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Christmas Actually
Holly Jamison has always loved Christmas and is on her way home to celebrate the holidays with her family. It has been a while since she has been home to Pine Tree, Vermont, and she is looking forward to her visit. But this Christmas will be special. Holly plans to surprise her parents and take them up on their longstanding job offer to take over the reins of the family business. She has quit her job, subleased her apartment, and packed her car with all her belongings. But little does she know that her mom has filled the position and hired an “old friend” to manage the growing family business.
Old friends … old flames cause sparks to fly the moment they reunite, but soon, she must make the toughest decision about her future. But while she travels to Vermont for Christmas, her colleagues from work are going in different directions and celebrating the holidays in their own way... until...
Old friends … old flames cause sparks to fly the moment they reunite, but soon, she must make the toughest decision about her future. But while she travels to Vermont for Christmas, her colleagues from work are going in different directions and celebrating the holidays in their own way... until...
217 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 8, 2023
4 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Mooney
24 books93 followersI write stories that I feel strongly about and hope that my readers will feel touched by as well. I write in different genres because the stories I feel cross all barriers.
***
Love Letters- If you found a love letter in an old book, would you read it? Love Letters is the story of what happens when a woman finds a series of love letters hidden in some books she bought at a flea market. She reads them and wishes she could find the doctor who wrote them to thank him. One day she does and her life is never the same.
A Second Chance - Ravenna Morgan, after losing the love of her life, does what everyone would love to do and gets away from the day to day hectic world.
She retreats to the small secluded Greek island of Petros. She has it all, a comfortable life, warm sunshine and beautiufl beaches. Until one day that changes and she realizes she may get...A Second Chance.
Look for it wherever fine ebooks are found.
***
Love Letters- If you found a love letter in an old book, would you read it? Love Letters is the story of what happens when a woman finds a series of love letters hidden in some books she bought at a flea market. She reads them and wishes she could find the doctor who wrote them to thank him. One day she does and her life is never the same.
A Second Chance - Ravenna Morgan, after losing the love of her life, does what everyone would love to do and gets away from the day to day hectic world.
She retreats to the small secluded Greek island of Petros. She has it all, a comfortable life, warm sunshine and beautiufl beaches. Until one day that changes and she realizes she may get...A Second Chance.
Look for it wherever fine ebooks are found.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 29, 2023
Bryan Mooney’s Christmas Actually opens with the bustling office of Baltimore Star Media Group in Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD. Colleagues Holly, Frankie, Diego, Jakob, and Josh discuss their upcoming Christmas plans. Holly, enjoying her last meeting with the Baltimore Star, shares that she will be taking in a full, traditional Christmas at home with family in Vermont. Holly further plans to surprise her parents by accepting the CEO position at Jamison Enterprises, her mother’s children’s book company. Frankie boasts that Christmas should be spent on yourself free of the guilt of a neglected family. Convinced in the idea of a guilt-free Christmas, Diego reveals he will spend Christmas at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico away from his close-nit California family. Jakob admits that he has never celebrated Christmas and intends to continue abstaining the holiday. Josh, widow and boss of the media group, hopes his newlywed daughter and husband will travel from London to celebrate with him. Missing from the meeting is young sales representative, Maddie, who will spending the beginning of Christmas break catching up on the many ignored emails and voicemails crucial for her career. After a goodbye celebration with cake, Holly makes the long journey from Baltimore to Pine Tree, Vermont to begin celebrating Christmas and her new career. Holly is surprised by a huge shift in her plans when her ex-boyfriend and almost fiancé, Travis, is thrust back into her life. Fitting into the Christmas romance genre, themes of budding relationships, rekindled relationships, and finding oneself are woven throughout. The characters learn the deeper meaning of Christmas as their original plans change for the better. Each chapter features a different colleague moving the storyline as if it were already a made-for-television Christmas movie.
Opinion:
Bryan Mooney’s Christmas Actually weaves nostalgia, tradition, surprises, newness, and adventure into a satisfying tale of several colleagues and their Christmas week adventures. Holly’s Christmas in Vermont is picturesque and filled with the same warm, Christmas cheer as Mooney’s Christmas in Vermont. Mooney excelled in providing a familiar taste for his perfect Christmas descriptions complete with cookies and hot chocolate. However, he also endeavored into engaging descriptions of Baltimore’s trendy Inner Harbor, Mexican beach resort, and a secluded mountain cabin. As someone who has visited Inner Harbor on several occasions, I found Mooney’s words were beautiful and accurate for the intriguing city. Fond memories of majestic Inner Harbor were opened as Mooney’s characters went about their Christmas preparations. As Mooney wove the lives of each character throughout his countdown to Christmas chapters, he also utilized the diverse settings to create a depth to the characters and events. The settings were a powerful companion to the characters’ personalities and their growth as they found the meaning of Christmas. Along with the setting, Mooney employed phone call conversations to help facilitate the transition between character story lines and help root the plot throughout each transition. At first, the end of each chapter leaves the reader wanting more of the storyline of that character. By the middle of the book, the tempo of the character changes is rhythmic and enjoyable to sail through the stories as the plots intertwine and the characters grow in their journey to finding the joy of Christmas.
Opinion:
Bryan Mooney’s Christmas Actually weaves nostalgia, tradition, surprises, newness, and adventure into a satisfying tale of several colleagues and their Christmas week adventures. Holly’s Christmas in Vermont is picturesque and filled with the same warm, Christmas cheer as Mooney’s Christmas in Vermont. Mooney excelled in providing a familiar taste for his perfect Christmas descriptions complete with cookies and hot chocolate. However, he also endeavored into engaging descriptions of Baltimore’s trendy Inner Harbor, Mexican beach resort, and a secluded mountain cabin. As someone who has visited Inner Harbor on several occasions, I found Mooney’s words were beautiful and accurate for the intriguing city. Fond memories of majestic Inner Harbor were opened as Mooney’s characters went about their Christmas preparations. As Mooney wove the lives of each character throughout his countdown to Christmas chapters, he also utilized the diverse settings to create a depth to the characters and events. The settings were a powerful companion to the characters’ personalities and their growth as they found the meaning of Christmas. Along with the setting, Mooney employed phone call conversations to help facilitate the transition between character story lines and help root the plot throughout each transition. At first, the end of each chapter leaves the reader wanting more of the storyline of that character. By the middle of the book, the tempo of the character changes is rhythmic and enjoyable to sail through the stories as the plots intertwine and the characters grow in their journey to finding the joy of Christmas.
November 19, 2023
Family
I always enjoy Bryan Mooney’s books. I love that this book was set in Vermont since I live in New England and love Vermont.
Christmas is a time to be with family and friends whether they be blood or chosen family. It’s a time of traditions whether old or new. It’s not about the presents but the time spent together eating great food and enjoying each other’s company. I know it may sound corny but I always feel peaceful at Christmas. Definitely a great read!
I always enjoy Bryan Mooney’s books. I love that this book was set in Vermont since I live in New England and love Vermont.
Christmas is a time to be with family and friends whether they be blood or chosen family. It’s a time of traditions whether old or new. It’s not about the presents but the time spent together eating great food and enjoying each other’s company. I know it may sound corny but I always feel peaceful at Christmas. Definitely a great read!
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January 14, 2024Reads like a young adult book. A gazillion Merry Christmas greetings! (120+)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews