This year, if Hadley wrote her dream Christmas list it would go something like this:
1. Spend every waking â and sleeping â moment with her incredibly gorgeous boyfriend, Will.
2. Figure out whatâs been bugging him lately. Yes, going away to college has been tough⦠but itâs time they reconnected.
3. Enjoy a sparkling Christmas in New York City, gazing at the Rockefeller tree, going ice skating, and drinking steaming mugs of cocoa in Central Park.
So driving off to spend Christmas in a rustic cabin in the woods wasnât exactly the plan. But when it comes to her irresistible and at times impossible boyfriend, nothingâs ever that simple. And as fantasies of an icy Times Square are replaced by a clumsily-decorated tree, making snowmen and the warmth of a log fire, Hadley feels herself falling in love all over again.
Except does Will have something to tell her that could change Hadleyâs happily-ever-after Christmas dreams into a not-so-winter wonderland after all?
Praise for KATLYN DUNCAN
âThe epitome of a summertime read.â Rather Be Reading on This Summer
âFans of sweet romances and light reads will flock to cheer on Hadley and Willâs romance blossom.â Pretty Little Pages on This Summer
âI definitely recommend This Summer if you are looking for a great romance but thatâs not completely light and fuzzy. The writing is fantastic and the romance PERFECT <3â Lose Time Reading
âI really loved this book from the beginning to the very end. It was a book that you couldnât put down because you wanted to see if this couple would ever get together and fall in love.â 4.5 stars from Once Upon a Twilight on This Summer
âThis Summer really reminded me of Colleen Hooverâs Hopeless that I loved and even though it wasnât as intense, the writing itself was incredible.â Spiced Latte Reads
âThis Summer was a sweet best-friends romance with a large dose of drama. It is an ideal summer read.â Rampant Readers
âKatlyn Duncanâs YA debut, Soul Taken, is a thrilling ride that will leave you breathless for the next page, and curious to find the true soul we nurture within.â Jennifer Murgia, author of the Angel Star series and Between These Lines
âWow! Talk about a completely unique concept with tons of new ideas, roles, and characters that took me on an exhilarating adventure.â 4.5 stars from I ⥠Bookie Nookie Reviews on Soul Taken
âSoul Taken is a BRILLIANT read! â¦This is one of those books to look out for.â 5 stars from A Diary of a Book Addict
Katlyn Duncan has been reading and writing since before she can remember; her earliest memories involve dragging her mom to the store to get the latest Goosebumps book. She earned two science degrees and currently works in the medical field. She spends her free time writing, reading, and renovating her Victorian âfixer upperâ in southern New England with her husband.
Four Days Until Christmas
Iâm still riding my end-of-final-exams high when I reach Willâs doorstep. I pull out the spare key Will gave me after he signed the lease to his apartment days after he made the decision to come with me to Manhattan while I attended NYU, and it would only be a few more weeks until he started college for himself. The familiar twinge Iâve been ignoring the past few months pinches at my chest and I do my best to disregard it.
I open the door slowly, unsure if Willâs roommate and co-worker, Nathaniel, is in the nude again. Seeing him twice was enough for me. But the living room is dark with no sign of life. I close the door behind me and allow my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Nathaniel insisted on keeping the place like a cave with black curtains. On those rare Sunday mornings when I woke up in Willâs apartment, I could see the appeal. There was enough noise coming from outside the window; at least there was little light so we could pretend we didnât sleep the day away.
I could navigate this place in the dark but, in an apartment with two boys, there were always booby traps on the floor. And I donât feel like tripping over anything or waking up the grumpy downstairs neighbors. A pile of blankets is strewn across the couch, but I canât make out a body underneath it.
âNathaniel?â I whisper, but the pile of blankets doesnât move. Iâm inches away and poke at it with my finger, realizing itâs only blankets with no body underneath. He was probably watching TVâreality shows are his thingâand shuffled off to bed after the late shift.
A light from the galley kitchen around the corner catches my attention. Someone is in there. I hear the distinct pop of the milk jug cap. I smile to myself. Another thing Iâve learned about Will since weâve been together is his love for milk at random points in the night, right out of the carton.