband's death. As they count down the days before Christmas, Andrew falls for the life he once hated. He learns to fight for his family members. And he searches for the right words to say to a father that he very nearly lost. Can he find a way to mend his family, just as his cousins, the Sheridan sisters, have managed? Can he find love, even after so many years of darkness and pain?Join the Montgomery and Sheridan family over a snow-capped, heartfelt, and emotional December on Martha's Vineyard."--Provided by Publisher

The Sheridan sisters' mother, Anna Sheridan never spoke much about her family, which is why the appearance of her younger sister is a surprise for all of them. She brings with her a host of troubles at the very worst time as Audrey arrives home from a tumultous semester at Penn State, just as Christine gives birth to her very first child. Audrey has had a horrendous time away from baby Max. She grapples with guilt for going after her dreams, as she fears missing out on more essential moments in Max's life, and also questions her feelings for the handsome man she met earlier this year, when Max was in the hospital after birth. Romantic love has never been particularly good to her. Why should she trust it, now? Christine faces the biggest mountain of all: motherhood. Is she ready for this stage of her life? She feels as big as a whale and terrified of making every possible mistake. The Vineyard Christmas guest will prove her a missing link off their happiness during a strange and owhelming Christmas time, with all the familiar cast of Sheridan family members: Susan, Christine, and Lola, plus their daughters, partners, father, cousins, and friends.

In Jean Stone's third Vineyard Novel, a visit from her biological mother threatens to upend bestselling novelist and island transplant Annie Sutton's new life on Martha's Vineyard. Life is usually quiet during the off-season on Martha's Vineyard, but not for island newbie and bestselling novelist Annie Sutton... Finally settled into her adopted island home, Annie is looking forward to writing her next mystery, making soap for her new business, and starting renovations on the Inn she plans to open by the summer. She's also enjoying spending more time with local police sergeant John Lyons, the man she's only just gotten comfortable calling her boyfriend. She's even starting to relish her relationship with John's teenage daughter, Lucy. It's probably not the best moment for a visit from the biological mother Annie only recently met. Still, it's high time she got to know the mysterious Donna MacNeish... But Donna's visit isn't merely a social call--she's come to share some devastating news. Seeking solace in an outing with Lucy, Annie and the teen stumble upon skeletal remains on the Inn's property, a finding that calls a halt to all construction while the police investigate. Desperate for answers, Annie starts asking questions of her own. But when secrets about her own past bring shattering revelations, suddenly everything Annie understands about love and loyalty is tested--and she wonders if the ties that bind her to her beloved community will reach a breaking point...

Home. . . . That’s what Martha’s Vineyard is to Annie Sutton now. After a winter spent writing her latest novel, Annie looks forward to a summer with friends who have become like the family she never had. But then her landlord announces that his grandson will be moving into her cozy Chappaquiddick cottage—and she’ll be moving out. Year-round island housing is tough to find at any time; in summer, it’s nearly impossible. Shaken by the thought of being forced to leave the people and the community she’s grown to love, Annie seeks distraction in the July 4th celebrations—and stumbles upon a young woman who’s unconscious on her front lawn . . . and barely alive . . . Summer on the Vineyard brings not only tourists, but also wealthy families with summer homes—like Fiona Littleton’s—and tensions between them and the tight-knit island community often ignite. But when Annie’s quick thinking saves Fiona’s life, she’s surprised to learn that like her, Fiona has no one to lean on. And when Fiona fears that someone wants her dead, Annie cannot walk away. With depleting resources and no home on the horizon, Annie is certain of only one thing: each of them will have to rise to one of life’s greatest challenges: feeling at home within themselves . . .

Presents a collection of mouthwatering traditional and nontraditional Christmas dishes, including spiced cider, cranberry chicken, ginger squash, and steamed Christmas pudding

An injured army veteran. A near-fatal car accident. And a snow-capped Martha's Vineyard Christmas -- the kind that can mend any broken family. Andrew Montgomery is the black sheep of the Montgomery family. Seventeen years ago, Andy and his best friend, Kurt, took off for the army and planned to never look back. Once overseas, they realized the depths of their mistake. But once Kurt died in combat, Andy decided to turn his back on his past for good. Years later, Andrew is bound to the US again with an injury. A phone call a few weeks before Christmas changes everything and beckons him home. His father, Trevor Montgomery, has been involved in a horrible car accident. He might not make it. When Andrew returns to the island, he finds himself in the center of so many ghosts. His siblings are all in their late-thirties and forties. Their children have grown up, some of them with children of their own. Andrew has missed so much, and he also realizes just how alone he's been over the years. They still call him "Andy," but they no longer see their baby brother. They see an injured vet. And worse than that, Kurt's sister and Andrew's high school love, has lived so much of her life alone while raising a child with autism. Just one look in her eyes reminds Andrew of all the passion he once had for her. It isn't gone. As days pass, Andrew finds himself falling deeper into a world he once abandoned. He realizes just how much his siblings have needed him over the year -- especially when it comes to Kelli's verbally abusive husband and Charlotte's husband's death. As they count down the days before Christmas, Andrew falls for the life he once hated. He learns to fight for his family members. And he searches for the right words to say to a father that he very nearly lost. Can he find a way to mend his family, just as his cousins, the Sheridan sisters, have managed? Can he find love, even after so many years of darkness and pain? Join the Montgomery and Sheridan family over a snow-capped, heartfelt, and emotional December on Martha's Vineyard.