When an ice storm leaves professor Lucy Guerin stranded in rural Arkansas, she's forced to accept shelter in the secluded home of woodworker Richard Banner. Handsome as sin and twice as grumpy, Banner is not quite what Lucy had envisioned when she'd added "eligible bachelor" to her Christmas wish list.

But his awkward kindness and rare, warm smile are more than she bargained for. And his reluctance to open his home or his heart to anyone is a challenge she's ready to face. Isn't Christmas the season for miracles? If only Lucy can entice Banner to slip under the mistletoe with her... Then she'd tempt him with a love he could believe in.