Christmas With You: A feel-good holiday romance anthology

Heidi McLaughlin · L.P. Dover · Cindi Madsen · R.J. Prescott · Amy Briggs

Nov 2018 · Sold by Forever

About this ebook

Welcome to the charming town of Friendship, Massachusetts, where the mistletoe is hung, holiday fires are lit, and where five couples find love at the most magical time of the year.

Snowflake Lane Inn, by L. P. Dover
The owner of a picturesque inn gets a holiday surprise when a well-known fashion designer comes to stay and redesigns his future.

Runaway Christmas Bride, by Cindi Madsen
Making a new life in Friendship certainly wasn't the plan, but the spirit of Christmas - along with the rugged local sheriff - leads to a change of heart for this runaway bride.

Christmas Lights, by Amy Briggs
A visitor to Friendship learns the true meaning of Christmas from a single dad and his young daughter.

Christmas Encounter, by R. J. Prescott
A famous Formula One driver finds all roads lead to Friendship -and love - this Christmas.

It's a Wonderful Holiday, by Heidi McLaughlin
A workaholic finds just the right Christmas magic to remind him about the most important thing in life: spending time with his wife and family.

What readers are saying about Christmas with You...
"Beautifully well-written."
"A touching, funny Christmas anthology packed full of entertaining, likable characters and great Christmas romance short stories."
"If you love Christmas romance...this is an anthology you won't want to miss."
"The perfect collection for the most wonderful time of the year."
"Beautiful, heartwarming Christmas stories...new couples, warm loving relationships...perfect for young adults and older."

Ratings and reviews

What a great town to have Christmas miracles. It seems Gabe has his hands and skills in a number of projects around town as he skillfully offers words of encouragement and enlightenment upon demand. Each story will touch you in some way (some more than others I'm sure) and yes they are clean reads. Each story was great the last two were my favorites and yes I read them all. A great collection of feel good reads that remind you of the beauty and miracles that the season can bring. True love, forgiveness, new beginnings, rekindling, starting over and maybe just finding your priorities. Watch out for the Christmas Angel, you may have a Gabe of your own in your corner this Christmas. Loved it and loved this side of a couple of authors I always enjoy. The fashion designer who just wants to forget her last media bashing of her recent failed line, and the owner of the Inn who also owns the place she's renting. When fate keeps putting her in his space and inspiration for a new line burst out of her, the man and family she always wanted may be hers for the asking. The runaway bride and the surly law man catch each other's eye but both are a little gun shy. With a little help from a few friends and some match making too they may not have a choice but to see what the Christmas spirits deliver in their stocking. She's got a grifter for a dad and stealing is their way of life but she wants out. He's carrying the guilt of the past year and the chance to make amends. After a planned encounter turns into more they both may find a new life, new opportunities and forgiveness. Acceptance and release for these two will open doors they didn't even know were there. She doesn't believe in the joy of Christmas since she can't let go of the past. He makes it his business to show her what she's missing and makes it their job to help her create new memories. Letting go and moving on doesn't mean you've forgotten. He didn't cheat on her. Well at least not with a physical woman. When work becomes her husbands all and nothing else seems to wake him up, desperate actions are taken to reclaim her husband or break her heart trying. A second chance to revive and reclaim what's slipped away.

SNOWFLAKE LANE INN by LP Dover Told from dual first person points of view (Colin and Layla) SNOWFLAKE LANE INN follows the building romance between Snowflake Lane Inn owner Colin Jennings, and fashion designer Layla Aberdeen. Layla Aberdeen was struggling. Her latest fashion line was a failure, and our heroine needed some time alone to rethink in which direction she wanted to go. Christmas in Friendship, Massachusetts seemed like the ideal retreat but meeting Colin Jennings found our heroine reconsidering the direction of her private life. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Colin and Layla, as our couple celebrate the holidays together. SNOWFLAKE LANE INN is a sweet story; a cute romance between two people pushed together by a stranger, a homeless ‘Santa’ playing matchmaker for the people of Friendship, Massachusetts. The premise is a charming story with a clean romance, and an adorable couple. •••••• RUNAWAY CHRISTMAS BRIDE by Cindi Madsen Told from dual third person perspectives (Emmett and Regina) RUNAWAY CHRISTMAS BRIDE follows in the aftermath as Regina is dumped at the altar. Heading to places unknown, our heroine arrives in Friendship, Massachusetts where she proceeds to get drunk, and is welcomed to town by Sheriff Emmett Haywood. What ensues is the building relationship between Emmett and Regina, when Regina is booked at the Cozy Cottage, and the old ladies of Friendship begins to play matchmaker for our leading couple. RUNAWAY CHRISTMAS BRIDE is another sweet story; a clean romance wherein two people are pushed together by a homeless ‘Santa’, and the nosy busybodies of Friendship Massachusetts. A delightful novella wherein our heroine is given a second chance at love. •••••••••• CHRISTMAS LIGHTS by Amy Briggs Told from dual first person perspectives (Samantha and Jason Hayes) CHRISTMAS LIGHTS follows Samantha as struggles to enjoy the Christmas holidays since the death of her beloved parents. Heading from the warmth of Florida, to the cold snowy sights of Friendship, Massachusetts, Samantha will meet mechanic and pilot Jason Hayes, who will make all of her dreams and wishes come true, starting with ‘Operation Christmas Flamingo’. We are introduced to Samantha’s sister Robin, and Robin’s daughters Delilah and Daisy, as well as Jason’s eight year old daughter Emily. Hoping to recreate the Christmas’ from her past, Jason sets a plan into motion to give Samantha the perfect holiday experience. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS is a charming, clean, and animated short story . •••••••• CHRISTMAS ENCOUNTER by RJ Prescott Told from dual first person perspectives (Jensen and Lauren) CHRISTMAS ENCOUNTER follows British Formula One driver Jensen Caldwell, as he head to Friendship, Massachusetts for the funeral of a close friend. Meeting grifter Lauren Matthews tugs at something within Jensen’s heart but Lauren’s father’s reputation in Friendship has marked our heroine, for all of the wrong reasons. A few days together finds Jensen in love but Lauren knows it is only a matter of time before things spiral out of control. CHRISTMAS ENCOUNTER is a little darker than the previous story lines. A tale of betrayal, heartbreak, and humiliation, CHRISTMAS ENCOUNTER is a colorful and dramatic tale about two people thrown together by circumstance and love. •••• IT’S A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY by Heidi McLaughlin IT’S A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY is a reimagining of Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life. An investment banker seeks the meaning of life only to discover he had everything all along. An enchanting and moving story IT’S A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY is a charming tale, with spirited characters.

I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion. Overall: 4 stars — Overall a pretty successful Christmas anthology. I liked that Gabe and the town of Friendship were both commonalities to each story, though that can sometimes cause continuity issues, because it’s hard for different authors to present the same things. Most of them seemed to fit, it was just the final story that felt a bit out of place with the others. But all captured the magic of Christmas and gave quick satisfying HEAs! Snowflake Lane Inn by L. P. Dover 3.75 stars — This was super cute, but almost too cute. Like there wasn’t a whole lot of conflict, everything happened really easily. The roadblocks were really superficial, and it was just like reading a really long epilogue or something… Which is not to say I didn’t get happy butterflies for Layla and Colin! Their romance was seriously adorable and happy smiles. It just felt unfulfilling a bit I guess. I loved Colin’s sister and the machinations of Gabe. Runaway Christmas Bride by Cindi Madsen 4.5 stars — OK, this is more what I was looking for! It was still super fast in terms of romance, but there’s an underlying push and pull between Regina and Emmett that keeps it from being a sugar overload. I LOVED Regina’s sass, and how she tried to coax smiles out of Emmett. And Emmett was simply adorable with his crush. Very satisfying. Christmas Lights by Amy Briggs 4 stars — Jason totally made this one for me, he was super sweet! I loved the romance that developed between Samantha and Jason, it had all those first crush butterflies. I thought the whole story of bringing back Christmas magic to Sam was kinda sweet, though occasionally I didn’t always get Sam’s attitude. There was a LOT more Gabe in this story as well, and I’m on the fence about that! But all in all a satisfying Christmas read. Christmas Encounter by R. J. Prescott 4.25 stars — Another super cute one! I loved the romance between Jensen and Lauren, it was just endearing and sweet and butterfly inducing! Lauren seemed a lot younger than the characters in the other books, but that’s partly just her life experience. It’s a Wonderful Holiday by Heidi McLaughlin 3.5 stars — This was a second chance romance, and I think it just wasn’t quite what I was looking for. It looks at how marriage takes effort and time and care. Rory was pretty sweet, even if he was a bit clueless at the beginning. I occasionally had less patience for Gwen, though I appreciated that she tried not to let Ruby get caught up in their problems. There was just something forced about the story, especially with Gabe. He felt different than in the other stories, but that sometimes happens with anthologies. And as silly as this may seem, this one had a continuity issue with Christmas Lights…but maybe that was caught before the final copy.

About the author

Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper beagle/Jack Russell, Buttercup, a Highland West/mini schnauzer, Jill, and her brother, Racicot. When she's isn't writing stories, you'll find her sitting court-side at her daughters' basketball games.