One winter as Ava Smith

Ava Whitmore has the kind of life people dream about: a penthouse in New York City, a powerful last name, and a future already planned by one of the richest hotel families in the country. But Ava is tired of being perfect. She is tired of smiling through dinners where her life is discussed like a business deal, tired of studying for a future she never chose, and tired of being pushed toward Julian Astor, the golden boy her parents believe would make the perfect match.

So when Christmas break begins, Ava does the one thing a Whitmore girl is never supposed to do: she runs. With a suitcase, a train ticket from Grand Central, and a fake last name, Ava disappears into a small snowy town called Hollow Creek. There, she is not Ava Whitmore. She is Ava Smith: no money, no reputation, no family name opening doors before she reaches them. Just one month to breathe.

But Hollow Creek has secrets of its own, and Noah Bennett might be the most dangerous one. Cold, sharp-tongued, and impossible to ignore, Noah seems to hate Ava from the moment she arrives. He thinks she is just another rich city girl playing small-town Christmas, and he has no idea how close he is to the truth.

As snow falls, lies grow, and stolen glances turn into something neither of them can control, Ava starts to wonder if pretending to be someone else is the only time she has ever felt real. But secrets do not stay buried forever, and when Hollow Creek discovers who Ava really is, the boy who made her feel free might become the one who hates her most.

Because Ava Smith does not exist... And Ava Whitmore cannot hide forever.