An unexpected romance at Christmastide proves it’s never too late to realize the secret dreams of the heart.

Recently retired from the Royal Navy, much acclaimed Captain Bartholomew Grayson has come home to London. He’s looking forward to the Christmastide season, especially now that he’s adopted his 10-year-old former cabin boy. The waif needs a family, and Bart wants to recapture the joy of his own childhood. Too bad the fly in the ointment is a strong-willed harridan with a tart mouth intent on stealing his cargo.

On the shelf and well past the first and second blooms of youth, Miss Felicity Cowan has made peace with the fact she’ll never know love or have a family of her own. The daughter of a shipping merchant, she keeps inventory for her father’s imports. The remainder of her time is spent as companion to a cantankerous elderly widow, but she’s determined to enjoy herself this holiday season. If only a foulmouthed, bad-tempered ship captain hadn’t got her dander up at first meeting.

Immediate loathing turns into attraction, even more so when Bartholomew discovers Felicity is part of his household. Though all hell breaks loose for the first few days, there’s magic and mischief afoot that works to throw him and Felicity together at every turn. When a surprise romance comes about, they do everything they can to circumvent the fall, but if they can stop clinging to old excuses, they might just find what they’ve wanted all along.