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Dear Reader,
Hope you’re having a fulfilling and memorable-in-a-good-way holiday season! I’ve been embracing my tradition of reading Christmas romances to get me in the holiday spirit. One book I read every year is Same Time Next Christmas by Christine Rimmer. I think it’s the quintessential feel-good Christmas read!
Lots of you have told me that you feel the same way about my book One Big Happy Family. That is so nice to hear! When my agent told me that my publisher wanted me to write another Christmas book, I was so not in the mood. It was in May, when I wanted to think about summer, not Christmas. I told my agent that the only way I’d write it would be if it could be about a woman who was excited that her adult kids didn’t want to come home for Christmas.
She was in the middle of a sentence when I abruptly said, “I have to go.” She’s used to writers—she knew that meant ideas were flying through my mind, and I had to capture them before they got away. When I called her back, I had a fully formed book idea. And it’s my favorite Christmas book that I’ve ever written.
One Big Happy Family came out last year but if you missed it, grab it now.
Please don’t come home for Christmas. . .
Julie Parker’s kids are her greatest gift. Still, she’s not exactly heartbroken when they ask to skip a big Christmas. Her son Nick is taking a belated honeymoon with his bride Blair while her daughter Dana will purge every reminder of the guy who dumped her. Again. Julie feels practically giddy for one-on-one holiday time with Heath, the (much) younger man she’s secretly dating.
But her plans go from cozy to chaotic when Nick and Dana plead for Christmas at the family cabin in memory of their late father, Julie’s ex. She can’t refuse, even though she dreads their reactions to her new man when they realize she’s been hiding him for months.
As the guest list grows in surprising ways, from Blair’s estranged mom to Heath’s precocious children, Julie’s secret is one of many to be unwrapped. Over this delightfully complicated and very funny Christmas, she’ll discover that more really is merrier, and that a big, happy family can become bigger and happier, if they let go of old hurts and open their hearts to love.
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IF YOU’RE IN THE MOOD FOR HEARTWARMING READ THAT’S NOT A CHRISTMAS STORY. . .
A twisty, tender and wise look at how secrets can transform the powerful—and sometimes problematic—bond between mothers and daughters, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery.
When Shannon gets engaged, her beloved mom, Cindy, is the first person she wants to tell—and the last. Cindy’s engaged, too, and has already hinted at a double wedding. The image of a synchronized bouquet toss with her mom fills Shannon with horror. She’ll keep her engagement a secret until Cindy’s I-dos are done.
Victoria has never been proper enough for her mother, Ava, so she stopped trying. She lives on her own terms and amuses herself by pushing Ava’s buttons. Ava loves but doesn’t understand her stuntwoman daughter. When a movie-set mishap brings Victoria home, Ava longs to finally connect.
Chance brings the four women together at a wedding venue, where a shocking secret comes tumbling out. Twenty-four years ago, desperate teenager Cindy chose wealthy Ava to adopt her baby—then changed her mind at the very last second. The loss rocked Ava’s world, leaving her unable to open her heart to the daughter she did adopt, Victoria. As Shannon and Victoria deal with the fallout from the decisions their mothers made, they wrestle with whether who they are is different than who they might have become.
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FREE COOKIE COOKBOOK FOR MEMBERS!
The Wishing Tree Cookie Cookbook is my gift to you—over 150 reader-favorite cookie recipes! Get it now in the Members area of my website.
