Erin hasn't been back to her hometown in more than two decades. And she never tells anyone that until she was twelve she lived in a hippie commune with no electricity or indoor plumbing. The years at the Dancing Cedars commune was a drama-filled part of her past she's worked hard to forget.
When her childhood friend Dylan Bryant picks Erin up at the airport, the past starts to catch up with her. Since the commune disbanded, he's been working at his family's Christmas tree farm, a place chock full of elves, twinkle lights, questionable baked goods, and family crises. Sure, he might be three feet taller than the last time she saw him, but Dylan's offbeat personality hasn't changed. Neither has his ability to see through her defenses.
At an eccentric Thanksgiving gathering, everyone discovers the old Hodgepodge Lodge at Dancing Cedars is filthy and overrun with feral cats--and maybe a skunk. Against her better judgment, Erin agrees to help Dylan clean up and repair the abandoned log structure, which has more holes than a cheese grater.
In between bizarre dreams filled with oversized Santa possums and jingle bears, Erin reconnects with Dylan and finds herself increasingly drawn to the timeless serenity and beauty of the Dancing Cedars property. But when a developer makes a play for the land, they might need a miracle to save it.
Susan Daffron is the author of the Jennings & O'Shea series and the Alpine Grove romantic comedies, a series of novels that feature residents of the small town of Alpine Grove and their various quirky dogs and cats. She is also an award-winning author of many nonfiction books, including several about pets and animal rescue. She lives in a small town in northern Idaho and shares her life with her husband and three really cute dogs.