In the midst of a Christmas blizzard: A baby on the doorstep. It’s taken a long time and a little heartache, but Annie Sutton is finally following her dream of living on Martha’s Vineyard. She fell in love with the island’s singular beauty while using it as a setting for two of her novels. In her cozy rented cottage on Chappaquiddick, she’s settling in for her first Vineyard winter-complete with a fierce nor’easter on the way, forecast to bring high winds and deep snow. But the blizzard also brings something unexpected to Annie’s front porch: a basket, encircled by a ribbon, containing a baby girl. The note reads: “I named her Bella, after my grandmother. Please help her, because I can’t.” Adopted as a child, Annie is grateful for wonderful parents who raised her as their own. Yet she also hopes to spare little Bella the feelings of abandonment that still haunt her. And so, rather than take the baby to the police, Annie decides to keep her and try 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 . . .

Martha’s Vineyard may be picturesque and peaceful, but even there, happilyever-after has its dark side …

Annie Sutton is not only a bestselling mystery author, she’s the proprietor of the newly opened Vineyard Inn. Recently engaged to local police sergeant John Lyons, instead of making wedding plans, Annie’s fighting with him about his older
daughter, a troubled teen who has moved home–bringing chaos in her wake. With Annie’s beloved brother away on a troublesome journey of his own, Annie needs a friend. She begins to confide in one of the Inn’s guests, a mysterious
stranger named Mary Beth Mullen. Her mix of kindness and vulnerability makes Annie trust her–until Mary Beth shares a secret that leaves Annie torn between family loyalty and a promise she made.

When a handsome, internationally acclaimed journalist checks into the Inn, he too unpacks a boatload of trouble for Annie, triggered by a provocative photo, covertly snapped–and posted on the internet. Intrigued, as tensions mount
between her and John, Annie decides to eschew the police and get involved herself–enlisting Mary Beth’s help. But Annie is soon questioning whether anyone on the Vineyard this season is who they seem–and realizing that any
chance of happiness rests in finding out just who her real friends are …

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…?nd 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…