Mel is a big city girl who’d rather live the quiet life. She’d also rather not set up a St Valentine auction with a grouchy carpenter who seems to hate her guts. But she owes the witchy café owner a favor, and Mel’s not one to back down from a challenge . . . even if, in order to succeed, she’ll have to face her toughest test yet: believing in herself.
Ryuko isn’t looking forward to the holiday, and he isn’t excited about being in the auction. And he’s certainly not going to fall in love with the café’s new event planner. She has “fancy” stamped all over her, and Ryuko knows his place. But if the café’s meddlesome owner has any say in the matter, Ryuko’s days of staying silent and going unnoticed are numbered . . .
Valentine’s Day has come to Belville, and with it, the grand opening of the Pomegranate Café. Can Ryuko and Mel–with a little extra help from Sakura–make it a truly magical holiday? Or will shadows of the past overtake them?
Elle adores cozy mysteries, fairy tales, and above all, learning new things. As a historian and educator, she believes in the value of stories as a mirror for complicated realities. She currently lives in New Jersey with a grumpy tortoise and a three-legged cat.
Find more stories of Sakura and her friends at ellehartford.com. And while you’re there, sign up for Elle’s newsletter to get bonus material, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and terrible jokes!