Christmas Town Homecoming: A 10-Book Connected Holiday Romance Collection
by Anna Adams, Melinda Curtis, Anna J. Stewart, Cari Lynn Webb, Cheryl Harper, Liz Flaherty, Leigh Riker, Beth Carpenter, LeAnne Bristow, Claire McEwen
Series: Christmas Town
Series Rating:
Published by ChelseaBeth Publishing on October 19, 2021
Setting: Maine
Genres: Sweet Holiday Romance
Pages: 252
Format: ebook, Kindle, Paperback
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Also in this series: A Christmas Carousel Proposal, A Miracle for Christmas, Pride and Presents, Sleigh Bells in the Snow, Our Christmas Promise, Defending Christmas, The Hope Chest, Paint Me a Christmas, A Gift Horse, Santa School, The Dark Horse, His Christmas Carousel Baby, Five Golden Wishes
Welcome back to Christmas Town, Maine!This holiday season works its romantic magic during Christmas Town High School’s ten year class reunion.
It’s going to be a jam-packed holiday weekend for the returning class, beginning with preparations for the two day event – where a mysterious promise ring has been found in their time capsule – and culminating in a Reunion Ball – where something lost finally finds its home. No one’s expecting to discover love, but this is Christmas Town, where happily-ever-afters are delivered with holiday traditions, glowing twinkle lights, and tinsel.
Consider this your invitation to the reunion where you’ll have a front row seat next to some of the class’s most memorable members – the prom queen, the jock, the mean girl, the drama kid, the teacher’s pet, the bad boy, the math nerd, the girl most likely to succeed, and some of your favorite administrators. From start to finish, this collection of connected, sweet romances from Harlequin Heartwarming authors will warm your heart.
Compare this read to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Inside, you’ll find stories featuring best friend to lovers, best friend’s older brother, teen crush, enemies to lovers, second chance, reunion, medical, and later in life romances.
Christmas Town Homecoming by Anna Adams, Melinda Curtis, Anna J. Stewart, Cari Lynn Webb, Cheryl Harper, Liz Flaherty, Leigh Riker, Beth Carpenter, LeAnne Bristow, and Claire McEwen is a collection of 10 sweet holiday romances. Each tale has a sweet story that brings new and old couples together again.
How will one ring help all of these couples?
Candy Cane Contingency by Cari Lynn Webb
Ms. Webb’s story has best friends Rebecca “Becca” Jacobs and Owen Price finally getting together. These two have been best friends for years, and everyone at the school could tell they had a thing for each other. Well, except them. Becca wanted to tell Owen but never thought he would feel the same. I love their story and how the Knotty Elves gave them a nudge. Becca works at the same retirement that the Knotty Elves live at, while Owen Price is a doctor. Owen wants to become a surgeon, though. Becca and Owen, as a couple, are adorable as we see them both throughout the other stories and how each one helps at the reunion. Well, more of Becca than Owen.
Delay of Reindeer Games by Melinda Curtis
The following story has Helen Wheeler, whom we met with Becca, and she is a landscape architect in charge of doing the table pieces for the kickoff dinner for their reunion weekend. She meets Marshall Jacobs, and he is a pro hockey player. Marshall also happens to be the older brother of Becca Jacobs. These two are another cute couple that doesn’t want to admit they want to be together. The reasons for that are all explained in the story. I happen to think that they work well together.
The Magic of This Place by Anna Adams
This one starts at the end of Helen’s story that brings us to Cait Dancer, a news reporter that isn’t too thrilled with being back home. Gabe Palmer happens to be Cait’s ex. She didn’t want to see him since she didn’t know how he would react to what probably everyone knew. He also happens to be the General Practioner in Christmas Town. I think these two just needed some time to talk to each other and see how they could’ve helped each other back then. Sometimes seeing the people ones once loved makes it easy to see how stupid they were.
A Kiss to Remember by Claire McEwen
Next up, we have a veterinarian named Phoebe James, who needs to decorate the ski lodge for the next day’s breakfast before the snowshoe hike. Sadly things don’t always help when she forgets to get people to volunteer to help her set up the decorations. Thankfully, loner Damon Harris is there to save the day. In the way of helping to decorate with his cute Snorkie puppy Piston that he rescued. Damon happens to work on motorcycles for a living. These two make the most unlikely pair we have seen in these books, making me root for them even more. I love how the opposites attract phrase works so well for these two.
Adventures in Amore by Beth Carpenter
This story has two couples coming together. Even though one of the two is the focus. I like to think that they both are, though. Marissa Lamb was the school’s outcast, the wallflower that barely talked. She is now the meteorologist on the 6 pm news in Augusta. Marissa worked hard to be the way she is now, which shows a lot. Will Eastman is the co-owner of a vegetable-only sports bar with his cousin Ryker Nowak. He is also the chef for the restaurant, and he worked hard to create the dishes for each restaurant in their different locations. These two are the couple that wished they could have happened but never did, as it was a short time that Will went to Christmas Town High.
Ryker Nowak is divorced and can’t play football anymore, so he tries everything else. He gets an unexpected love interest in Erica Zinecky. I think these couples complement each other perfectly than whoever they would have picked for themselves.
Remember When by Liz Flaherty
The high school principal with the class of 2011’s sponsor…once again sparking their love? Could it happen? Well, why don’t you find out? Aaron Slauter visits some of the 2011 reunion outings as best as possible since he has to ensure everything goes well. Markie Alexander is back from Europe to do her duties as a class sponsor. These two make me happy since they just had a miscommunication ten years ago. Mr. Slauter and Ms. Alexander deserve their second chance at romance!
Starts with a Kiss by Cheryl Harris
Sydney Atkins is a go-getter in everything that had to do with her time at Christmas Town High and her life away from her hometown. She is now a chef and hopes to open her own restaurant. Instead of being where that is opening up, she’s at her reunion to help out and attend, of course. Sydney’s job is to help decorate the high school’s gym for their bar before dinner before their ball. Her business partner Alex Pelletier shows up to figure out what is happening with Sydney. These two are great together as they complement each other everywhere in their personal and professional lives.
The Christmas Key by LeAnne Bristow
Tiffany Walker has been popping up everywhere since she is trying to make people see that she has changed since high school. I think that Tiffany put too much pressure on herself to make all her classmates know that she has changed while not seeing that they did. Alonzo Reyes has changed from his days in high school, especially since he has a little girl to take care of. I liked how these two met up and how even back then, Alonzo saw Tiffany in a way that she couldn’t see herself. These two are cute together, and I hope they can make it work. Alonzo works at his mechanic shop, and Tiffany is going back to school to become a lawyer.
Silver and Gold by Leigh Riker
Another two-couple story, even though I know, the first couple is the main couple. Dakota Moore is an ex-Olympic swimmer that has felt shame these past ten years and is now a coach for young swimmers. Kiernan Gardner owns his college prep firm specializing in STEM classes, as math is what Kiernan enjoyed most in school. These two are the most unlikely pairing, but they work well together. Kiernan is the one who sees Dakota as more than her failures but more for what she has done since then. Dakota is trying that out.
The other couple is Annie and Joe, who were high school sweethearts like Delta and Miles, but they were getting divorced. That is until Joe came back to win Annie’s heart despite him graduating two years before Annie did.
With this Ring by Anna J. Stewart
These last four stories lead to the end of the reunion and after the time capsule is opened. Now Delta Fuller is left to take everything down while feeling bad. Her husband, Miles Fuller, didn’t show up, and she thinks that is leading them to divorce. The one thing that I have to say is that I love this story the most because it is funny. I love how Miles gets his whole class together to help him get Delta back because he found something he thought he lost ten years ago. However, almost losing Delta was a good thing for Miles as it made him see things in the way he should have seen them all those years ago.
Five Stars
Christmas Town Homecoming by Anna Adams, Melinda Curtis, Anna J. Stewart, Cari Lynn Webb, Cheryl Harper, Liz Flaherty, Leigh Riker, Beth Carpenter, LeAnne Bristow, and Claire McEwen has ten amazing stories that can be read any time of the year. Reading this story makes me feel like I went to my ten-year high school reunion. Celebrating it through Christmas Town, though, felt right. Each of these stories are perfect and sweet. All because of one ring that kept traveling from one couple to the next until it ended where it should have been all this time. I am giving this collection five stars, as each story deserves it. I even cried at certain parts.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Christmas Town Homecoming by Anna Adams, Melinda Curtis, Anna J. Stewart, Cari Lynn Webb, Cheryl Harper, Liz Flaherty, Leigh Riker, Beth Carpenter, LeAnne Bristow, and Claire McEwen.
Until the next time,
Happy Holiday Reading!
About Anna J. Stewart
What happens when geek girls grow up? This one became a writer.
You’ve met me (or someone like me) before. I was the girl who spun in circles on the playground hoping my Wonder Woman costume would magically appear before playing cops and robbers a la Charlie’s Angels–Sabrina was my favorite. I was the girl in the back of the class with a paperback romance hidden in her algebra book (and yes, I failed algebra). I was the girl making up stories about the Starship Enterprise and trying to figure out how I could join the Hardy Boys on their latest adventure.
I can’t remember not having a book in my hand or a story in my head. Growing up in the 70′s and 80′s meant there weren’t a lot of YA books, so I ventured early into mainstream fiction and read Stephen King’s CARRIE at the age of 8. Discovering Nora Roberts and romance novels early in high school opened my eyes to the wonders of storytelling and the beauty of a happily ever after.
There’s something incredible about creating something out of nothing, of having a glimmer of an idea transform itself into a story somewhere between thought and fingers.Creating rich characters with life altering conflicts, setting them on their journeys of self-discovery to their happily ever afters is what I live to do. It’s what I love doing. Those who say writing is hard work aren’t lying–at times the process is excruciating. But there is nothing like the rush that comes from bringing a story to life with the stroke of the pen or the click of the keys.
So here I am, many years later, an English Degree on my wall, a Golden Heart nomination behind me, countless stories in my head, and coping with a serious addiction to STAR TREK, SUPERNATURAL, and SHERLOCK. A hybrid author writing sweet and mainstream romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance. Life doesn’t get any better than that.
The above information and pic were taken from the author’s website.
About Beth Carpenter
She lives in Alaska and Arizona with her husband and an aggressively affectionate fifty-pound lap dog. She loves to hear from readers. You can email her here.
The above was taken from the author’s blog.
About Cari Lynn Webb
Cari Lynn Webb lives in South Carolina with her husband, daughters and assorted four-legged family members. She’s been blessed to see the power of true love in her grandparent’s 70-year marriage and her parent’s marriage of over 50 years. She knows love isn’t always sweet and perfect, it can be challenging, complicated and risky. But she believes happily-ever-afters are worth fighting for. She loves to connect with readers.
About Cheryl Harper
The above is from the author’s Amazon page.
About Claire McEwen
When Claire McEwen entered the first chapter of her very first manuscript into Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write Contest, she was completely surprised and totally thrilled to receive an email from a Harlequin editor, requesting to read the rest. That story became her first book, A Ranch to Keep, published in 2014.
Claire’s stories have been described as heartwarming, witty, sweetly sexy, complex and original. For inspiration, Claire draws on her many past misadventures and an overactive imagination. She likes to write emotional stories with heroes and heroines who have to overcome personal challenges and make difficult decisions on their road to love.
About LeAnne Bristow
But as often happens with dreams, life gets in the way. She fell in love with an Arizona native who packed her up, stories and all, and moved her from her small town in central Texas to a smaller town in southern Arizona.
LeAnne spent the next 20 years corralling three of her own children and a classroom full of kindergartners. Then one fateful day, her husband found her box of stories. She couldn’t bear to throw the box away,so she began the long, arduous task of rewriting and editing.
When she’s not arguing with the characters in her head, she enjoys hunting, camping and fishing with her family. Her day job is teaching kindergarten, but now that her three kids are grown, she’s determined to teach her granddaughter how to catch lizards and love the desert as much as she does.
Taken from Author’s Amazon profile.
About Leigh Riker
Like so many writers and readers, I grew up with my nose in a book. I lived in a small town in northeastern Ohio where I could walk or bike to the local library, and I practically lived there. I read fiction, of course (Willa Cather’s pioneer books, Rosamond du Jardin’s teen stories/romance, Nancy Drew, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, a favorite book called Calico and Crinolines—anyone recall that author’s name?), lots of non-fiction and biography. I read Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo plus the life stories of famous figures like Clara Barton, Kit Carson, Thomas Edison, etc. and developed a lifelong interest in history. In my home my parents tended to read only newspapers or magazines, but I read everything I could get my hands on. I still do.
Although I must have seemed like an alien creature to them, my family encouraged my fledgling wish to become a writer. At eight, I got the best Christmas present ever from Santa. A typewriter! A few years later my first effort, a pre-teen serial, was quite popular at my study hall table where the kids devoured each day’s output. A lesson in learning how to write fast! But I didn’t actually submit a story for publication until years later—to one of the confession magazines. They were a wonderful way to learn how to produce vibrant scenes and conflict.
Since then, I’ve published a number of novels from glitz and glamour to my latest Heartwarming romance. Along the way I’ve met so many other wonderful authors and worked with a great bunch of very professional editors. I can’t imagine a better career! I hope to keep on learning, growing, always writing.
I’m a member of the Authors Guild, Novelists, Inc., and Romance Writers of America. I’ve served as a judge for the RITA awards, the Northwest Houston RWA Lone Star Writing Competition, the Maggies and the Emily contests, among others.
When I’m not working or thinking about working? I’ve lived in different places but have settled in the Southeast where I’m determined to finish making this house exactly the way I want it to be. I love to travel with my husband, garden, play the piano, read or watch movies, and keep my mischievous Maine Coon cat happy. She’s my virtual assistant. Now if she could only plot my next book for me…
The above bio and pic are from the author’s website.
About Liz Flaherty
Retired from the post office, Liz Flaherty spends non-writing time sewing, quilting, and doing whatever else she wants to. She and Duane live in the old farmhouse in North Central Indiana they moved to in 1977. They’ve talked about moving, but really…40 years’ worth of stuff? It’s not happening!
About Melinda Curtis
Traditional Bio
Although Melinda has lived in Georgia and Texas, she’s a California girl at heart. Her earliest memories are of life on an isolated 50-acre sheep ranch in rural Sonoma County, California. Picture rolling hills covered in brown grass, a eucalyptus forest, a long gravel driveway lined with plump sheep and no sidewalks. It was a big deal to drive into town on a one-lane road in a ramshackle, bubble-fendered pickup for an ice cream.
Flash forward to this century. Melinda lives in California’s hot central valley with her husband – her basketball playing college sweetheart. With three kids the couple has done the soccer thing, the karate thing, the dance thing, the Little League thing and, of course, the basketball thing.
Melinda writes sweet to medium heat contemporary romances as Melinda Curtis and red hot reads as Mel Curtis. She loves writing romances about women who don’t realize how strong they are until a hero comes along to show them, while capturing the wry humorous power struggle of falling in love – because, really, who lets the man have the last word?
The above bio and picture were taken from the author’s site.
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