Eliza Foster is one burnt cookie away from a full-blown holiday meltdown.
The Foster Family Bakery has been the beating heart of Evergreen Springs for six generations, but this Christmas, it’s on life support. Orders have dried up, her mixer just gave up the ghost, and the too-perfect competitor across the street is snatching every last customer. Eliza’s been holding it together with frosting and grit, but even sugar has its limits.
Then, while searching for a special recipe, she finds a glowing Christmas card tucked among her late grandmother’s things. One with a hand-painted cowboy and a whisper of old magic. On a desperate holiday wish, she asks for help…
…and gets Wyatt McCready.
A trail cook from 1878, Wyatt has strong opinions about biscuits, a soft spot for cookies, and the kind of slow, steady charm that melts Eliza’s carefully guarded heart. His sourdough starter never fails. His pies are perfection. And when he smiles at her like she’s the only star in the sky? That’s magic too.
The clock is ticking, the cookies are baking, and Christmas magic only lasts so long. If Eliza wants to keep Wyatt, and the love they’ve discovered, she’ll need more than sugar and spice. She’ll need a Christmas miracle.
Lori Wilde can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to write. She even went to nursing school so she could have a schedule flexible enough to allow her to write on the side. She nursed for 20 years, working in a variety of settings from the newborn nursery to the recovery room, to dialysis. But she never lost her desire to write.
She sold her first book in 1994 to Silhouette Romance but later discovered she had a flair for comedy and branched out to Harlequin Duets and now, to Blaze.
Lori is an adventuresome soul who loves to travel. She’s taken flying lessons, completed two marathons, rode in a hot-air balloon, performed with a professional jazz band, traveled Europe as a teenager, hiked volcanoes in Hawaii, trod on glaciers in Alaska, shot white-water rapids, water-skied, snow-skied, raced all-terrain vehicles, bodysurfed in the Gulf of Mexico, and photographed grizzly bears in Yellowstone.
She lives in her native Texas, with her own real-life hero, Bill.
You absolutely cannot afford to miss this heartfelt love story of Eliza Foster and Wyatt McCready. Eliza, the current owner of The Foster Family Bakery—a cherished family legacy spanning six generations and 147 years—is at the heart of this enchanting tale. Wyatt, a trail cook from 1878—the very year Maggie Foster, Eliza's sixth-generation grandmother, founded the first Foster Bakery in Evergreen Springs—brings history to life. Evergreen Springs exudes warmth, friendship, and a deep love for community, family, and tradition, vividly brought to life through detailed descriptions that made me feel as if I were part of the town and its residents. I found myself walking alongside them, sharing in their emotions, tears, and joy. The story’s tension and the powerful portrayal of the fight to preserve one’s legacy brought the past and present seamlessly together, making the time travel feel incredibly real and possible. This isn’t just a love story; it’s an ode to family, community, and enduring bonds. I loved every page and cannot wait to dive into the entire series. I wholeheartedly recommend reading this uplifting, heartwarming book—it's a must-read.
Eliza is barely scraping by in the bakery her ancestors started in 1878. Then she finds a glowing Christmas card and wishes for help...and then Wyatt steps out of the card. A trail cook from 1878, he has no idea what he is doing in 2025, but he will do whatever it takes to help Eliza. With a balloon payment for a loan due in 2 weeks, can he stay in this time long enough to help her save the bakery? Read this to find out.
The pace is engrossing and the tone is uncertain with a character centered storyline that has no steam, as he is a gentleman from 1878! The characters are vibrant and endearing. Wyatt is a superb hero and Eliza and her friends are great too! If you like sweet romances with fantastic characters and a battle to save a historic bakery, then this is for you! Enjoy!
A new take on an old favorite. Time travel with a twist. Business will be lost if balloon payment not made. Corporate America in the Midwest VS. the family business built on traditions. Add romance to the mix along with stalwart friends. All the makings of a good story.
Lori never seems to amaze me. This is an uplifting story where doing the right thing can still turn out like it is suppose to. Her characters are both have to endure change but they were able to handle it together.