Book picks similar to
Hope for Christmas by Jennifer Hayden
christmas
romance
holiday
contemporary
From Out in the Cold
L.A. Witt - 2012
Grief, guilt, and PTSD have ruled his life since a terrible crime tore his world apart last year, and he’s dreading a holiday visit with the family he simultaneously needs and resents. Then someone from his past shows up and rattles that shaky foundation right out from under him. First a war nearly destroyed Jeremy Kelley, then his family threw him out when he needed them the most. Now he’s barely holding on emotionally. He spends his last dollar to get to Chicago and prays his former best friend won’t leave him out in the cold. Neil and Jeremy spend the holidays with Neil’s family in their hometown of Omaha. They struggle to deal with families, flashbacks… and feelings that haven’t even begun to fade since their last failed attempt at more than friends. As they try to repair their fractured psyches and rebuild damaged bridges, they rely on each other more than ever, but they can’t deny the mutual attraction that’s existed since before they were both emotionally battered and scarred. If they couldn’t make it work back then, how in the world can they pull it off now? This book was previously published and has been lightly revised.
This Time Forever
Patricia Paris - 2011
Will the Masks of Deception steal their Chance for True Love? Sparks fly when Delaney Brannigan and Blake Morrisson meet at the Glebe Point annual costume dance. Known only to each other as the leopard and the Lone Ranger, Delaney discovers soon afterward that the cowboy she thought had ridden off into the sunset never to tempt her again, is none other than the man she came from New York to find and discredit. Against her will, she is drawn into an overwhelming attraction to Blake, an attraction she can't give in to if she wants to keep the one thing she values more than anything else. During a chance encounter with an old friend, Blake discovered he had a son he never knew existed. Finding the boy has been the only thing he cared about for months---that is until Delaney Brannigan came to town. Now the bewitching woman has him thinking abut settling down---but then he discovers Delaney isn't who she appeared to be, and Delaney's hopes and dreams are shattered as the truth threatens to uproot her world. Will these two lovers lose one another in a web of deception, or will the small town boy and the girl from New York find a way to trust their hearts and discover a once in a lifetime happiness?
The One for Me
Rachel Hanna - 2013
Unattached and not interested in falling in love, he dives head first into his business in the small coastal Georgia town.Jenna Davis's life has come to a screeching halt. After making the worst decision on her life during college, she now finds herself a single mother about to lose her home over a decade later.When these two cross paths after many years, sparks fly and Kyle puts up a brick wall to protect himself. In this sweeping romance, emotions run high as the two try to find themselves, and each other, again.
Mistletoe Kiss (Sweet Tea Holiday Collection)
Andrea Boyd - 2018
Help us set a record! On December 10 at 5:00 pm, we need your help setting a Guinness World Record for the most couples kissing under the mistletoe! Chase Spencer had been firmly planted in the friend-zone ever since he first met Rachel Anthony back when they were in grade school and it looks like that’s where he’s destined to remain. And her latest scheme is bound to be torture. She wants them to help break the Guinness World Record for the most couples kissing under the mistletoe at one time. How should he handle this? Should the kiss be a chaste, friendly kiss like she envisions? Or should he do it in a way that leaves Rachel without a doubt that he wants to be more than friends? It had always been Rachel’s dream to break a world record, and who better to do it with than her best friend Chase? And it wasn’t as if they hadn’t kissed before—sixth grade, spin-the-bottle at Iona Puckett’s party—a peck of the lips and it’d be over. Except she missed the part where they had to hold the kiss for ten seconds. And no one warned her of how she would feel afterwards—confused and longing for more. How can she convince Chase to change her status from friend to girlfriend?
The Twelve Dogs of Christmas
Lizzie Shane - 2020
Then she learns some Grinch has pulled the funding for her family's rescue shelter, and now she has only four weeks to find new homes for a dozen dogs! But when she confronts her Scroogey councilman nemesis, Ally finds he's far more reasonable — and handsome — than she ever expected.As the guardian of his dog-obsessed ten-year-old niece, Ben West doesn't have time to build a cuddly reputation. But he does feel guilty about the shelter closing. So he proposes a truce with Ally, agreeing to help her adopt out the pups. As the two spend more time together, the town's gossip is spreading faster than Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. And soon Ben is hoping he can convince Ally that Pine Hollow is her home for the holidays... and the whole year through.
The Last Bride in Ballymuir
Dorien Kelly - 2003
Miss Kylie "Soon-to-Be-a-Saint" O'Shea teaches at the Gaelic school, helps her neighbors and volunteers for every good cause. No one in Ballymuir can figure out why she keeps the interested lads at bay but they all warn her that she's in danger of fulfilling a local legend: becoming the last bride in Ballymuir. When a stranger named Michael Kilbride comes to the village wild rumors surround his every move. But Kylie, captivated by Michael's intense passions, lets herself go where Michael leads her -- into an awakening of dreams and desires...even if it means exposing her beloved village's and her own darkest secrets.
Batter Up
Robyn Neeley - 2014
A delicious premonition she shares every Monday evening with the bachelors of Buttermilk Falls as they gather at the Sugar Spoon bakery for Batter Up night. Investigative reporter Jason Levine just found himself as the man candy for a bachelorette party in Las Vegas. Roped into attending the Vegas nuptials, was he hearing things when the groom shares that the only reason he’s getting married is because a small town baker conjured up the name of his soulmate in her cake batter? Sparks fly when Jason tries to expose Emma as a fraud, but reality and logic go out the window as he begins to fall under her spell.
My First: Jason & Katie
Melanie Shawn - 2013
With his easygoing charm, whiskey-colored brown eyes, and sinfully sexy half smile, women just seem to fall all over themselves when he’s around.Well... most women, anyway. Katie Lawson’s the one woman who isn't putty in his hands, and she's the only one he’s ever wanted in his arms.Katie Lawson left Harper's Crossing in the middle of the night ten years ago, immediately after her high school boyfriend Nick's funeral. She left behind all memories of Nick, and she left behind her life-long best friend, Jason Sloan.Now she's on the fast track to junior partner at one of San Francisco's top law firms. She's made a life for herself that's all about maintaining order and sticking to the rules. Rule #1 is keeping herself WAY too busy to think about all that she ran away from. If she can do that, after all, she can keep everything under control.But that rule is about to be broken. She’s headed back home to be the maid of honor in Nick’s little sister’s wedding. It's time to face the truth she's been avoiding all these years, the same one that sent her running ten years ago - that maybe she didn't lose her first love the summer after high school. Maybe her first love has been waiting for her all this time, at home in Harper's Crossing.
Old Desires
Liz Fielding - 1994
Far worse was his bombshell that her past was a complete fabrication.A new identity - and the inheritance which went with it -meant that Holly could embark on a new life. But where did Joshua fit into the scheme of things - was he just using the desire which flared between them to manipulate her? Only time would tell...
Heartbreak, Tennessee
Ruby Laska - 2012
She begged Mac to run away with her after she learned a terrible secret about their two families. When Mac refused, Amber vowed to disappear forever.But now, Amber has been forced to return to help her employer plan a theme park to be set in Heartbreak. She intends to get the trip over with as quickly as possible and return to her life in Nashville, a life that includes a relationship with aspiring singer Dean Hamilton.Unfortunately, negotiating the theme park isn’t as easy as Amber had hoped. The park’s number one opponent is Heartbreak’s mayor—none other than Mac. And when he’s not shooting down her proposal, he’s proposing the kind of collaboration that ignites long-buried passions.
A Heavenly Christmas
Patrice Wilton - 2015
Jennie Braxton and her two small children are traveling to Philadelphia for Christmas with her family. Car trouble lands them in a magical town called Heaven, PA. Everything about this sweet place seems too good to be true, especially Nick Ryan, a local chef with a heart as big as her own. His sensual smile tempts her from mourning the loss of her dear husband, to look into the future. Can her dreams of finding happiness again come true, or will her heart hide safely in the past? FIVE STAR REVIEWS "This Beautiful Christmas story has given me the hopes and promises in life that any woman could dream of! Simply Beautiful!" ~ Belinda "This book is a perfect winter fairytale. I would highly recommend it, and not just at Christmas time, anytime if the year." ~ Amazon Customer "Loved this book! Great character development and Wonderful chemistry between the main characters. Thoughtful and fun. This was a great breezy read." ~ Amazon Customer "This is a great feel good book! Great way to feel their loss without losing hope! A great new beginning without losing their past!" ~ Lori Robinson "Best read of the season! A A A for a modern old fashion hot love novel. Very sweet. Heaven was a good name for this town." ~ John "A charming, romantic story with the backdrop of Christmas. Heavenly, Pennsylvania sits a half hour from Philadelphia where Jennie ' parents live. It's also the scene of an accident that brings Jennie and Nick together. A romance made in Heaven." ~ Professor "This was such a warm and loving story. Sometimes where we are led is simply a miracle! The characters are perfect and the warmth and love expressed are wonderful." ~ Kathy Dolan "A very heartwarming story with wonderful characters. A great Christmas story. I am anxious to read the next book to see how this storybook romance turns out." ~ Connie Peters "Lovely light reading and if someone has ever been in her position they will truly understand her trepidation. If this is a sample of the author's work I'll be reading more." ~ Grace
In a Holidaze
Christina Lauren - 2020
She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.
A Vision of Sugarplums
Jennifer Blake - 2011
until she finds an abandoned baby in her store on Christmas Eve. Change is certainly in the air – especially when late shopper Rick Wallman walks in with yet another delightful holiday surprise. Meghan has to take the baby home — that or call Social Services on Christmas Eve. Rick goes with her to help shop for baby supplies and winds up spending the night. Meghan and Rick, though, each have secrets — one of which could destroy the fragile future they begin to build together.
Remembering Christmas
Dan Walsh - 2011
He works hard, plays hard, and answers to no one. So when his mother calls on Thanksgiving weekend begging him to come home after his stepfather has a stroke, Rick is more than a little reluctant. He's never liked Art and resents the man's presence in his life, despite the fact that his own father abandoned the family when Rick was just twelve. When what was supposed to be just a couple days helping out at the family bookstore turns into weeks of cashing out old ladies and running off the homeless man who keep hanging about, Rick's attitude sours even more.Still, slowly but surely, the little bookstore and its quirky patrons--as well as the lovely young woman who works at his side each day--work their magic on him, revealing to Rick the truth about his family, his own life, and the true meaning of Christmas. With skillful storytelling, Dan Walsh creates a Christmas story will have readers remembering every good and perfect gift of Christmas.