Book picks similar to
Believe by Mary Engelbreit


christmas
holiday
modern-fiction
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Carole Singer's Christmas


Emily Harvale - 2013
    She can’t wait to marry her boyfriend Dominic and change her surname to ‘Smith,’ and she’s sure he’ll pop the question any day now.When her gran has a nasty fall, Carole has to return to the Sussex village of Jutsdown, to care for her – and that’s sixty miles from London ... and Dominic. It also means coming face to face with Sebastian, the man who broke her heart ten years earlier.As Carole juggles her career as an illustrator, caring for her meddlesome gran, and missing Dominic, she struggles with her rekindled feelings for Sebastian. Getting roped in to help with the Christmas musical, A Christmas Carol at the village hall and discovering her gran has invested in a garden centre owned by the moody but gorgeous, Nick, doesn’t help. Carole’s Christmas now looks as if it’ll be anything but peaceful.With the Christmas holidays looming and Dominic coming to stay, Carole is facing a dilemma. Should she choose her past boyfriend, Sebastian, her present boyfriend, Dominic or could there be any sort of a future with the dark and secretive Nick?

Holly Bough Cottage (Holiday Cottage #2)


Cindy Gunderson - 2021
    Facing the possibility of spending Christmas alone—or even worse, at her over-eager parent’s—she booked a two-week stay at the first affordable, well-rated winter retreat she could find: Holly Bough Cottage in the Colorado Rockies. With her interior design business slowing down over the holidays, Liv can practically smell the pine trees and warm apple cider, but most importantly? She won’t have to face anyone for at least fourteen days. Jonah wasn’t planning on being anywhere but home for Christmas, but when the owners of the Cottages posted on a community board that their handyman injured himself, he decided to pull them a solid. It didn’t hurt that they were offering a free stay and double the daily rate he usually made as a middle-school science teacher. When Liv discovers that the man who came to replace her thermostat is staying in the next cottage over, she finds herself looking for opportunities to sit on the porch while answering emails. Even if it is thirty below. Jonah, battling ghosts of his own, can’t help but walk the long way to the office in the hopes of catching a moment with her. With Liv's heart still raw from past wounds and Jonah hiding a past life that could ruin any budding relationship, their initial attraction doesn't seem to stand a chance. Will their unexpected meeting during the most magical of times be enough to open their hearts to loving and trusting again? If you adore cozy Christmas memories, down-to-earth characters, and sweet romance, you'll love Gunderson's heartwarming holiday tale.

No Room At The Inn


Grace Given - 2019
    They dream of a perfect Christmas with their family, but Joseph’s brother, Jude, has been gone for months on Rumspringa. Terrible news about Jude forces the young couple to search for him on Christmas Eve in the local Englischer town. During their search, they meet with a medley of strangers, share their faith and almost lose everything they hold dear. Will Joseph find his brother in time for Christmas? How much will they sacrifice in order to be reunited with Jude? And will the couple be able to make it home before the baby arrives? Read this strangely familiar story with an unforgettable Amish twist today!

Secret Santa


Anne Osborn Poelman - 2000
    In the depths of the Great Depression, poor families like the Van Slotens are lucky to have a roof over their heads. Work is scarce, and there hasn't been enough of it to provide even the necessities, let alone a luxury like a holiday celebration. But when Tom, the oldest son, takes it into his head to provide a Christmas for his family, the stage is set for a story that will warm your heart and restore your faith in the true spirit of the season!

When Love Leads You Home


Jami Crumpton - 2019
    After missing the Olympic team because of injury, and being shut out by her ‘winning is everything’ father, she’s built a career as a top notch, award-winning coach. When a serious student injury propels her to the outside of the gymnastics world, she finds herself broke and alone – until a bequest from a mysterious and unknown aunt takes her on an unexpected journey. Who was Aunt Winnie, and what does the equally mysterious and unknown Mr. Boudreaux have to do with it? Army veteran, Cole Boudreaux, has returned home a hero to Cardinal Point, Texas, but a few things went wrong with his homecoming. His fiancée cut him loose, and he lost his position as a police officer because a wartime injury left him nearly deaf. Then, the woman who was like a mother to him dies suddenly. Cole knows God has a plan, and if he could settle Winnie’s estate and grow his budding security business, he just might figure out what it is. Winnie’s niece is not making it easy. She’s rolled into town with a ton of baggage and secrets she’s not willing to share. Why is Jacey so distant, and why is she so determined to not let him in?

12 Dog Days of Christmas


Paula Munier - 2020
    With Zach's mom in Bali and the woman of his dreams gone AWOL, he's facing a Christmas alone with Ringo—until Tessa the cute veterinarian appears at his door with an offer he and Ringo can't refuse.It's a Christmas he'll never forget....

The Dawn Of Grace


Randy Mixter
    A time for joy. A time for tears. A time for reflection. A time for hope.And a time for miracles.This Christmas season Dave and Karen Brenner have welcomed a stranger into their lives. A stranger who may change their lives forever.

A Very Dirty Xmas Box Set


Juliana Conners - 2017
    What I want now is my younger, innocent assistant. I'll tie her up under my tree, just to experience the joy of making her come undone. There's one thing I never want: commitment. But this naughty elf has me thinking of jingling all the way to the chapel, and turning her into her my gift to keep forever. A Very Dirty Xmas is an anthology of five standalone Christmas romance novels featuring alpha male, bad boy billionaires and the curvy, feisty women who win their hearts. Warm up the season with these holiday books that perfectly blend steam and spice, naughty and nice. They have no cheating, no cliffhangers and very happily ever afters, including engagements, weddings and babies! Merry Christmas from Juliana Conners, Eva Luxe and Sierra Sparks.

The Best Christmas Present (Mail Order Bride Christmas in the Country Book 4)


Emma Morgan - 2018
    James Carter in California, or give up her inheritance and live in poverty in her hometown. So soon, she is on train headed west, to a dusty little town in Arizona. Mabel is accustomed to a life of privilege and wealth, and is not all at happy with the weather-beaten farmhouse and lack of luxury. James Carter has made a fortune in the silver mines, but he prefers a simple life. A kind and intelligent man, he is known for his generous nature, and is loved by the town. But when James announces a Christmas party to help welcome Mabel to town, she is not pleased. What kind of party can they have out here, in the desert, with a group of strangers in the house? But the holiday spirit can find us, wherever we are. And sometimes, so can love.

A Light in a Window: An Inlet Beach Novella


Heidi Hostetter - 2015
    Window boxes overflow with evergreens and sea stars, as the sleepy town welcomes visitors for the annual Christmas Lights Festival.But things are not as perfect as they seem. On the eve of the tree lighting in the town square, police find a runaway in trouble. Residents of the community gather to help, but complications arise, and unraveling the boy's past is harder than they imagine. As a blustery Pacific Northwest Christmas draws near, can they find a way to give a boy with a shattered past a chance at happiness? Can they give him a home for the holidays?A Light in the Window is a heartwarming tale of community, family, and second chances.

Silver Bells


Lyz Kelley - 2020
    She’s stuck there and haunted by memories until she meets Tim, Christmas present. He opens her eyes and heart.If you love small town second chance romances, read this heartwarming novella and fall in love today.

Christmas to the Max A Return to Welcome Novel


Bonnie Edwards - 2020
    (Return to Welcome)Max Whyte moves to Welcome WA to live closer to his daughters after their mother remarries. He wants to fix up an old home, settle into his new position at an IT firm, and try not to think about turning forty alone.Burned by a single mother in the past, he vows not to get tangled with another woman with children. When he saves the life of a small boy, he finds himself tangled in more ways than he could imagine.When the boy’s mother turns out to be the perfect person to do his renovations, Max has trouble keeping his personal feelings out of their employer/employee relationship.Kaylin Simpson has returned to Welcome to give her boys the kind of home she wanted as a child. She needs a fresh, stable start and wants to run her own business. Her three-year-old twins keep her hopping, but after she finishes the renovations for Max, she hopes to have her life well in hand.Max is drawn to Kaylin and her adorable twin boys. Her wit and feisty spirit pull at his heartstrings until he realizes being a stepfather is never what he wanted.Christmas in Welcome can be a time to heal and move forward and Max and Kaylin must set aside their old hurts to allow love to blossom.

The Hired Man's Christmas


George Givens - 1997
    Every summer a mysterious man known only as "Frank" arrives to help George Givens's grandfather with his farmwork. No one knows the hired man's last name, where he comes from, or why he always seems to be so sad. Once the season's crops are harvested, he disappears only to reappear the following summer. This routine continues for many years -- until one fateful Christmas Eve.The hired man never returns to the Givens farm after that day, and the mystery of his final disappearance seems destined to remain unsolved. Then, on Christmas Eve many years later, George serendipitously discovers the long-lost hired man's fate. This discovery teaches him a powerful lesson about the importance of family and the endurance of love."The Hired Man's Christmas" is a story of simpler times, but its message resonates across the years and in the hearts of fathers and sons even today.

The First Noël at the Villa des Violettes


Patricia Sands - 2018
    Everything was going so well in Kat and Philippe’s life together. Then suddenly it wasn’t. Roman ruins delayed the work on the Villa des Violettes. The Russian drug gang might be back in the neighbourhood. On top of that, Kat had worked herself into what Molly classified as a full blown “Christmas conundrum.” Kat wanted the holidays to work perfectly as she blended a Canadian Christmas with a Provençal Fête de Noêl for the first time in their new home. Now she’d lost her confidence and, with it, the holiday spirit. Philippe hoped a weekend trip to the famous Christmas markets of Strasbourg would solve everything. As it happened, things were about to get worse.

Sleigh Bells Ring


Jessica James - 2020
    This clean, wholesome romance will take you back to bygone days when holiday traditions were deeply rooted institutions, and when love could heal all wounds. Returning to her family’s Montana ranch after a ten-year absence, Jordyn Dunaway pitches in to help her Mother create the special holiday magic for which the family ranch is renowned. But when she discovers that her best friend growing up—the man she has never forgotten—is employed as a ranch hand, the holiday season turns into something she never imagined.Chad Devlin was falling into a deep abyss after leaving the military as a result of a traumatic brain injury. When his old employer invited him back as a ranch hand he found himself recovering both physically and mentally...that is until he was blindsided by the return of the ranch owner’s daughter after a ten-year absence.The rocky relationship of the former best friends takes a back seat as the future of the family-owned ranch becomes threatened. If Jordyn and Chad don’t put their painful pasts behind them, they might lose the ranch they both call home. Can misunderstandings, mistrust, and lost years be forgotten when the magic of Christmas is in the air?Find out with the help of beautiful vistas, Western hospitality, and the magical meaning of a special sleigh bell that ties both Jordyn and Chad to the past—and the future.If you love Debbie Macomber, Shanna Hatfield, RaeAnne Thayne, Susan Mallery, or Sheila Roberts, you’ll love Sleigh Bells Ring by award-winning Jessica James.