Posts Tagged 'Christmas'

So, This is Christmas by Tracy Andreen

Published December 13, 2025 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Holiday Romance

When Finley decides last minute to go home to her hometown of Christmas, Oklahoma from boarding school she finds that everything has changed and not for the better. Her parents have separated and her mother has been out of town for weeks and her father moved into her grandmother’s inn. Meanwhile her best friend is now dating her ex-boyfriend. It doesn’t help that she doesn’t feel like she has fit in at all in her new school. She has been bullied and struggled to keep up academically. She just doesn’t belong anywhere. Meanwhile, she had spruced up her town’s website so that her classmates wouldn’t realize how run down it has gotten and that led to a classmate and his aunt coming for the Christmas holiday. Arthur was none too pleased when he figured out that much of what she bragged about was unfounded as he is from England and was hoping to show his aunt a traditional American Christmas. Finely promises to do her best to plan some wholesome Christmas activities, but she isn’t sure how she is going to pull it all off. Plus, Arthur doesn’t seem as annoying as he had at school. Is there a chance they have anything in common? Is there any chance she can reconcile her parents? Should she return to school?

This holiday romance is a fun treat for romance lovers. Finley is a very relatable girl just trying to find her place in the world and feels like everything is just going wrong. The characters are all charming and developed, especially Arthur (the love interest), and her grandmother (who runs the inn). Even people who have never been to a small town at Christmas will be enchanted by the adventures they have because it feels right out of a Hallmark movie. The ending is satisfying and realistic, but with a lot of Christmas magic. Recommended for anyone looking for a fun holiday read.

Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards

Published December 5, 2025 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Suspense/Mystery

Mira is desperate to get home to her mother for Christmas since it will mark the one year anniversary since her mom’s twin, Phoebe, passed away. Unfortunately, there is a terrible snow storm and she gets stuck on her layover with no end in sight. A friendly person she met on the plane, Harper, said she was going to rent a car and invites Mira to join. By the time they hit the road, there are five strangers all hitching a ride together to get home for Christmas. Almost immediately things start to go south as some of their items go missing, they are met with weather and traffic problems, and Mira starts to distrust the others in the car. Meanwhile, the story has letters interspersed that indicate someone has been watching Mira for awhile and believes they are meant to be together. Is Mira’s stalker in the car with her? Are the other passengers really strangers or are they all in on some elaborate plan to kidnap Mira? Will Mira make it home safely to her mother for Christmas?

Fans of thrilling mysteries will enjoy this title. The premise is very straightforward and believable, but yet it all screams red flags in a way that it is hard to believe Mira doesn’t see it too. The other people in the car all have their quirks which makes it hard to determine who is being honest and who is definitely not trustworthy. As mishaps continue to befall them, Mira starts to wonder if her instincts were all wrong from the start. The ending is very exciting and dramatic and will satisfy readers who love a suspenseful story. Also recommended for reluctant readers who like a quick read.

Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Published December 18, 2020 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Romance

Number of Pages: 307

Dylan is a typical high school student in Alabama, except for the fact that her sister, Dusty, is a former Miss Alabama and recently found love with a Scottish Laird on a reality tv show called Prince in Disguise. Now, she has to give up her Christmas vacation to go to Scotland for her sister’s wedding, which will be filmed for an upcoming television event as a follow-up to the original show. Dylan feels like the reality film crew is setting her up to look bad as the comic relief in their show when no one comes to get her from the train station, she never receives an itinerary but it still chastized for being late to events, and even when they force her to attend a formal dinner in muddy running clothes. What she does not count on, however, is that there will be a funny, sweet young man there to make her feel visible at all times in a world where she thought everyone only saw her sister. As soon as she meets Jamie, she is instantly intrigued by him as he seems to truly like her just the way she is. As they spend more time together she thinks she could actually find her first boyfriend in a Scottish castle. Can she find a way to spend more time with Jamie without the cameras following her every move? Can she handle all the planned twists and turns the reality show producers throw at her? Could she find her first love in the last place she would have looked for it?

This delightful Christmas romance is fun for anyone looking to escape for a bit or for fans of Holiday TV movies. Dylan’s initial awkwardness fits with the build up of a southern girl in Scotland for the first time and readers will want to see what happens as she becomes more confident with Jamie. Many readers will pick up on some of the big reveals long before Dylan does, but that doesn’t take away from the charming nature of the story at all. Even Dylan’s relationship with her sister, Dusty, feels developed and real instead of the generic backdrop to Dylan and Jamie’s story. Recommended for romance fans looking for a Christmas story.

The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

Published December 13, 2017 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy

Holly Chase was a wealthy, beautiful, egotistical daughter of a movie director who lived to judge others.  Therefore, it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise when she was visited on Christmas Eve by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.  Yet, Holly chose not to take this experience seriously and laughed it off as a joke despite the ghosts’ warnings that she would die soon if she didn’t change her ways.  Shortly after her disastrous Scrooge experience she is hit by a car and dies.  She wakes up in the office of the company who choose the “Scrooge” each year and she is now required to work here to prepare for each Christmas Eve, but then must also act the role of Christmas past.  She thinks she’ll be stuck in this existence forever until one year her Scrooge is a teenager just like her, and unfortunately, she can see the similarities between herself and her new Scrooge and for the first time she begins to feel bad about the kind of person she really was when she was alive.  Can she save him from the same fate even if she has to break a few rules?

Anyone looking for a fun Christmas read should check this one out.  Holly is brash, bratty, insensitive, and sympathetic all at once.  She’s trying to do better, but doesn’t really know how.  The supporting characters are all fun and colorful, but the focus is definitely on Holly and most of the other characters are not as developed.  The story itself is fun and the reader wants to root for Holly despite her difficult personality.  Recommended.

The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson

Published December 2, 2011 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 1 Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  266

RAC Book:  Yes

Gaby lost her husband three years prior to the start of the book and hasn’t seen her kids all together for the holidays since.  This year she sends out a video message announcing that she is getting married on Christmas Day and won’t announce who the groom is, so they better all be there.  Her kids are battling different tough issues.  Claire, is married with three kids.  Her husband is a bum who uses recreational drugs and occasionally abuses her.  Lizzie’s husband has Cancer and is struggling to deal with his many appointments and seizures.  Seth is a struggling writer who is desperately trying to get a book published so he can marry his long time girlfriend.  Finally, Emily is a workaholic lawyer in a firm who doesn’t fully appreciate her and her boss keeps trying to hit on her.  They are all happy and intrigued by their mother’s announcement, but are worried about their own lives at the moment.  Can they all come together for the holiday and their mother’s big wedding?

This is a fun, lighthearted and fast paced Christmas story.  There are some tough issues like domestic abuse and drug use, as well as some tough language at times, but the overall positive message of the story and the power of family makes the story fun and heartwarming at the same time.  Recommended for readers looking for a fun holiday read.

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