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At the Carolina Diner #6
Abby's Christmas
Abby Brannon and her father, Charlie, run the Carolina Diner -- the place where everyone in town comes for Abby's special brand of TLC. Abby longs to travel, to see other places -- to have someone take care of her for once. And she has someone special in mind for that job. The trouble is, no one knows what happened to Noah Blake after he disappeared from New Skye fifteen years ago.
Noah's return sends a shock wave through the town -- especially when everyone starts talking about where he's been. But should Abby believe what she hears, or should she trust her heart?
Noah's return sends a shock wave through the town -- especially when everyone starts talking about where he's been. But should Abby believe what she hears, or should she trust her heart?
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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December 16, 2025
3.5 Stars. Despite the title this is one of those Christmas romances that doesn’t include very much Christmas content, though there are quite a few mentions of hot chocolate so you might want to have some on hand in case this stirs up a craving.
Abby’s Christmas is part of a series but reads fine on its own. I was impressed with the way the author managed to introduce characters and their stories from previous books without it feeling clunky or info-dumpy, sometimes it can feel like a dry recap thrown at you but here it read as smoothly as it would if you were getting to know supporting characters in a standalone novel.
I also liked how backstory was occasionally conveyed through Abby’s high school diary entries, it gave an almost conversational quality to an aspect of storytelling that again can sometimes feel clunky and info-dumpy, or like a drag on the pacing, which it wasn’t here.
While I don’t mind reading about glamorous people and places, what always felt refreshing to me about Harlequin’s now defunct Superromance line is that oftentimes the characters, scenarios, and settings, were a little more humble, closer to average ordinary life. That’s what most appealed to me about this one as well, the fairly down to earth circumstances, like how Abby’s never left her hometown and feels kind of stuck and burdened with keeping her family’s diner going.
As for Noah, it isn’t everyday that a hero in a romance novel has spent time in prison, so it was interesting to see the varied reactions to his past from this small town community (including his mom) and the challenges of trying to hold a job under scrutiny.
For the most part I was invested in this one, this just fell off a bit for me in the last quarter, with Annie making what felt like a ridiculous choice to spend time with someone questionable. It also annoyed me that even when this was near the end, Noah still hadn’t figured out how communication is supposed to work and Abby doesn’t give him nearly a hard enough time about it. It’s slightly more difficult to believe in happily ever after with someone whose first extinct is always to ghost and explain later.
Abby’s Christmas is part of a series but reads fine on its own. I was impressed with the way the author managed to introduce characters and their stories from previous books without it feeling clunky or info-dumpy, sometimes it can feel like a dry recap thrown at you but here it read as smoothly as it would if you were getting to know supporting characters in a standalone novel.
I also liked how backstory was occasionally conveyed through Abby’s high school diary entries, it gave an almost conversational quality to an aspect of storytelling that again can sometimes feel clunky and info-dumpy, or like a drag on the pacing, which it wasn’t here.
While I don’t mind reading about glamorous people and places, what always felt refreshing to me about Harlequin’s now defunct Superromance line is that oftentimes the characters, scenarios, and settings, were a little more humble, closer to average ordinary life. That’s what most appealed to me about this one as well, the fairly down to earth circumstances, like how Abby’s never left her hometown and feels kind of stuck and burdened with keeping her family’s diner going.
As for Noah, it isn’t everyday that a hero in a romance novel has spent time in prison, so it was interesting to see the varied reactions to his past from this small town community (including his mom) and the challenges of trying to hold a job under scrutiny.
For the most part I was invested in this one, this just fell off a bit for me in the last quarter, with Annie making what felt like a ridiculous choice to spend time with someone questionable. It also annoyed me that even when this was near the end, Noah still hadn’t figured out how communication is supposed to work and Abby doesn’t give him nearly a hard enough time about it. It’s slightly more difficult to believe in happily ever after with someone whose first extinct is always to ghost and explain later.
Displaying 1 of 1 review