A Christmas Carol for Catherine (Mail-Order Brides' First Christmas, #9)

When Catherine Lee finds herself widowed and on the verge of losing her home, she quickly agrees to become a mail-order bride. She can withstand another loveless marriage so long as she has a place to live and food to eat. However, just before she arrives in Grover's Gulch, Colorado to be married, she discovers that she is expecting a baby—a child her intended knows nothing about.

Jonathan Clark needs a wife to help him run the new boarding house he's opened in town. It'll be hard work, cooking and cleaning after any number of boarders. When he learns Catherine is expecting, he worries she won't be up to the task. Not to mention, of course, that he never saw himself raising another man's child. But Catherine wins over both Jonathan and their boarders with her quiet friendliness, lovely singing voice, and thoughtful touches throughout the boarding house.

As Christmas, their feelings for each other, and the birth of their child grow near, a dangerous encounter in the mining town makes Jonathan question whether Grover's Gulch is the right place for Catherine and a new baby. Will Catherine be able to change his mind? Or will she find herself celebrating Christmas alone?

A Christmas Carol for Catherine is part of the multi-author sweet and clean Mail-Order Brides' First Christmas series. It can be read as a standalone, or enjoyed as part of the series.