Forever Christmas — Jody Holford

All he wants for Christmas is...her.When Anna Meyers purchases the home that her late mother grew up in, she's determined to prove her independence to herself and to her well-meaning father and brother. She's been lovingly sheltered and protected for all of her 26 years but now she just wants to live her life- on her own terms. Sam Gardner hadn't given much thought to who would move next door to his small Angel's Lake bungalow. Once his neighbor arrived however, he could think of nothing and no one else. When Anna makes it clear that she's not interested in having a man around, he invents a girlfriend to put her at ease. Thinking that Sam has a girlfriend makes it easier for Anna to be herself and open the door to friendship. He frustrates her, makes her laugh, and challenges her but he never tries to step on her independence. The more time they spend together, the more she realizes that whoever has Sam's heart is a lucky girl. The only girl that has Sam's heart is Anna but there's no way he can tell her this when he started this friendship on a lie. Things take a turn for the worse when Anna mistakes a nightmare client as Sam's fiancée. Anna came to Minnesota to fight for her independence but she ends up fighting for much more. Forever Christmas is book one in the Angel's Lake Series, but may be read as a standalone.