Sunshine for Christmas: A Holiday Novella

Searching for sunshine… 

Lonely and depressed by far too much rain, Lord Randolph Lennox decides on impulse to take the first ship leaving London for the sunny Mediterranean.  Chance brings him to Naples—where it's also raining.  But the rain clears and as he discovers the city, a pleasant young English governess rescues him from an altercation with a flirtatious girl and her protective family.   

Miss Elizabeth Walker is between jobs and taking a holiday in Naples when she meets the quiet, handsome Englishman.  When he proposes that she act as his guide for the next few days, she accepts because they enjoy each other's company.  Elizabeth matter-of-factly recognizes that of course she'll fall quietly in love with him and nothing will come of it, but she'll have some lovely memories to cherish in her old age.

…and finding a second chance at love… 

As they come to know each other better, Randolph starts thinking thoughts of forever, but that seems impossible—until fate takes an alarming hand.

  
(**This story is also available in the author's novella collection, Christmas Revels.)

Author's Note: The hero of Sunshine for Christmas was a secondary character in my RITA winning novel, The Rake.  A foolish youthful mistake had cost him the woman he loved. But doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?  

Praise for Sunshine for Christmas:

"Sunshine for Christmas, which featured Lord Randolph Lennox, who made an appearance in the novel The Rake, has edged out (Putney's Christmas) Cuckoo as my new favorite (novella) by her. It was a thoroughly satisfying story." —A reader

 "Putney's writing is clear as crystal and smooth as silk." —Booklist

"Mary Jo Putney is a gifted writer with an intuitive understanding of what makes romance work." —Jayne Ann Krentz

About the Author
A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USAToday bestselling author, Mary Jo Putney's novels are known for psychological depth and intensity and include historical and contemporary romance, fantasy, and young adult fantasy. Winner of numerous writing awards, including two RITAs, three Romantic Times Career Achievement awards, and the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award from Romance Writers of America, she has had numerous books listed among Library Journal's and Booklist's top romances of the year.