She pretends to be a princess at children’s parties. But can she melt a real prince’s frosty heart? Get swept away by a Christmas story from Hallmark and bestselling author Teri Wilson— the queen of royal romance! “I’m Prince Nikolas of San Glacera. Oh, you’ve never heard of us? Well, you’re not the only one. Our country relies on winter tourism, but we’re attracting fewer and fewer visitors. I admit it’s a problem. I just don’t think the solution is an American who likes to play dress-up. You see, while I was away on a trip, my younger sister convinced the palace to hold a contest. The winner gets to star in our annual Ice Village festivities and accompany our royal family to holiday events. And who did they choose? Gracie Clark, who runs a children’s party business and performs as—I kid you not—‘Princess Snowflake.’ Of course, I do respect the fact that she volunteers at children’s hospitals. I suppose to some, she might have a certain charm... But the whole cheap spectacle is beneath our dignity. I’m not going to shirk my duty to my kingdom. I’ll go to every event with her. At least, once Christmas is over, she’ll be gone…” USA Today Bestselling Author Teri Wilson writes heartwarming contemporary romance with a touch of whimsy. Three of Teri's books have been adapted into Hallmark Channel Original Movies by Crown Media, including UNLEASHING MR. DARCY (plus its sequel MARRYING MR. DARCY), THE ART OF US and NORTHERN LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS, based on her book SLEIGH BELL SWEETHEARTS. She is also a recipient of the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction for her novel THE BACHELOR'S BABY SURPRISE. Teri has a major weakness for crowns, cute animals and pretty dresses, and she loves ballet and Audrey Hepburn films. Oh. My. Gosh. Gracie’s eyes drifted closed. She might have even sighed out loud. Scratch that—she’d definitely sighed, and not in a discreet, princess-y sort of way. She sounded more like Goldilocks probably had after greedily gulping down three bowls of delicious porridge. What was porridge, anyway? It didn’t sound all that appetizing, frankly. Definitely not as decadent as the sip of rich cocoa Gracie had just taken. Then again, what was? Ingrid hadn’t been exaggerating. San Glacera’s hot cocoa was like nothing Gracie had ever tasted before. Creamy. Luxurious. Like drinking a melted bar of the purest, richest gourmet chocolate in the world. “What kind of magic is this?” she whispered into her cup. “Not magic at all. Just one of our kingdom’s finest delicacies,” someone behind her said—a male someone, if the deep timbre of his voice was any indication. Gracie turned around and immediately found herself colliding with a flash of white and chestnut fur barreling toward her shins. It took her a second to realize it was a dog. The pup had huge, perfectly round eyes, a short muzzle, and feathered paws that sort of made him look like a character from a Dr. Seuss book. “Mittens, no,” the man holding the other end of the leash called, just as the little spaniel threw himself, belly-up, at Gracie’s feet. The dog pawed at the air until Gracie stooped to rub his belly with her free hand. “Well, aren’t you the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen?” “Sorry, he’s a little excited.” The man cleared his throat. “He doesn’t get out much.” “That’s a shame. Clearly, he loves the attention.” Gracie laughed as the dog bit gently at her mitten. Then she stood to meet the strange man’s gaze. Her stomach fluttered. He had eyes like steel, and a perfectly chiseled jaw to match. His spine was ramrod straight, and he carried himself with an air that seemed—dare she think it—regal. Clearly, Gracie had been spending far too much time playing princess. The man shifted from one foot to the other as if he, too, didn’t get out much. Gracie tilted her head and bit back a smile. “Mittens? Did you really name your dog after a winter fashion accessory?” He looked at her for a beat before cracking a reluctant smile. “Yes and no. I let my sister name him, so it was either that or Tiara. She’s really into that sort of thing.” “Fashion accessories?” Gracie narrowed her gaze at him. “Or princess paraphernalia?” He barked out a laugh and then seemed to collect himself. “Both.” “Smart girl. I like her already,” Gracie said. Her gaze flitted toward the castle. Snowflakes swirled around its slender turrets, and guards dressed in bright crimson coats and tall hats flanked the entrance. They looked like toy soldiers in a magical Christmas fairy tale. No wonder men who looked like Prince Charming and dogs named Mittens roamed free in this place. “You just missed my sister, I’m afraid. We came for the chocolat chaud , but then she…ran off,” Mittens’s dad said. The dog scrambled to his feet and looked back and forth between them. A clump of snow clung to his petite nose. Gracie felt herself frown. “ Chocolat chaud ?” He nodded toward the cup in her hand. “French for hot