Queenie knew starting a new romance in late September was a bad idea, but without Mitch Kingsolver, her fledgeling business, Queen of Tarts, would never have been so successful. When October comes, Queenie's life is swallowed up in what she knows as the Caledonian Curse, when a cranky Scotswoman persona takes her over all the way to Halloween. Hiding away is the only way Queenie knows to deal with the Curse, but she had hoped Mitch would support her. Instead, Mitch has vanished, and Queenie has to deal with a not-quite-stranger. When she first met James Stuart, she thought he was her ideal man, but James and Mitch are inextricably entwined. It's up to Queenie, burdened as she is, to get James to the Halloween Ball and hope she can unravel the mess. Dressed as the Queen of Tarts, Queenie has just one chance to make it work for them all.