❤️ Christmas romance ❤️ Small town ❤️ Second-chance romance ❤️ Friends-to-lovers ❤️ Found family
Welcome to Port Berry, where love and Christmas miracles are just around the corner.
Alice Dipple is determined to make her first Christmas running Port Berry’s Seaview B&B a success.
But when her childhood best friend, Jamie Stark, returns after years away, the Christmas season suddenly feels a little brighter — and a lot more complicated.
Jamie was once the love of Alice’s life, until a dreadful mistake tore them apart. He’s returned to Port Berry for a fresh start, and hoping to win back the woman he’s never stopped loving.
Alice is focused on her business. But as she and Jamie are drawn back together by the cosy charm of the B&B, the warmth of the community, and their shared history, she begins to wonder if there’s a second chance for them after all.
But just when it seems like Christmas could bring them their new beginning, Jamie’s troubled past resurfaces, threatening everything they have built.
Will the magic of the season be enough to bring them together — and this time forever?
MY THOUGHTS
Sweet, cozy and festive. This is the sixth book in the charming small town Port Perry series. I’ve read most in the series. Some mistakes are made but can a second chance and reconciliation happen? The magic of the season will brighten their days and warm their nights. Romance, Christmas spirit and new beginnings make for a warm feel good story.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Hello readers,
I absolutely adore writing about love with a happy-ever- after, as it’s a joy to escape into a world where miracles happen and heroes are found. My favourite genre is small- town romance because of the close-knit communities and beautiful settings. I think all the tropes are great, but I find instant attraction the most interesting. I really hope my stories help add some feel-good vibes to your day.
336 pages Publisher Ballantine | Dell Publication date October 7, 2025
ABOUT THE BOOK
Could a fake relationship with your ex over Christmas in Scotland be the perfect opportunity for revenge—or a second chance at love? One woman is about to find out in this charming holiday romance from the author of Always, in December and A Winter Wish.
Melanie hasn’t had a good year. Her work life isn’t what she dreamed it would be, her best friend has moved to the other side of the world, and Finn, the man she was sure was the love of her life, dumped her. In front of everyone. At his sister’s engagement party.
So when Finn shows up at Mel’s doorstep two weeks before Christmas, asking if she’ll help him, her first instinct is to slam the door in his face—or punch him.
But he has a proposal for her: Spend the week of Christmas with him and his family in a vacation cottage in the Scottish Highlands. His mother is obsessed with the idea of a perfect Christmas—and to make this dream come true Finn told his mother that he and Mel are dating again. All Mel has to do is come with him and pretend they’re back together.
Mel may hate Finn, but she loves his mom. So she agrees—on one condition. At the end of the week, Finn will allow Mel to publicly dump him so that she can get her dignity back and he can experience the same humiliation she felt.
It’s only a week. Mel can pretend to still be in love with Finn for one week, surely. Except as the festivities bring her closer than ever to Finn and his family, Mel starts to lose track of which feelings are fake and which are for real.
MY THOUGHTS
Who stayed up until 1:30 a.m. reading this last night? Yep, read it in a few hours and just couldn’t put it down. One thing I’ve noticed about the author’s books are they’re so darn emotional, and that’s what makes them so good. Books you can connect with, books that make you want to come back to them and definitely look forward to the next one. As far as I know the author writes one book a year and they’re always Christmas books and I’m okay with that. I love Christmas books! Maggie still has feelings for Finn, not that she’ll admit it to anyone including herself. He broke up with her though at his sister’s engagement party in front of everyone with no explanation to her and she feels made a fool of. When he shows up at her door six months later asking for a favor, she wants to punch his lights out and slam the door in his face. He proposes fake dating so his family will have a perfect Christmas, his mother is obsessed with Christmas and he’s doing it to make her happy. She loves his mom, so she agrees. This involves staying at a cabin in Scotland with his family over the Christmas holiday week. Touching is allowed only when the family is looking, sweet nicknames too. What if this brings back a flood of memories for both and they start to really fall in love all over again in this second chance at love story? Now the emotional part, there’s secrets his family is keeping from each other because they want everyone to have the perfect worry-free Christmas. When one family member’s secret becomes unkeepable how will this affect everyone’s Christmas fun? Can this be a love to stay this time or will it end after Christmas is over? Sweet, Charming and Emotional. Great read!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the Author
Emily Stone is the author of Always, in December, One Last Gift, Love, Holly, and A Winter Wish. She lives and works in the UK and wrote her first novel in an old Victorian manor house with an impressive literary heritage.
361 pages Publisher Avon Publication date October 24, 2023
ABOUT THE BOOK
New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde’s delightful Twilight, Texas, series continues with this sparkling Christmas novel. A reality TV show producer returns to her hometown of Twilight in this lovers reunited story filled with holiday spirit and perfect for readers of Susan Mallery and Jill Shalvis.
She was the one who got away…
Noelle Curry has returned to Twilight to plan the most spectacular double wedding the town has ever seen—and do it on national television. But the woman known as “The Wedding Whisperer” is knocked speechless when she notices her teenage crush, Gil Thomas, is about to plunge into icy cold water wearing nothing more than a pair of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer swim trunks. He is the sexiest guy participating in the annual polar bear plunge and seeing him pushes all thoughts of white lace and rose blossoms right out of her mind.
He was the man who decided to stay…
Single dad Gil doesn’t regret giving up his dreams of big-city singing stardom for small-town life. But seeing Noelle—who’s blossomed from the once-gawky teenager to West Coast beauty—has him thinking of days—and nights—a whole lot hotter than his plunge in the lake. And even though he knows she’ll be heading out as soon as her work is finished, he can’t help hoping the magic of Christmas in Twilight will get her to change her mind and stay in town—and by his side—forever.
A two-tiered winter wedding cake with seasonal decorations
MY THOUGHTS
Will this wedding planner soon be planning her own wedding? She has planned on returning to Twilight, Texas at Christmas time to prepare for a spectacular televised wedding then immediately leave afterwards. What she hadn’t planned on was seeing an old flame looking better than ever, oh the memories come alive at just the sight of him. Seeing her brings it all home for him but he has a daughter now to think of and her opinions matter and she’s looking for a new Mommy. Though I haven’t read a book in the long-standing Twilight, Texas series in several years it’s just as good as I remember. The author brings the characters alive with that special Christmas magic sprinkled in.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the author
BIO
Lori Wilde is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers’ Weekly bestselling author of 110 works of romantic fiction. Her writing has won numerous awards and her books have been translated into 26 languages, with more than ten million copies of her books sold worldwide. Her series The Wedding Veil Wishes inspired six movies from Hallmark starring Lacey Chabert, Autumn Reese, and Alison Sweeney. The movies broke viewing records for Hallmark. Her first NYT bestseller, The First Love Cookie Club, was made into a Christmas movie also with Hallmark called A Kismet Christmas.
Lori is a registered nurse with a BSN from Texas Christian University, along with a Master in Liberal Arts from the same university. She holds a certificate in forensics, a certificate in screenwriting from UCLA and she is also a certified yoga instructor. A sixth-generation Texan, Lori lives with her husband, Bill, in the Cutting Horse Capital of the World.
301 pages Publisher Bookouture Publication date June 16, 2026
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Balhennie Inn is surrounded by heather-strewn mountains, with breathtaking views across the wild blue loch. But the cosy B&B is in trouble, and the only woman who can save it left without looking back years ago. Sorrel Balhennie will need to confront her past if the inn has any hope of a future…
The Balhennie family raised their six daughters on the Isle of Skye amongst early breakfast services and fully booked summers. Their inn is never short of gossip – and when eldest daughter Sorrel turns up for the first time in ten years, the island rumour mill begins.
Always the one left to corral her younger siblings, resourceful Sorrel now runs her own successful property business on the mainland. She throws herself into the repairs, praying her curious sisters will stop asking about the real reason she left home…
But Sorrell didn’t count on brooding, blue-eyed Tam Blackwood – the man she thought was her forever – supervising the works. Now they’re thrown together again, Sorrel realises just how much she’s missed him.
And with her secret in danger of tearing her family apart for good, only Tam has a plan to fix the inn and heal the rift between the Balhennie sisters. With his help, can Sorrel finally open up? Or will the inn close its doors forever?
The first in a brand-new Scottish-set series about sisterhood, secrets and second chances. Fans of Pamela Kelley, Hope Holloway and Debbie Macomber will utterly adore this romantic read!
A stunning sunset bathes the Scottish Highlands’ loch and blooming heather in warm light.
MY THOUGHTS
One thing I like about the author’s books is how descriptive her books are from the luscious scenery to the events happening you feel as though you are there. This was a pretty emotional book. There are six sisters, all grown and one left without a word or an explanation ten years ago. Though one tried to keep in touch there was never any reciprocation. Not only that she left a strong friendship with a childhood friend that was just turning into more. Now she’s back without giving her family a heads-up and they’re puzzled, shocked and hurt. The family inn is failing, and this sister is the one with the best business sense to turn things around if she’s willing to help things along. We find out she left because of family secrets that she was never meant to know about that she accidently overheard. She was deeply hurt and didn’t take the time to talk to her family just left. When she returns there are family talks but a lot of hurt as misunderstandings come to the forefront. There is the normal sisterly bickering, but all of the sisters have been hurt by her behavior. Every family has secrets and when they come to the forefront there will be disagreements and outsiders see it in a very different way than those in the family do. There’s also her special childhood friend she left behind who was so happy to see her. Can a special relationship take root now that she is back home again? I enjoyed the story a lot. It had lots of family drama but lots of talking got done and things don’t just change overnight when you’ve been gone ten years. Looking forward to more books by the author.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Kennedy Kerr is a USA Today Bestselling fiction author. She adores beaches, lochs and stone circles, and loves writing about small communities, mysteries and family secrets. She has a very cuddly cat called Twinkle who spends her days sleeping: Kennedy aspires to having Twinkle’s nap schedule one day.
Kennedy also loves cooking and baking all types of food, which is almost as much fun as eating it. Her favourite foods include (but are not limited to) Indian food, Victoria sponge, breakfast pastries with coffee and sushi. The only thing she’s not particularly keen on is artichoke, and she’d eat it, anyway.
Find out more about Kennedy on her Facebook Author page: facebook.com/kennedykerrauthor; she is also on Twitter as @KennedyKerr5
256 pages Publisher G.P. Putnam’s Sons Publication date September 24, 2024
ABOUT THE BOOK
Exes. Professional rivals. Just one bed. What could go wrong?
All Jessica has ever wanted is her own happily ever after. But until that happens, she spends her days as a small-time romance writer, penning satisfying Happily Ever Afters to soothe the heartache left by her ex-boyfriend Nick—also a romance writer and now her biggest rival—who has found success writing love stories without happy endings. It’s what he’s good at, after all . . .
So when their professional obligations bring them to a remote inn a few days before Christmas, they’re a little more than peeved, especially when they get trapped sharing a room in a snowstorm. But what’s more fitting for two romantic writers in a slump? Realizing the friction between them might be the only cure for their writer’s block, they decide to turn their frustration into fiction . . . and the pages start flying. But will Jess’s heart soar, too? Nick is the last guy on earth she should love . . . but what if he is really all she wants for Christmas?
MY THOUGHTS
This is my first time reading this author and it won’t be my last. Romance author ex’s are at a romance convention to promote their books and after one mix up after another she hasn’t been booked a room mistakenly during this promotional convention. Fighting romantic feelings these ex’s trying to keep their cool but when their agents suggest they do a romantic collaboration all bets go out the window. A second chance romance involving being snowed in and in close proximity these two romance authors have just the romantic words on paper and in real life.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
alon Ballard loves to write about love! She also has an undying affection for exclamation points and isn’t ashamed to admit it! When she’s not writing fictional love stories, she’s helping real-life couples celebrate, working as a wedding planner in Southern California. She has a deep appreciation for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is a Disneyland devotee, and is a reality TV aficionado. In addition, she’s the cohost of the romance novel podcast, Happy to Meet Cute. If she’s not busy wrangling her kiddo, you can probably find her drinking wine and posting a picture on Instagram while simultaneously snarking on Twitter, because multitasking!
304 pages Publisher St. Martin’s Griffin Publication date September 30, 2025
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Seven Year Slip meets Hallmark with a dash of sass and a sprinkle of sexiness in this sparkling Christmas rom com…with a speculative twist!
Some people are Christmas people, but Jill Jacobs is most certainly not. She hasn’t been ever since her hometown love broke her heart on Christmas Eve three years ago. After that, Jill moved to L.A. to pursue her dream of becoming a screenwriter. She hasn’t been home in years to avoid her ex, but this winter she finds herself back in drab, suburban Illinois for the holidays.
After one very hazy night, Jill wakes up to a hometown that’s filled with jolly neighbors, covered in pristine white snow, and seasoned with the smell of peppermint. She realizes that this is more than just a bad hangover… she’s stuck in a Heartfelt movie. One set in her town, starring real people from her life, including her family, her high school crush (uber perfect, owns a bakery, and definitely a Christmas Person), and of course, her ex ―handsome as ever and now exclusively clad in plaid flannel.
The only way out of this bizarro world is to complete the plot of the movie, including a holiday bake off and a cookie-sweet love story. To get home in time for Christmas, Jill must act out a picture-perfect holiday romance with the one that got away, all while her ex watches on. Fa la la la freaking la….
MY THOUGHTS
Some people love Christmas; you can’t say that about Jill Jacobs though. Three years ago, she and her ex had a fight right before Christmas and it led to their breakup. Visiting her parents isn’t something that has happened in the past few years because she doesn’t want to accidently run into her ex. Taking a leap, she decides to visit and sure enough they run into each other. When this screenwriter somehow ends up in an alternative reality cozy winter wonderland Christmas Hallmark movie, she’s grumpier than ever. It’s all to perfect, too Christmassy and it even has a Christmas cookie baking competition. This second chance romance had me laughing out loud at a lot of the parts even though I didn’t overly like the main character.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Despite being born on the first day of summer long before too much sun was considered bad for you, Iva-Marie Palmer possesses no capacity to achieve a decent tan (or its cousin, the sun-kissed glow). Still, she relocated from her native Chicago to sunny southern California nearly ten years ago and only regrets the choice on the rare occasions when she forgets to apply sunscreen. A former journalist who oversubscribes to periodicals, she loves books, running, cooking and eating elaborate meals, classic screwball comedies, food sold off carts and trucks, old movie palaces, word games and crossword puzzles, adventures large and small, indulging her curiosity and overextending herself. She lives with her husband, two sons and a seeming inability to take her sunglasses off her head when indoors. You can find her online on Facebook, Twitter (follow @ivamarie), and Instagram (ivamarie), as well as seldom updating her site, http://ivamariepalmer.com.
Charlotte Calhoun has avoided Hayden Porter, her older brother’s sexy-as-sin best friend, ever since that mortifying night when he flat-out rejected her. Fine. Except this Christmas season, they’re thrown together at a snowy ski resort for her brother’s bachelor party, complete with mistletoe, cozy fireplaces, and adjoining rooms. She can tell herself to get over Hayden, but holiday cheer is turning to holiday lust every time he is within ten feet of her.
Between being a full-time single father and his high-pressure college coaching job, a romantic relationship is off the table for Hayden. But he’s fought his attraction to Charlotte for as long as he can. A one-night stand is starting to sound like a good idea—as long as her brother never finds out. But with two long weeks until the wedding, hiding their growing feelings is going to take a Christmas miracle.
MY THOUGHTS
I would call this a holiday delight. A second chance romance between Charlotte and her older brother’s best friend, Hayden. She’s been able to mostly avoid him after totally embarrassing herself around him but not this time. Thrown together when her brother is set to marry there’s no avoiding him this time. After the initial awkwardness wears off things get hot quickly. The chemistry sizzles between these two. We also find out he’s a father of a little girl; she is the sweetest. He is a single dad as the mother isn’t ready to commit to much of anything. Sad! The characters are charming, and you can see the encouragement given when needed. Another win for the author, her books are so much fun!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the author
Jaqueline Snowe lives in Arizona where the “dry heat” really isn’t that bad. She prefers drinking coffee all hours of the day and snacking on anything that has peanut butter or chocolate. She is the mother to two dogs who don’t realize they aren’t humans and a mom. She is an avid reader and writer of romances and tends to write about athletes. Her husband works for an MLB team (not a player, lol) so she knows more about baseball than any human ever should.
For more information on her upcoming books, please visit her website.
Hope you’ve had a pleasant day. Thank you for stopping in.
It’s been years since Anna has seen Leo Knight. And of all the apartments in all the cities in all the world, he just happens to walk in to her cosy new attic home – as her new housemate.
As the two walk the cobbled streets of Prague, taking in the sights and sounds from Wenceslas Square, frosted with snow, to the soft glow of candlelit Charles Bridge, the enchantment of the City of a Hundred Spires soon starts to work its magic on them…
It is not a joke to say while reading this book and even after I was left with a warm happy glow. I have been experiencing a lot of stressful times recently and this book has made me forget my troubles and I was totally engrossed in it.
A beer competition in Prague has a most exciting prize. The winner who makes, do I call it crafts, or brews (I’m not a beer drinker) the best tasting beer wins beer making equipment to start their own brewery.
Anna is in Prague for several months as she prepares for this contest, sure she’ll win. Unbelievably her roommate is none other than Leo, she hasn’t seen him in years and she’s certainly not happy about this surprise.
The description the author has given of Prague is marvelous, from its architecture work to arts, weather and scrumptious foods. Meeting the locals I almost felt as though I could hear their accent and see their welcoming smiles. The author really writes with an authentic flair with her descriptions.
Can a second chance romance go better the second time around? It can but will it, that’s the question as Leo, who is such a charmer around the women and Anna battle their growing feelings for each other and compete in who will have the best beer.
I loved this story, so festively fun, I laughed out loud many times and could empathize with the predicaments the characters found themselves in. Recommended read!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
VISIT OTHER BLOGS ON THE TOUR
MEET THE AUTHOR
Julie caplin, formerly a PR director, swanned around Europe for many years taking top food and drink writers on press trips (junkets) sampling the gastronomic delights of various cities in Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Copenhagen and Switzerland. It was a tough job but someone had to do it.
These trips have provided the inspiration and settings for the highly successful Romantic Escapes series which have hit the best seller charts in Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic and have sold over two million copies worldwide.
The first book in the nine strong series,The Little Café in Copenhagen, was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel of the Year Award.
Join the residents of Railway Lane for one last magical adventure…
Globetrotting Libby Jacobs has lost her job but is looking forward to spending more time in her home village of Cranfield.
She dreams of turning her chocolate making hobby into something more permanent. There’s only one problem – Ethan Connolly.
Despite being soul mates growing up, Libby hasn’t been close to Ethan since their disastrous date at the school prom. But now he’s back and he has just what Libby needs… a large kitchen! But can they even bear to be in the same room together?
Ethan never stays in Cranfield too long as it reminds him of his parents’ terrible marriage. But when disaster strikes, he’s forced to stay and help realise his grandad’s dream of a Christmas train. Can the whole village help Ethan create a seasonal spectacular in time?
Can Libby confront her secrets and realise her dreams?
And can Ethan ever stop running from his past and trust his heart?
Perhaps the magic of winter on Railway Lane might just give Libby and Ethan a second chance after all.
MY THOUGHTS
I enjoy holiday books, and this one takes us through Halloween and Christmas. Having read one of the other books in the series I was familiar with some of the characters but always look forward to meeting new ones too.
I love the location this takes place in, so charming and how exciting to once again return to Railway Lane and its charming cottages. Being made redundant at work has Libby Jacobs with her feet firmly planted on the ground as she was an airline flight attendant and now, she’s not.
Returning home doesn’t leave her with a lot of down time as she had thought it would. She decides to pursue her dreams of becoming a chocolatier. Her former childhood friend and past love Ethan is also home again, and he has just what she needs, a large kitchen to pursue her dreams of chocolate making.
As memories surface from times past can this second chance at love really work or will it drift away like those first snowflakes? Reading about the steam engine and its resurrection was so much fun and it really makes me want to take a train trip.
We see a depth to the characters as they weigh their options and don’t just jump into getting back together again. The romance was sweet. I enjoyed the holiday descriptions. Though this is the last book in the series I look forward to seeing what the author will come out with next.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Alison Sherlock is the author of the bestselling Willow Tree Hall books. Alison enjoyed reading and writing stories from an early age and gave up office life to follow her dream. Her series for Boldwood is set in a fictional Cotswold village.
320 pages St. Martin’s Griffin publisher September 24, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Explore this delightfully cozy and joyful novel of second chances at the most wonderful time of the year, from USA Today bestselling author Pamela Kelley.
A feel-good novel as delightful and comforting as a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night, The Christmas Inn is bestselling author Pamela Kelley’s most heartwarming and magical book yet.
Riley Sanders didn’t plan on losing her job as a content marketing manager right before Christmas. When she calls her sister Amy to vent, she learns that their mother has broken her leg and could really use some help at the inn. Riley decides to head home to the inn, nestled along the shores of Cape Cod, in time for the Christmas rush. She is happy to help and needs something to distract her as mistletoe is hung and snowflakes begin to fall.
When she gets there, she not only finds delicious cookies and a crackling fire to lift her spirits, but also the sense of family she’s been missing all along. There’s Franny, a woman who has just lost her sister and has four unopened letters from her that she plans to use to open her up to new experiences on the Cape. And there’s Aidan, her high school sweetheart, now a widower, who is staying at the inn with his nine year-old son, Luke. What begins as a quick stay over the holidays to help her mom turns into something that means much more―a second chance at romance, a deeper sense of found family, and all the joy and wonder that comes with Christmastime on Cape Cod.
MY THOUGHTS
I’ve seen this premise in a book before, but you know what? It worked and I really enjoyed the book. A warm hug of a Hallmark type Christmas book. It’s clean, calm, not really any drama but It’s a book you’d want to share with your mother or grandmother.
When AI makes Riley Sanders redundant at her job it isn’t what she was planning on having happen, especially right before Christmas. I guess if there’s such a thing as perfect timing at the wrong time it would be now. Jobless right before Christmas Riley finds her mother has broken her leg and needs helping to run her Christmas Inn. Packing her cat and little else she welcomes the change of scenery as she’s now back in her hometown helping her mother.
Memories fade but don’t disappear as she sees her former high school love staying for the Christmas season at her mother’s inn. As the snow falls and the fire crackles at the Cape Cod inn, Aidan is happy to help Riley and her mother with some of the heavy work at the inn all the while remembering their high school romance.
Aiden is there with his son Luke and has a hard time at Christmas as his wife passed away a few years ago but he wants to make it as happy as possible for his son.
Riley is in a relationship with a financial guy, a mover and shaker who believes making partner and working long and then even longer hours is more important than any relationship.
When things seem to be going well with Riley and her rekindled relationship with Aiden she needs to step back and reevaluate not only her relationship with Jack but job wise as well.
I enjoyed meeting Beth, Riley’s mother a friendly woman who just may be getting a second chance at a romance as well, later in life. Warm, friendly and perfect for that hot chocolate with cookies reading.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Pamela M. Kelley is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of women’s fiction, family sagas, and suspense. Readers often describe her books as feel-good reads with people you’d want as friends.
She lives in a historic seaside town near Cape Cod and just south of Boston. She has always been an avid reader of women’s fiction, romance, mysteries, thrillers and cook books. There’s also a good chance you might get hungry when you read her books as she is a foodie, and occasionally shares a recipe or two.
Feel free to sign up for her list to hear about new releases as soon as they are available as well as extras like early bird discounts. Just cut and paste into your browser, http://eepurl.com/IZbOH
