Bride by Christmas — Serenity Woods

Old friends, new lovers…

Elliot Goldsmith has known Libby Carter since they were at primary school. He's always been attracted to her, but somehow the timing has always been wrong, and now they're both dating different people and heading toward thirty at a rate of knots. Libby is with Mike, and he's with Karen, and he keeps trying to tell himself he's happy. And then the plane they're on crashes, tearing their world apart.

Now Mike's dead, Libby's wounded, and Elliot's been brought to his senses. Staying with Karen isn't fair to her or himself, and even though Libby's in mourning and he knows there's no chance of them getting together, he decides it's time to make the break.

For Libby, life has become a process of breathing in and out and making it through each day as best she can. Sometimes she doesn't think she's ever going to feel anything again. And then Elliot kisses her, and she realizes her emotions are very alive and kicking.

Elliot wants to be with her, and when he reminds her of the promise they made to each other when they were kids -- that they'd marry each other if they were still single when they turned thirty -- Libby knows he's serious. But a secret she's hiding makes it impossible for her to move forward. There's no chance she could be a bride by her birthday on Christmas Eve. Is there?