Miss Julia's Gift

Book excerpt: From the New York Times bestselling author, comes a delightful story in which Miss Julia discovers the joy of giving and receiving gifts—and just in time for Valentine’s Day! Featuring the beloved stars of the Miss Julia novels—Luanne, Lillian, Hazel Marie, and of course, Miss Julia herself—Miss Julia's Gift is a funny and moving meditation on love, marriage, and the purpose of gift-giving. Miss Julia finds herself reminiscing about her first year of marriage to Sam Murdoch. Everything seemed perfect—alarmingly so. Miss Julia feared that Sam would morph from a sweet and loveable man into a replica of her loathsome first husband, the boring and deceitful Wesley Lloyd Springer. Even Sam's adorable habit of giving her gifts for all holidays and occasions—no matter how minor—caused Miss Julia anxiety. When will the other shoe drop, she wondered? After some soul-searching and valuable advice from her friends, Miss Julia comes to understand that Sam is nothing like Wesley—and never will be. Then, just in time for Valentine's Day, she thinks up the perfect romantic gift for her husband and realizes which gift she values most of all.