When my editor asked if I wanted to write a Christmas-themed story, she gave me a gift. She said, “For some reason, I’m picturing a department store elf.”
How fun is that? I couldn’t wait to put poor Eloise into a horrible costume completely with curly-toe shoes, pointy ears, and fake yarn braids.
After losing her beloved brother, Eloise is very down on her luck. Her stepfather is trying to marry her off and not only holds the purse strings, he’s got her mother fooled into believing she doesn’t need help. Eloise is making ends meet with a thankless job that requires she dress as an elf and deliver toys for the Twelve Days of Christmas to all the most exclusive high-rises in New York.
She’s feeling pretty wretched, thinking her life can’t get any worse when she bumps into her brother’s best friend, her massive lifetime crush, Konstantin. He’s appalled to see what’s become of her and feels like a heel for not checking on her sooner so he does what any good Presents hero does: he completely takes over her life and offers her a marriage of convenience!
Konstantin never had a proper Christmas and, despite her current circumstances, Eloise really does love the season so she’s determined to make it fun for him. I adore this sexy, sentimental holiday romance and hope you do, too.
