His Royal Pine-ness
When Boston conservator Eliza Hart arrives at the palace of Valmont to restore a centuries-old nativity, she expects nothing more than careful work with ancient wood and paint. What she doesn't expect is Luca-a man who knows exactly which clamp she needs before she asks, who stirs onions like prayer, and who seems to understand that sometimes the most important repairs happen to hearts, not artifacts.
As the first snow falls on the mountain kingdom and Christmas draws near, Eliza finds herself drawn into Valmont's world of market lights and ancient crafts, of secrets carved into wood by hands long gone. Working alongside Luca in the palace workshops, she discovers that some things-trust, hope, love-require the same patient attention as restoring a two-hundred-year-old cradle: careful pressure, the right adhesive, and faith that what's broken can be made whole again.
But when Eliza learns that Luca has been hiding something fundamental about who he is-something that makes his interest in humble pine carvings rather more complicated than it first appeared-she must decide whether their connection is real enough to survive royal expectations, or if some secrets cut too deep to sand smooth.
Set against the backdrop of a snow-dusted European kingdom preparing for Christmas, this is a story about the art of restoration, the courage to trust again after loss, and discovering that sometimes the most precious things come with the simplest markings: three pines and a star.
A tender, witty romance about finding love in unexpected places and learning that the best relationships, like the finest craftsmanship, are built to last.
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