Love in the Afternoon

A Dove Pond eNovella

By: Karen Hawkins

Narrated by: Danny Campbell, Tavia Gilbert, George Newbern

A woman with a legendary green thumb, a man living in an emotional desert, and a small boy unable to connect with others. Can the three of them, with a little help from the charmed town of Dove Pond (and a pesky ghost), turn a nightmare into a fairytale and forge their own happily ever after?

Young widow Sofia Rodriquez has just accepted the position of greenhouse manager for Ava Dove’s booming herbal tea business. Sofia is delighted to have found a job that will make use of her gardening skills and allow her to spend time with her son, Noah, who has been diagnosed with Asperger’s. Adding to her joy is the charming farmhouse she’s renting on the edge of Dove Pond.

The only cloud on Sofia’s horizon is her next door neighbor, Jake, whose yard is a thorny jungle worthy of Sleeping Beauty. Soon enough, Sofia discovers that Jake himself is just as thorny and unpleasant as his yard.

After his fiancé left him, work-from-home IT whiz and game developer Jake Klaine has gone from Prince Charming to complete hermit. But Jake isn’t really alone; he’s living with a ghost: a (formerly) hairy man named Doyle who’s a fan of bad puns and who refuses to leave Jake’s bathtub. This is nothing new for Jake, as he’s been talking to ghosts since he was a boy. He finds real people harder to deal with, like the kid next door who won’t stop bugging him about the new game he’s developing.

Sofia and Jake know all too well that life isn’t a game. They’ve both lost the person they loved most. But under the watchful eye of the ghostly Doyle and Sofia’s new friend Ava, who has abilities of her own, Jake and Sofia decide to take a chance and let in an outsider. Soon they discover that, with a little magic, even the thorniest walls are no match for the innocent trust of a lonely child and the fierce determination of a woman wielding a razor-sharp pruner and a heart big enough to make even the most stubborn flower bloom.

only wished it were longer!

fantastic! a refreshing love story - just wish it were longer!!! highly recommend! couldn't put down

Love in the Afternoon

This is the start of a new series by Karen Hawkins. It was a sweet beginning. I loved the characters and story. Terrific narration too!

wanted more!!

absolutely loved it. I want more about Dove Pond. love all the characters and hearing their Individual struggles with life like the rest of us.

Great story teller. Another good book.

Really enjoyed this and Karen's character are so good you can't get enough. Thank you

Dove pond series

I love this series and I hope there are many more books to follow. There are lots of Dove sisters so I’m hoping for much more. Any story that starts with talking to ghosts and I’m all in!! I also work with kids with special needs so this short story had the elements I love.