Book picks similar to
Almost Always by Bobbi Reed


fiction
contemporary
christmas
family

Holly and Ivy


Fern Michaels - 2017
    . .The flames of memory always seem to glow a little brighter during the holidays. Perhaps that's why this time of year is so difficult for airline heiress Ivy Macintosh, as she faces thoughts of yet another festive season alone. Since the plane crash that claimed the lives of her husband and two children eight years ago, she's been submerged in grief.When eleven-year-old Holly Greenwood knocks on her door, lost and frightened after a forbidden visit to her singing teacher, Ivy's self-imposed exile is shattered. Holly has an extraordinary voice, and wants nothing more than to perform in an upcoming Christmas musical. Holly's father, Daniel, doesn't allow music in their home, refusing to give a good reason why--just as he refuses to talk about Holly's mother. Ivy has no idea how closely she and Daniel are linked by their tragic pasts, yet she's drawn to the warmth she senses beneath his gruff exterior. And as Christmas nears, their shared concern for Holly begins to draw Ivy back into the world again . . . and toward a family who may need her just as much as she needs them . . .

The Christmas Shoppe


Melody Carlson - 2011
    A strange older woman with scraggly gray hair and jewelry that jangles as she walks, Matilda is certainly not the most likely person to buy the old Barton Building on the town's quaint main street. When it becomes apparent that her new shop doesn't fit the expectations of Parrish Springs residents, a brouhaha erupts. After all, Christmas is approaching, and the last thing the town needs is a junky shop run by someone who looks and acts like a gypsy. But as townsfolk venture into the strange store, they discover that old memories can bring new life and healing.Once again, Melody Carlson delivers a Christmas story that will touch hearts and delight the senses. Sure to be a classic, The Christmas Shoppe is filled with the special magic the best Christmas stories share--that intangible mixture of nostalgia, joy, and a little bit of magic.

The Center of Everything


Laura Moriarty - 2003
    Living with her single mother in a small apartment, Evelyn Bucknow is a young girl wincing her way through adolescence. With a voice that is as charming as it is recognizable, Evelyn immerses the reader in the dramas of an entire community. The people of Kerrville stuck at once in the middle of nowhere but also at the center of everything, are the source from which Moriarty draws on universal dilemmas of love and belief to render a story that grows in emotional intensity until it lifts the reader to heights achieved only by the finest of fiction.

Cornwall for Christmas: A Polwenna Bay novella


Ruth Saberton - 2016
     Sometimes the best Christmas presents are the ones you aren't expecting ... When Kat James exchanges the city for a solitary Yuletide in a Cornish fishing village she's fully expecting a quiet time. What she isn't prepared for is a little meddling from her well-meaning best friend and a visit from the Ghost of Boyfriends Past. Romance, festive or otherwise, isn't on Kat's Christmas list. The last thing she is looking for is love. Is coming to Cornwall for Christmas a big mistake for Kat? Has her broken heart set harder than the granite cliffs? Or will Polwenna Bay and its inhabitants work a little festive magic after all? CORNWALL FOR CHRISTMAS is a festive return to Polwenna Bay, the warm -hearted Cornish set series by the bestselling author of ESCAPE FOR THE SUMMER and KATY CARTER WANTS A HERO. It continues on from where TREASURE OF THE HEART but also stands alone as a Christmas novella. * * * * * Praise for Ruth Saberton: "Fresh, fast paced and funny" Company Magazine "A real treat of a read" Fiona Walker "Clever and fresh" Richard Madeley "A roller coaster of a read - I was gripped by emotion" Krafti Reader And reader reviewers say: "I feel like I've been to Polwenna Bay and fallen in love with it." "You can even smell the fudge cooking and hear the gulls crying." "This book transports you to a beautiful place."

Invincible Summer


Alice Adams - 2016
    Twenty years. One unexpected journey. Inseparable throughout college, Eva, Benedict, Sylvie, and Lucien graduate in 1997, into an exhilarating world on the brink of a new millennium. Hopelessly in love with playboy Lucien and eager to shrug off the socialist politics of her upbringing, Eva breaks away to work for a big bank. Benedict, a budding scientist who's pined for Eva for years, stays on to complete his PhD in physics, devoting his life to chasing particles as elusive as the object of his affection. Siblings Sylvie and Lucien, never much inclined toward mortgages or monogamy, pursue more bohemian existences-she as an aspiring artist and he as a club promoter and professional partyer. But as their twenties give way to their thirties, the group struggles to navigate their thwarted dreams. Scattered across Europe and no longer convinced they are truly the masters of their fates, the once close-knit friends find themselves filled with longing for their youth- and for one another. Broken hearts and broken careers draw the foursome together again, but in ways they never could have imagined. A dazzling depiction of the highs and lows of adulthood, Invincible Summer is a story about finding the courage to carry on in the wake of disappointment, and a powerful testament to love and friendship as the constants in an ever-changing world.

Christmas Cookies and Kissing Bridge - The Four Book Set


Linda West - 2016
    The inhabitants of Kissing Bridge are adorable. I wish I could give it 10 stars!”S.Stevens - Kindle Good BooksIncludes the first four best selling books of Christmas on Kissing Bridge Mountain. Includes, Christmas Kisses and Cookies, Valentine Wishes and Holiday Kisses, Chocolate Kisses and Heartfelt Wishes and Firework Kisses and Summertime wishes. They all take place in magical Kissing Bridge Mountain. All the books are stand alone love novels about a different woman trying to find love against all odds. It is also suitable for young adults and Christians. Sure to make you light up with Christmas spirit!! Look for the Christmas Kisses and Cookies Complete Box Set coming soon. It features a box Set of all 6 books that weaves all your favorite characters together at the end - due out in October 2017 . “Within a matter of pages I was laughing my socks off and immediately fell in love with the slightly crazy Summer … Linda West has such a knack for the humorous side of characters … Her writing style is so upbeat and unique and most of all inspirational!!! I hope to see more of these characters I’ve come to love - can’t wait to see what happens next in the adorable town of Kissing Bridge!”Debbie Dragna"Funny, unique and charming! I laughed out loud! I want to move to Kissing Bridge and live in their world. I loved both the first two in the series but this might be the best yet!!!!" Cheryl Patchett "I have become a huge fan of Linda West! I LOVE her books! This one did not disappoint! I hope the Kissing Bridge series never ends! Just ordered the newest one Firework Kisses and Summertime Wishes. Can't wait to read it!”BeachluverI read this book in 24 hours. It was great getting to know all the characters. You will not be able to stop reading this book! Diane Price This is the set of four books that are laugh out loud funny and clean wholesome love stories! By popular demand we have put them all together! 5.0 out of 5 starsWhat a great book I started this book at 8:30 one night and finished it at 1:00 the next afternoon. It was a book I just could not put down. Can not wait to read the next book in this series. Published 21 days ago by Deena Folsom 5.0 out of 5 starsTasty Fabulously tasty book. I really enjoyed this book. From beginning to end it was smashing. Christmas miracles really do come true. Published 1 month ago by SNOWFLAKE SNOWFLAKE The series starts when Summer Landers, superstar model, finds herself called back to her hometown of Kissing Bridge Mountain. Once she gets home to the holiday crazy town she gets swept up into the manic cookie contest and the need to defend her family's long time legacy. Once there she runs into her long time love and must deal with the hilarious consequences of their past.THE COMPLETE SET OF KISSING BRIDGE COMEDY LOVE STORIESThese books will make you smile!

When We Were Vikings


Andrew David MacDonald - 2020
     For Zelda, a twenty-one-year-old Viking enthusiast who lives with her older brother, Gert, life is best lived with some basic rules: 1. A smile means “thank you for doing something small that I liked.” 2. Fist bumps and dabs = respect. 3. Strange people are not appreciated in her home. 4. Tomatoes must go in the middle of the sandwich and not get the bread wet. 5. Sometimes the most important things don’t fit on lists. But when Zelda finds out that Gert has resorted to some questionable—and dangerous—methods to make enough money to keep them afloat, Zelda decides to launch her own quest. Her mission: to be legendary. It isn’t long before Zelda finds herself in a battle that tests the reach of her heroism, her love for her brother, and the depth of her Viking strength. When We Were Vikings is an uplifting debut about an unlikely heroine whose journey will leave you wanting to embark on a quest of your own, because after all... We are all legends of our own making.

What Light


Jay Asher - 2016
    . . . Sierra's family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it's a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other.  Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other. By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb's past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love.What Light is a love story that's moving and life-affirming and completely unforgettable.

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 Bells


Jennifer Chiaverini - 2015
    The publication of Longfellow’s classic Revolutionary War poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” was less than a month hence, and the country’s grave political unrest weighed heavily on his mind. Yet with his beloved wife, Fanny, and their five adored children at his side, the delights of the season prevailed. In present-day Boston, a dedicated teacher in the Watertown public school system is stunned by somber holiday tidings. Sophia’s music program has been sacrificed to budget cuts, and she worries not only about her impending unemployment but also about the consequences to her underprivileged students. At the church where she volunteers as music director, Sophia tries to forget her cares as she leads the children’s choir in rehearsal for a Christmas Eve concert. Inspired to honor a local artist, Sophia has chosen a carol set to a poem by Longfellow, moved by the glorious words he penned one Christmas Day long ago, even as he suffered great loss.Christmas Bells chronicles the events of 1863, when the peace and contentment of Longfellow’s family circle was suddenly, tragically broken, cutting even deeper than the privations of wartime. Through the pain of profound loss and hardship, Longfellow’s patriotism never failed, nor did the power of his language. “Christmas Bells,” the poem he wrote that holiday, lives on, spoken as verse and sung as a hymn.  Jennifer Chiaverini’s resonant and heartfelt novel for the season reminds us why we must continue to hear glad tidings, even as we are tested by strife. Reading Christmas Bells evokes the resplendent joy of a chorus of voices raised in reverent song.

Holiday in Your Heart


LeAnn Rimes - 1997
    She was declared the reincarnation of Patsy Cline, or of a teen star like Tanya Tucker or Brenda Lee.Catapulted into the national limelight, Rimes was profiled everywhere from "People" to "The Wall Street Journal." Now she chronicles the pressured life of a teen-aged singing sensation in this Christmas tale. "Holiday in Your Heart" takes the reader inside a show business world where priorities are often misplaced. But in this magical tale, words of wisdom from an older, more seasoned country star and the pending death of a loved one put the young star's thinking and her heart in the right place.

In the Unlikely Event


Judy Blume - 2015
    In 1987, Miri Ammerman returns to her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, to attend a commemoration of the worst year of her life.Thirty-five years earlier, when Miri was fifteen, and in love for the first time, a succession of airplanes fell from the sky, leaving a community reeling. Against this backdrop of actual events that Blume experienced in the early 1950s, when airline travel was new and exciting and everyone dreamed of going somewhere, Judy Blume imagines and weaves together a haunting story of three generations of families, friends, and strangers, whose lives are profoundly changed by these disasters. She paints a vivid portrait of a particular time and place — Nat King Cole singing “Unforgettable,” Elizabeth Taylor haircuts, young (and not-so-young) love, explosive friendships, A-bomb hysteria, rumors of Communist threat. And a young journalist who makes his name reporting tragedy. Through it all, one generation reminds another that life goes on.In the Unlikely Event is a gripping novel with all the hallmarks of Judy Blume's unparalleled storytelling.

The Christmas Pearl


Dorothea Benton Frank - 2007
    They've all come together to South Carolina to celebrate Christmas. But this Christmas looks nothing like the extravagant, homey Christmases Theodora grew up with. What happened to the days when the holiday spirit meant tables groaning with home cooked goodies, over–the–top decorations, and long chats in front of the fire with Pearl, her grandmother's housekeeper/manager/caterer/psychiatrist/best friend? Luckily someone hears Theodora's plea for help and Merle (possibly Pearl?) arrives, pockets filled with Gullah magic and common sense to straighten everyone out.

The Trouble with Christmas


Debbie Mason - 2013
    Dubbed "The Grinch Who Killed Christmas," Madison spoiled a deal that would turn quaint Christmas, Colorado, into a tourist's winter wonderland. Now the citizens want her fired but the company gives her one last chance, sending Madison to the small town to restore the holiday cheer.For Sheriff Gage McBride, no hotshot executive from New York City is going to destroy the dreams of the people he loves. But one look at this beautiful woman and it's his heart that may be broken. In just a few days, Madison causes more trouble than he's had to deal with all year. He can't decide if she's naughty or nice, but one thing is for certain—Christmas will never be the same again...

The Infinite Pieces of Us


Rebekah Crane - 2018
    It’s just a two-hour drive…Pondering math problems is Esther Ainsworth’s obsession. If only life’s puzzles required logic. Her stepfather’s solution? Avoidance. He’s exiled the family to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, to erase a big secret from Esther’s past. So much for the truth. Now for the consequences: an empty swimming pool, a water-sucking cactus outside her window, a goldfish rescued from a church festival, and Esther’s thirst for something real.Step one: forget about her first love. Step two: make allies. Esther finds them in Jesús from the local coffee bar; a girl named Color who finds beauty in an abandoned video store; Beth, the church choir outcast; and Moss, a boy with alluring possibilities. Step three: confess her secret to those she hopes she can trust. Esther’s new friends do more than just listen. They’re taking Esther one step further.Together, they hit the road to face Esther’s past head-on. It’s a journey that will lead her to embrace her own truth—in all its glory, pain, and awesomeness.