Logan Brady is dreading coming out to her family over the holidays. She’s just lost her job, her life is a mess, and the last thing she needs is to be at the center of her family’s passion for drama. Mick Finnegan survives on coffee, adrenaline, and one-night stands that don’t complicate her entrepreneurial lifestyle. She doesn’t have anyone she’s close to, so when an old college friend invites her to spend the holidays with his family, she jumps at the chance for a good old-fashioned Christmas. Logan and Mick are on the same hellish flight from DC to Kansas City, become stranded in Chicago overnight, and share the only available hotel room. Their chemistry is undeniable, and a fling seems like a fine idea, until Logan’s brother shows up, and they realize they’re going to be spending the entire holiday together. Being home for the holidays is complicated, and Logan and Mick are one food fight and a ride to jail away from learning to live without fear and love without limits.
We all know the story of Thanksgiving. Or do we? This uniquely American holiday has a rich and little known history beyond the famous feast of 1621. In Thanksgiving, award-winning author Melanie Kirkpatrick journeys through four centuries of history, giving us a vivid portrait of our nation's best-loved holiday. Drawing on newspaper accounts, private correspondence, historical documents, and cookbooks, Thanksgiving brings to life the full history of the holiday and what it has meant to generations of Americans. Many famous figures walk these pages—Washington, who proclaimed our first Thanksgiving as a nation amid controversy about his Constitutional power to do so; Lincoln, who wanted to heal a divided nation sick of war when he called for all Americans—North and South—to mark a Thanksgiving Day; FDR, who set off a debate on state's rights when he changed the traditional date of Thanksgiving. Ordinary Americans also play key roles in the Thanksgiving story—the New England Indians who boycott Thanksgiving as a Day of Mourning; Sarah Josepha Hale, the nineteenth-century editor and feminist who successfully campaigned for Thanksgiving to be a national holiday; the 92nd Street Y in New York City, which founded Giving Tuesday, an online charity established in the long tradition of Thanksgiving generosity. Kirkpatrick also examines the history of Thanksgiving football and, of course, Thanksgiving dinner. While the rites and rituals of the holiday have evolved over the centuries, its essence remains the same: family and friends feasting together in a spirit of gratitude to God, neighborliness, and hospitality. Thanksgiving is Americans' oldest tradition. Kirkpatrick's enlightening exploration offers a fascinating look at the meaning of the holiday that we gather together to celebrate on the fourth Thursday of November. With Readings for Thanksgiving Day designed to be read aloud around the table.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Get ready to be swept up in a whirlwind romance. It absolutely charmed me.”—Reese Witherspoon (A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick) “The perfect book to get lost in . . . Josie Silver’s characters sneak their way into your heart and stay.”—Jill Santopolo, author of The Light We Lost Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story. Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn't exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic...and then her bus drives away. Certain they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It's Jack, the man from the bus. It would be. What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.
What do an injured hockey player, a woman dressed as Santa, a house-sitter, a young Jewish woman, two best friends, and a workaholic have in common? Only that their stories have come together in this delightful holiday collection. Six novellas, each different, provide engrossing quick holiday reads with satisfying happily-ever-afters. Laugh, tear up, be on the edge of your seat – each novella is different. Curl up with these cozy tales of holiday romance --heartfelt stories, from sweet to spicy --and get a warm glow and a smile. Christmas Duet Sheriff Don Armstrong can’t believe what he sees when he shines his flashlight on someone breaking and entering –a beautiful woman. What’s a woman wearing expensive suede boots doing climbing in a window? And why is such a fancy perp in Pine Grove altogether? With gun drawn, he gives the orders. “Hold it right there, Ma’am. Step back. Away from the window. Keep your hands where I can see them.” The woman’s eyes widen. Like a deer in the headlights, she freezes. He thinks he’s seen it all, until he meets Traci Ashton. Sure, it’s Christmas Eve, but Don stopped believing in miracles years ago. The Final Slapshot Harry “Deke” Edwards is a Hartford Husky defenseman known to be tricky, fast, and unbreakable. An amazing defensive lunge in a playoff game ends in a life-threatening injury. But Harry’d bounce back. He always did, didn’t he? Kitty, his wife, runs a successful art gallery in Washington, D.C. Over the last three years, the couple agreed to live in different cities and be together whenever they can. Harry swears they make it work. Unwilling to face the truth about the damage he suffered, Harry hides his secret. Hoping for a Christmas miracle, but confronted with the inevitable, he makes a decision that breaks his heart. Is this the end of the road for him with the Huskies and Kitty, too? Hanukkah Hearts Relocated to New York City from the Midwest, Becky Cohen follows her dream by snagging a choice entry level job at Homes and Ralph Publishing. Hanukkah is not a recognized holiday there, so Becky must remain in New York. Squished into a tiny two-bedroom apartment with three young women, Becky misses her family’s home and the rowdy companionship of her brothers. She plans to Skype with her family during their Hanukkah celebration, until her father declares that “Hanukkah’s been cancelled.” Fighting a serious case of pneumonia, Becky’s mother is rushed to the hospital. Devastated to be removed from her loved ones during this trying time, Becky’s amazed to find a new gift appears on her desk every day. Who’s responsible? He signs his name only, “The Hanukkah Elf.” Does she figure out who her benefactor is? Read the story to find out. Santa’s Surprise When Connecticut Kings star football player, Keith Wilson, asks his actress sister, Molly, to sub for him as Santa’s helper at the annual Christmas party for kids, she refuses. Although he manipulates her into agreeing, she turns the tables by extracting a reluctant promise in return. Will she be able to carry off posing as a man? And what happens when Santa turns out to be someone she didn’t expect? A sweet, sexy short holiday romantic comedy. The House-Sitter’s Christmas At Christmas, Laura Fleming lived her fantasy adventure. Paid to house-sit for the fabulously wealthy financier, C.W. Banley, while he traveled, she eagerly headed for New York City. As mistress of his elegant townhouse, she baked cookies and dressed the old gent’s richly-furnished residence for the holidays. As December rolled around, the lonely, lovely writer eagerly anticipated soaking up the Christmas atmosphere in the grand city. With only the cat for company, she’d turn Banley’s elegant home into a wonderland of sparkling lights, fragrant garland, and shiny tinsel. Every year, she wished, in vain, for a happy ending. Will this be the year that Miss Fleming discovers her dreams can come true, even in a big city, like New York? A sweet, New York City Christmas Fairy Tale. THE CHRISTMAS PARTY What do you get for Christmas for your best friend who has everything? A date with her forever-crush, right? Aaron and Patrice have been best friends since high school. This year, instead of a bottle of perfume or a new scarf, he has the supreme surprise in store for her – movie star and high school chum, Damian Wood. Aaron’s bringing him to Patrice’s Christmas party expressly to meet her. Never mind Aaron had once crushed on her. Putting aside your own feelings to make someone else happy is a sign of true friendship, isn’t it? Little does he know Patrice has cooked up a mighty big surprise for him, too. All is revealed at the Christmas party, where things may not be what they seem in this sweet rom-com, feel-good short story.
Many girls dream of becoming princesses, but for the heroine of "Holiday in Your Heart, nothing could be better than singing at the Grand Ole Opry. Teenaged singing sensation Anna Lee has realized her dream of performing a holiday concert on the fabled stage. Yet her happiness is clouded by thoughts of her grandmother, stricken with a serious illness back in her native Mississippi and unable to see her beloved granddaughter triumph at this special time of year. It takes the lessons of an older country singer, a musical legend now past her prime, to show the young woman that if you carry a holiday in your heart all year round, you'll always know which things really matter, which songs are the ones you have to sing. LeAnn Rimes's legions of fans will find "Holiday in Your Heart a tale as heartrending as the finest country ballad.
He's hurt her in the past. Can she trust her heart to him again?During an age of chivalry they were sweethearts, planning a future together in Tudor England.Headstrong and proud, Catherine Sudfield remembers everything about Stefan Boswell. And she loved him in spite of his poverty and lack of nobility. The restless Gypsy rogue's powerful good looks and promises of love were more than enough to satisfy her youthful dreams.But then Stefan left without a word, and Catherine's uncle bargained her off to a brothel.Sometimes, bonds between a man and a woman, however young, are meant to last a lifetime. But will it take more than a dose of Gypsy magic to chase away the doubts between two guarded lovers?SEEKING CATHERINE is a short novella (12,000 words)The story is a sweet romance, but with sensual content.
What do an injured hockey player, a woman dressed as Santa, a house-sitter, a young Jewish woman, and a workaholic have in common? Only that their stories have come together in this delightful holiday collection. Five novellas, each different, provide engrossing quick holiday reads with satisfying happily-ever-afters. Laugh, tear up, be on the edge of your seat - each novella is different. Curl up with these cozy tales of holiday romance --heartfelt stories, from sweet to spicy and get a warm glow and a smile.Christmas DuetSheriff Don Armstrong can't believe what he sees when he shines his flashlight on someone breaking and entering -a beautiful woman. What's a woman wearing expensive suede boots doing climbing in a window? And why is such a fancy perp in Pine Grove altogether? With gun drawn, he gives the orders. "Hold it right there, Ma'am. Step back. Away from the window. Keep your hands where I can see them."The woman's eyes widen. Like a deer in the headlights, she freezes. He thinks he's seen it all, until he meets Traci Ashton. Sure, it's Christmas Eve, but Don stopped believing in miracles years ago. The Final SlapshotHarry "Deke" Edwards is a Hartford Husky defenseman known to be tricky, fast, and unbreakable. An amazing defensive lunge in a playoff game ends in a life-threatening injury. But Harry'd bounce back. He always did, didn't he? Kitty, his wife, runs a successful art gallery in Washington, D.C. Over the last three years, the couple agreed to live in different cities and be together whenever they can. Harry swears they make it work. Unwilling to face the truth about the damage he suffered, Harry hides his secret. Hoping for a Christmas miracle, but confronted with the inevitable, he makes a decision that breaks his heart. Is this the end of the road for him with the Huskies and Kitty, too? Hanukkah HeartsRelocated to New York City from the Midwest, Becky Cohen follows her dream by snagging a choice entry level job at Homes and Ralph Publishing. Hanukkah is not a recognized holiday there, so Becky must remain in New York. Squished into a tiny two-bedroom apartment with three young women, Becky misses her family's home and the rowdy companionship of her brothers. She plans to Skype with her family during their Hanukkah celebration, until her father declares that "Hanukkah's been cancelled." Fighting a serious case of pneumonia, Becky's mother is rushed to the hospital. Devastated to be removed from her loved ones during this trying time, Becky's amazed to find a new gift appears on her desk every day. Who's responsible? He signs his name only, "The Hanukkah Elf." Does she figure out who her benefactor is? Read the story to find out. Santa's SurpriseWhen Connecticut Kings star football player, Keith Wilson, asks his actress sister, Molly, to sub for him as Santa's helper at the annual Christmas party for kids, she refuses. Although he manipulates her into agreeing, she turns the tables by extracting a reluctant promise in return. Will she be able to carry off posing as a man? And what happens when Santa turns out to be someone she didn't expect? A sweet, sexy holiday romantic comedy. The House-Sitter's ChristmasAt Christmas, Laura Fleming lived her fantasy adventure. Paid to house-sit for the fabulously wealthy financier, C.W. Banley, while he traveled, she eagerly headed for New York City. As mistress of his elegant townhouse, she baked cookies and dressed the old gent's richly-furnished residence for the holidays. As December rolled around, the lonely, lovely writer eagerly anticipated soaking up the Christmas atmosphere in the grand city. With only the cat for company, she'd turn Banley's elegant home into a wonderland of sparkling lights, fragrant garland, and shiny tinsel. Every year, she wished for a happy ending. Will this be the year Miss Fleming discovers her dreams can come true, even in a big city, like New York?
Savor the magic of Josie Riviera’s sweet and wholesome contemporary romances—exclusively in one collection! Cozy up with your favorite beverage and lose yourself in these joyful “seasoned romance” stories featuring older couples—charming heroes and heroines over 50 who fall in love. Because men and women of all ages have exciting, romantic tales worth reading. This collection includes 3 books: A CHOCOLATE-BOX SUMMER BREEZE Will Emily and Joe find their happily-ever-after in a forgotten summer breeze? A CHOCOLATE-BOX IRISH WEDDING A woman who wanted more. A man who wanted her. Can they rediscover their love in the seaside town where it all began? 1-800-IRELAND A strong minded Irishwoman pursuing her dream. A disillusioned businessman ready to retire. Can two determined people separated by years find true love at the end of a rainbow?
From our hearts to yours - no matter where you might be - we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! In 2012, we introduced Snowbird Christmas Vol 1, a collection of short holiday stories to warm your heart! Well, we've done it again, because you asked us to! We know that Christmas is all about love and we wish you the kind of Christmas that will make wonderful memories for you and yours. Rated G
I'll Be Home for Christmas Movies is the unofficial fan guide to Hallmark holiday movies, from the creators of the wildly popular Deck the Hallmark podcast. Hosts and best friends Brandon Gray, Daniel "Panda" Pandolph, and Dan Thompson share reviews that make you feel like you're watching these holiday favorites with your best buds, discussing warm Christmas feelings and absolutely bonkers plot twists with equal enthusiasm. And thanks to original interviews with the movies' stars and creators, fans will find out insider information on the making of the movies and learn answers to pressing questions: Why do the lead characters keep coming down with amnesia? Why do so many female stock brokers and lawyers find themselves forced to plan parties? And do all of the stories take place within something called the "Kennyverse"? To complete the perfect Christmas package, the book is also chock-full of ideas for hosting your own holiday movie-watching party, complete with delicious recipes. Featuring dozens of full-color photos throughout, I'll Be Home for Christmas Movies is as cozy and sparkly as the movies themselves.
