In ONCE UPON A WINTER'S HEART, Emma Burcelli has come to the conclusion that love just isn't coming her way and that it is officially dead when the most romantic man in the world, her grandfather, dies suddenly. When Poppi dies, leaving her grandmother Nona devastated Emma does her best to help out. She begins to work at the family bookstore and despite the heaviness of her heart; Nona insists they decorate for Valentines. A new family friend Lane Forester helps her and through him she learns that her own heart is still beating.

But just as Emma begins to open up to this new man in her life, her sister lays claim to him. With Anne and even her mother insisting that Lane only sees her as a future sister- in-law, she wonders, if she has made a terrible mistake in judgment. It doesn't stop her from seeing him on a casual basis and the more she really gets to know him, Emma starts to wonder more about her sister's claim. Is Lane playing some kind of game or had her romantic grandfather really been a positive influence on him?

ONCE UPON A WINTER'S HEART is a warm, family story filled with romance and the rivalries that come with it. I found the family dynamic very intriguing with the various personalities and watching how they mesh or didn't mesh. As the secrets and twists become clearer for Emma she is ready to stand up and fight for what she wants and luckily for her Logan feels the same way. Author Melody Carlson writes faith filled, family stories that will leave you with the knowledge that love can conquer all. This book is no exception so if you want a story that will have you smiling and feeling good about life, this is the book for you.

Book Summary

Emma Burcelli has given up on romance. Not just because she's suffered over a decade of dating disasters. Not because her parents' marriage ended on New Year's Eve. No, Emma concludes that love is officially dead when her grandfather Poppi passes away, leaving the last true romantic's other half, Nona Burcelli, devastated.

Emma helps by working in the family's bookstore, which Nona insists must be completely decked out in sweetheart décor as Poppi would have done for Valentine's Day. Although Emma feels like a V-Day Scrooge, she quickly learns to enjoy the task with the aid of a handsome volunteer and friend of Poppi's, Lane Forester. As Emma spends time with Lane, sharing stories about Poppi, ice skating in the street, and hanging hearts to the tune of Dean Martin, she reconsiders the possibility that romance is alive.

But just as Emma's heart begins to lift she learns her sister has already staked a claim on Lane's affections. Emma's mother and sister insist Lane only sees her as a future sister-in-law, but Emma can't help wondering if it could be something more.

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