December Books Of the Month
| Carlson, Melody “The Christmas Tree Farm” “In order to save the family Christmas tree farm that her sister is equally determined to sell, Madison McDowell will have to focus her efforts – and grapple with her old boyfriend who owns the neighboring farms and has plans of his own – if she’s to succeed. After all, the farm deserves a second chance. And perhaps love does too” Kelley, Pamela “Christmas at the Restaurant” “Nantucket’s famous Christmas Stroll is always the first weekend of December and this year sisters Mandy and Emma, and Paul, the executive chef, want to do something extra special for Mimi’s Place, the restaurant they co-own. It will be Emma and Paul’s first Christmas together as a couple and Mandy’s first holiday as a newly single and divorced mother of two. Although Mandy does have a promising new relationship, she wants to take things very slow.” Macomber, Debbie “A Christmas Duet” “A solo holiday trip inspires one woman to rediscover her passion-and remember that, sometimes, duets are more fun-in this romantic Christmas novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber. Hailey Morgan’s life has always revolved around music. She once had big dreams of composing her own songs, but the reality of life has led her to working as an assistant high school band teacher in Portland, Oregon. As the holidays approach, Hailey dreads the annual tradition of Christmas with her meddling family, where she’ll have to play nice while dodging their traditional expectations. When Hailey’s close friend offers her family’s empty cabin for a rejuvenating solo retreat, Hailey finally decides to do something to make herself happy. However, her arrival in small-town Podunk, Washington, is anything but peaceful when she discovers the cabin is occupied by several wild animals. Luckily, Jay, the mayor’s son-who happens to be an incredibly charming former musician-is more than willing to help. Soon Hailey and Jay are nearly inseparable, chopping down and decorating a Christmas tree, sipping hot cocoa in front of a cozy fire, and best of all, playing music together. Jay’s encouragement and feedback inspire Hailey to believe she might succeed as a songwriter after all. But even in her snow-dusted oasis, family holiday drama still finds Hailey, threatening her newfound peace and confidence, while she realizes Jay might be more than he presents himself to be. Suddenly her Christmas paradise has become a winter storm and Hailey must weather through the challenges to stand up for herself and embrace the holiday spirit” Mallery, Susan “One Big Happy Family” “At first, Julie Parker is happy that her children do not plan to visit for Christmas, because she has been hiding her younger beau from them, but when they instead want to spend the holiday at the family cabin and the guest list grows beyond Julie’s expectations, she discovers that more really is merrier.” Morgan, Sarah “The Holiday Cottage” “To the outside world, Imogen is a marketing dynamo. Her colleagues don’t know that while her high-achieving professional image is real, the happy childhood stories she spins are as fake as her pretend enthusiasm for Christmas. Working 24/7 has always been her solution to surviving the festive season–until burnout leads to a catastrophic blunder. Suddenly, Imogen is handed a holiday gift she definitely doesn’t want: enforced time off work to recuperate. Then an invitation arrives from her favorite client, Dorothy, to stay at her guest cottage in the Cotswolds. From the thatched roof to the cozy open fireplace, Holly Cottage is a picture-perfect haven… Can it provide the fresh start Imogen so desperately needs? For Dorothy, helping Imogen offers a longed-for chance to make reparations for her own past. But as her daughter Sara keeps reminding her, it brings risks, too. Yet Dorothy knows that only a leap of courage will allow her family to grow and heal. And perhaps this Christmas, with Dorothy’s help, the new life that Imogen is slowly piecing together could be better than anything either of them could imagine…” Stevenson, Benjamin “Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret” “A fan of mystery novels investigates a real-life murder when the benefactor of a world-famous magician turns up dead in the days leading up to Christmas and all the suspects are masters of illusion and misdirection.” |
