Book picks similar to
Holly Island by S.J. Crabb
christmas
chick-lit
romance
winter-reads
Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I
Hazel Gaynor - 2017
England is at war. As Evie Elliott watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes—as everyone does—that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafes of Paris.But as history tells us, it all happened so differently…Evie and Thomas experience a very different war. Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict—but how?—and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war he also faces personal battles back home where War Office regulations on press reporting cause trouble at his father’s newspaper business. Through their letters, Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears—and grow ever fonder from afar. Can love flourish amid the horror of the First World War, or will fate intervene?Christmas 1968. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris—a cherished packet of letters in hand—determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one final letter is waiting for him…
Under a Starry Sky
Laura Kemp - 2020
I loved it!' MILLY JOHNSONon The Year of Surprising Acts of KindnessOne summer to change her life...Wanda Williams has always dreamed of leaving her wellies behind her and travelling the world! Yet every time she comes close to following her heart, life always seems to get in the way.So, when her mother ends up in hospital and her sister finds out she's pregnant with twins, Wanda knows that only she can save the crumbling campsite at the family farm.Together with her friends in the village, she sets about sprucing up the site, mowing the fields, replanting the allotment and baking homemade goodies for the campers.But when a long-lost face from her past turns up, Wanda's world is turned upside-down. And under a starry sky, anything can happen...Praise for Laura Kemp:'Warm, funny, sweet...what a fab read' LUCY DIAMOND'A truly wonderful and heart-warming read' HEIDI SWAIN'An absolute joy' ISABELLE BROOM'I loved it' CLARE MACKINTOSH'An adorable life-affirming book' ROWAN COLEMAN'Moments that will steal your heart' MIRANDA DICKINSON
Christmas Charms
Teri Wilson - 2020
After four years of working at an upscale jewelry store in Manhattan, she’s finally going to get a little velvet box of her own―from her boyfriend Jeremy, who’s taking her on a romantic trip to Paris. What could go wrong?Well, everything.Ashley heads home to Owl Lake instead, falling asleep on the train ride there…and waking up with a beautiful antique charm bracelet on her wrist. Soon, she realizes that each silver charm predicts an event that happens in real life. What does this mean for her and Jeremy…or her and Aidan, her former high school boyfriend, who’s now a local firefighter? Is there still a chance that she could have the perfect Christmas?
Eight Perfect Hours
Lia Louis - 2021
But fate seems to have different plans.On a snowy evening in March, 30-something Noelle Butterby is on her way back from an event at her old college when disaster strikes. With a blizzard closing off roads, she finds herself stranded, alone in her car, without food, drink, or a working charger for her phone. All seems lost until Sam Attwood, a handsome American stranger also trapped in a nearby car, knocks on her window and offers assistance. What follows is eight perfect hours together, until morning arrives and the roads finally clear. The two strangers part, positive they’ll never see each other again, but fate, it seems, has a different plan. As the two keep serendipitously bumping into one another, they begin to realize that perhaps there truly is no such thing as coincidence. With plenty of charming twists and turns and Lia Louis’s “bold, standout voice” (Gillian McAllister, author of The Good Sister), Eight Perfect Hours is a gorgeously crafted novel that will make you believe in the power of fate.
Oh, Christmas Night
Jane Porter - 2019
The smart thing to do would be to buckle down and keep on working. But for the first time in her life, she goes with impulsive and books a flight to Montana to inspect the bookstore, and hopefully have her first white Christmas ever.Texan lawyer and entrepreneur, Atticus Bowen, has found the perfect location for his next restaurant—the two-story, turn-of-the-century brick building on Marietta’s Main Street. All he has to do is convince the new owner to sell Paradise Books to him. After all, used bookstores aren’t practical or viable businesses, and he’s making Rachel Mills a very generous offer. But instead of jumping on his offer, Rachel decides she’s going to open the bookstore doors for December and ‘explore her options.’The last thing Rachel expected was to fall in love with the old bookstore, or charming Marietta. She never expected sparks to fly with handsome, arrogant Atticus Bowen, either. Smart, practical Rachel realizes she just might be falling in love with the sexy, opinionated Texan lawyer — something that could prove to be neither smart, nor practical….or the best decision of her life.
Christmas Crasher
Ash Keller - 2021
Lola Blakeman has a plan for her life…and it doesn't include kissing a grumpy lumberjack.Her whole life, people have been telling Lola to loosen up, ditch her schedules and checklists, and be spontaneous. But they probably didn’t mean she should hop into her sensible hybrid and drive without a plan or direction—straight into a blizzard.Eric Jolly may be a grouchy recluse, but when a mysterious blonde crashes into his life—literally—he can't just leave her to freeze in the snow. But it's a complication he doesn't need. He only has a few days to get his family's Christmas tree farm ready for the season. And he's far behind already.With a heavy dose of Christmas magic and a little luck, Eric and Lola might just save the farm and fall in love while they’re at it. That is, unless Lola's secret ruins it all.*This holiday novella was previously published in the Snow in Love charity anthology.The Road Trip to Love sweet romcom series features smart-as-a-whip heroines and swoon-worthy heroes as they navigate the speed bumps, u-turns, and detours that propel them toward a destination they never expected: love.
Baby It's Cold Outside
Emily Bell - 2021
. .As Norah battles alone, yet again, through the bustling December crowds outside Fortnum & Mason, she hears the first notes of a busker's song that transports her back to the most romantic week of her life.Laughing under an Italian sky, knowing they had to part, Andrew made her a promise:If they are both single on Christmas Eve in ten years' time, they will meet under the clock on Grafton Street, Dublin.Norah has no idea if Andrew will remember, but she has nothing to lose.So that's where she decides to go. To Dublin. To that clock. Hoping for a Christmas miracle with Andrew.But it wouldn't be Christmas without a few surprises . . .
Christmas on Mistletoe Lane
Annie Rains - 2018
After the devastating loss of her job in the big city, the small town of Sweetwater Springs feels like heaven to Kaitlyn Russo. She's inherited her grandparents' charming (if a little rundown) bed and breakfast, and it's just the new lease on life she needs. Only "heaven" comes with a catch - and a handsome and completely infuriating one at that. After what he hopes will be a quick trip, Mitch Hargrove wants nothing more than to put his hometown in the rearview mirror. But his plans get derailed when he learns he's now half-owner of the Sweetwater B&B. The fact that he's given only two months to make the inn a success is a huge problem, but it's his pretty - and incredibly headstrong - partner who's the real challenge. With the holiday fast approaching and a grand re-opening looming, will Mitch keep running from the ghosts of Christmas past . . . or will he realize the true gift he's been given? Includes the bonus short story "A Midnight Clear" by Hope Ramsay! What readers are saying about Christmas on Mistletoe Lane... "This book was exactly what I needed to kick off the holiday season." "A holiday story full of second chances, romance and magic...It's got all the feels-and a fabulous holiday message." "I truly enjoyed this fun holiday read." "This book needs to be made into a Hallmark Christmas movie!"
Come Tomorrow
Tess Thompson - 2020
A single act of kindness. Can young soulmates find each other in adulthood, or will hidden truths tear them apart?1904. Twelve-year-old Luci Quick never forgot the boy who saved her life that fateful Christmas Eve. But when he disappeared without a word after bringing her food, she was forced to focus on raising her baby sister when her mother suddenly died. Now six years later and struggling to make ends meet with an alcoholic and gambling-addicted father, the poverty-stricken woman can’t believe her hero has returned… and he’s all grown up.Wesley Ford’s world changed after helping the girl who still haunts his dreams. When he was whisked away to boarding school at fourteen, he feared he’d never see her again. But now free to come back following his father’s death, the wealthy heir is shocked to discover Luci and her sibling never escaped their rundown shack.With fate dealing her another opportunity for happiness, Luci seizes the day when an offer of help turns into an unexpected proposal. But before they can settle into their future, Wesley must face painful family secrets that could tear them apart forever.Can a Yuletide miracle make a wish for love come true?Come Tomorrow is the first book in the uplifting Castaway Christmas historical romance holiday series. If you like feel-good tear-jerkers, engaging characters, and sweet magical realism, then you’ll adore Tess Thompson’s Edwardian rags-to-riches story.
Mistletoe Mistake: A Brother's Best Friend Holiday Romance
Amali Rose - 2020
The Bridge
Karen Kingsbury - 2012
Molly Allen lives alone in Portland, but she left her heart back in Tennessee with a man she walked away from five years ago. They had a rare sort of love she hasn’t found since.Ryan Kelly lives in Nashville after a broken engagement and several years on the road touring with a country music duo. He can still hear Molly’s voice encouraging him to follow his dreams; Molly, whose memory stays with him. At least he can visit The Bridge—the oldest bookstore in historic downtown Franklin—and remember the hours he and Molly once spent there.For thirty years, Charlie and Donna Barton have run The Bridge, providing the people of middle Tennessee with coffee, conversation, and shelves of good books—even through dismal book sales and the rise of digital books. Then in May, the hundred-year flood swept through Franklin and destroyed nearly every book in the store.Now the bank is pulling the lease on The Bridge. Despondent and without answers, Charlie considers the unthinkable. Then tragedy strikes, and suddenly, everything changes. In the face of desperate brokenness and lost opportunities, could the miracle of a second chance actually unfold?The Bridge is a love story set against the struggle of the American bookstore, a love story you will never forget.
The Christmas Swap
Sandy Barker - 2020
Chloe, Jules, and Lucy meet at a Maui resort kids' club, aged 11, forging a lifelong friendship spanning two decades and three continents.Twenty-two years later, they decide to swap Christmases, none of them expecting the hilarity and romantic escapades that will ensue.Chloe from Melbourne spends her Christmas with Lucy's mum and dad in a sleepy village in Oxfordshire, England, stunned to the core when she discovers who grew up across the road from Lucy.Lucy, who has jetted off to snowy Colorado for her dream-come-true white Christmas, is taken into the fold of Jules's loud and brash family, discovering more about herself in a few short days than she has in years.And Jules leaves the cold climes of Colorado to spend a balmy 'Orphan's Christmas' with Chloe's friends in Melbourne, finding that time away from her mundane life is just what she needed.Join these three lovable women as they each get a Christmas to surpass their wildest dreams.
The Daughter Claus
D. Thrush - 2013
Santa is a grumpy workaholic who focused all his attention on grooming her brother to fill his boots when he retires. But Nick has plans of his own to become a rock star. Now after a family emergency, it's up to Tina to leave college and return home to the North Pole to temporarily manage the family business.Not only does she have to deal with a long distance crush on her brother's band mate, rowdy reindeer, and family drama, but there's also her irresistible ex-boyfriend who broke her heart, her best friend's flirtation with an elf, and way too many Peppermintinis at the local pub. Christmas Eve is quickly approaching and she's counting on her undependable brother to deliver the presents. It's not easy being Santa's daughter!Crazy fun, girl power, and Christmas magic make this a fun story any time of year!
Christmas at Wynter House
Emily Harvale - 2019
After a frosty welcome, things soon heat up at Wynter House. Neva Grey is looking forward to spending a quiet Christmas with her family in the cosy cottage they’ve rented in the picture-postcard village of Wyntersleap. Nestled between rolling hills and a gently burbling river, it’s going to be idyllic. Except it’s not. Torrential rain causes the river to burst its banks and the quaint little village isn’t quite so cosy with water lapping at the doors. Add to that a power cut and a sudden blizzard and Christmas is looking bleak ... until gorgeous Adam Wynter invites them all to Wynter House. Although not everyone is happy to share the ancestral home. Adam’s elder brother, Rafe is less than pleased. Their grandmother, Olivia extends a grudging welcome. And for Carruthers, the oddly arrogant butler, unexpected guests are a Christmas surprise he could do without. Especially one as troublesome as Neva’s eight-year-old niece. But something’s not quite right at Wynter House. What is Rafe intent on hiding behind the locked doors of the old barn? And what really happened to his first wife? It’s a good thing Neva has a sense of humour. She’s going to need it this Christmas at Wynter House. This is book one in the Wyntersleap series but it can be read as a standalone. The Wyntersleap series is interlinked with the Merriment Bay series and several characters appear in both series. What readers are saying about this book: “Emily Harvale is a romantic writing genius. So easy to read, and get absorbed into the story, this is one Christmas Cracker of a read.” – Rachel’s Random Reads. “This was such a laugh out loud, spirited read and I loved every single minute of it. Emily Harvale is a force to be reckoned with and as long as she keeps writing books, I’ll sure as hell keep reading them.” – The Writing Garnet “Another amazing book from this phenomenal author, the queen of the cozy romance! Emily’s storytelling is so descriptive and magical, I am always ready to pack my bags and head to whatever small town she is writing about.” – Audio Killed the Bookmark “With absolutely fabulous characters I found myself ‘just reading one more chapter’ every night. I’m off to download Emily’s other books.” – Wrong side of forty "This really was the loveliest story to escape into for an afternoon and allow the world to disappear – I’m just rather sorry it took me so long to try one of the author’s books. Definitely recommended by me. – Being Anne "I adore her wit and clever levity; and, if you are paying attention – she tosses in sudden nimble dashes and subtle nips of grin producing irony for an added treat." – Books and Bindings “If ever there was a book that would get you into the festive mood, then Christmas at Wynter House by Emily Harvale is that book.” – Books of all kinds "A truly superb read, and I cannot tell you how much I’m looking forward to more about Wyntersleap and Merriment Bay! I have no hesitation at all in recommending this one, and happily award it all five sparkly stars!" - Grace J. Reviewerlady
Grumpy Best Friend
B.B. Hamel - 2021
I had to escape my drunk, abusive father, but leaving her behind was the biggest mistake of my life.Now I have another shot at making things right. Jude’s new boss wants to build a factory outside of Philadelphia, and she brings me in to help.I’m thrust back into Jude’s world, and not much has changed. She’s still beautiful, still hilarious, and still hates my guts.Little by little, she’ll remember why we fell in love back in high school. I’ll make her pout, then make her laugh— then make her strip down and kiss me.And soon I’ll have her back, all grown up and perfect.Or else I'll lose the empire I built with my own calloused hands.Another hot grumpy man! Watch Lady Fluke’s assistant Jude find her happily-ever-after with Bret while they both face their broken pasts and grow together. It’s steamy and fun and I think you’ll fall in love with protective, growly Bret just like I did. As always, Grumpy Best Friend is a full length standalone novel with no cheating, no cliffhanger, and a happily-ever-after guaranteed. Enjoy! XO BB