“The world needs more romance and I’m eager to run home and delve into yours. Tell me, Delores. Are your characters based on real people?”

“Somewhat,” Delores said, “but not entirely.”

“Good answer!” Nancy reached out to pat Delores’s shoulder. “I’m willing to bet that most of the men in this room think they’re the hero, and most of the women think they’re the heroine.”

“You’re right,” Hannah said. “At least a half-dozen people have already pulled me aside to read me passages from Mother’s book and tell me they know they’re the main character.”

Nancy laughed. “Just as I thought! Keep your eyes open, Hannah. If you find a man who doesn’t think he’s the hero, grab him and give him a hug because he’s the only realist in the bunch!”

Another fifteen minutes passed and four more people pulled Hannah aside to tell her that they knew they were Melissa or the Duke of Oakwood and read her the appropriate passage to prove it. She was just about convinced that there wasn’t a realist in the room when Norman walked up.

“Hi, Norman.” Hannah held out her tray. “Would you care for a cream puff?”

“Not right now, thanks. I just wanted to catch you alone and tell you how good you look.”

“Thank you!”

“You’re welcome.” Norman held up his copy of A Match for Melissa. “You know, this is a pretty good book.”

“Mother will be glad to hear that you think so,” Hannah said politely. And then she couldn’t resist asking, “Do you think she modeled the Duke of Oakwood after you?”

“After me?” Norman looked absolutely astounded. “What are you talking about, Hannah? I’m not tall, dark, and handsome, I don’t ride well, and I’ve never had a whole line of women praying that I’ll ask them to dance. The Duke of Oakwood is about as far from my character as you can get.”

Hannah smiled in delight. If Doctor Love was right, Norman was the only realist in the room. But he was selling himself short and there was something she could do about that.

“Maybe that’s true,” she said, “but I’m almost sure that Mother modeled every single one of the duke’s good qualities after you.” And then she set down her tray and hugged him.

Index of Recipes

Pistachio Winks

Chocolate Chip Mega Cookies

Minty Melts

Chocolate Dip

Lazy Potato Pancakes

Cherry, Blueberry, and Apricot Sauces

Mini Cheeseburger Cookies

Hannah’s Very Best Cream Puffs

Emmy’s Vanilla Custard

Great-Grandma’s Chocolate Pudding

Brownies Plus

Terry’s Carrot Cake Cookies

Terry’s Cream Cheese Frosting

Candy Bar Bar Cookies

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Cookies

Mocha Icing

Blueberry Crunch Cookies

Guilt-Free Parfait

Norman’s Egg Salad

Bonnie Brownie Cookie Bars

Triplet Chiplet Cookies

Lois Brown’s Lemon Cookies

Baking Conversion Chart