Silent Night / Holy Night

Rock Harbor

by Colleen Coble

'Tis the season for mystery and romance featuring characters from two of Colleen Coble's most popular series!

"Silent Night"

As Christmas day nears, Bree Matthews and her faithful search-and-rescue dog Samson follow the trail of a troubling mystery into the snowy forests of Rock Harbor.

Newlywed Bree Matthews and her husband Kade are preparing for Christmas guests when word arrives that a parachuter has disappeared in the North Woods, along Lake Superior's icy shore. Bree and Samson plunge into the search.

Will this snowy, silent night search lead Bree and Samson to the missing girl?

"Holy Night"

One sinister phone call has derailed their Christmas wedding. Will it keep them apart forever?

Leia and Bane are looking forward to their long-awaited Christmas wedding on the beach. Everything is going as planned--until Leia's phone rings and her world skids out of control. A muffled voice informs Leia that her sister has been kidnapped and will be killed unless Leia calls off the wedding without explanation--and no police. If she disobeys instructions and tells Bane, she'll risk her beloved sister's life. But can she handle this trauma without his help? And will he ever trust her again if she lies to him now?

Irresistible romance meets thrilling suspense in this holiday update to "USA Today" best-selling author Colleen Coble's Aloha Reef series.

Genres: Christmas, Christian Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Christian, Suspense

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2014

About the author

USAToday bestselling author Colleen Coble lives with her husband, Dave, in Arizona. She is the author of dozens of novels including the Rock Harbor Series, the Aloha Reef Series, the Mercy Falls Series, the Hope Beach Series, the Lonestar Series and two Women of Faith fiction selections, Alaska Twilight and Midnight Sea. She has more than 6 million books in print.

Reviews

[Amanda (BookLoverAmanda) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silent Night, Holy Night by Colleen Coble - 3 Star
Blog Post: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/...

All is Calm, All is Bright was more of a fav for me here but this one had two novellas for the Rock Harbor series.

The first novella is Silent Night. Bree and her search and rescue dog Samson follow the trail of a troubling mystery into the snowy forests of Rock Harbor. We see her and her husband Kade preparing for Christmas guests when word arrives that a parachuter has disappeared in the North Woods, along Lake Superior's icy shore. Bree and Samson plunge into the search. I really didn't connect with the characters in this one and it did not feel like a mystery - it was more so their infertility journey and adoption discussions etc. Very odd novella for me I would rate this one 2 star. Didn't feel Christmas to me at all either unfortunately but I liked the second one more.

The second novella is Holy Night. We see a phone call derail a Christmas wedding....Leia and Bane are looking forward to their Christmas wedding on the beach and everything is going to plan until Leia gets a phone call that turns everything upside down. Her sister, who has down syndrome and cannot take care of herself, is kidnapped and instructs her to cancel her wedding or risk her sister's life. The story takes off here.

I liked the suspense in this one but wasn't crazy about Bane's character and how he couldn't move on from what was going on in the suspense itself. Leia was just reacting in the only way she knew how with her sister's life on the line. Didn't feel christmas-y at all here either but I did like the sister and suspense part. I would give this 3 to 3.5.

I don't plan to keep this one just because it wasn't a fav but if you want more short Christmas romantic suspense novellas, pick this up too.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the first story best. SAR dog stories have always been a favorite of mine!

Review for "Silent Night":
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Review for "Holy Night":
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not my kind of book. Too predictable and sappy.

[Lovely Day · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75⭐️

Two short stories in one. Neither have anything to do with Christmas….?? The first one didn’t really have a mystery and was heavily about infertility/miscarriage/adoption which I have strong feelings about.

[Sarah Vigue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bland

[Joleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silent Night, Holy Night by Colleen Coble
Two Novallas with past characters from Colleen’s previous books. Both based about Christmas time.

Silent Night has the return of Kade and Bree and their amazing rescue dog Samson. This was a mystery including Kade’s sister, Laurie, who was self-centered, not very nice and clearly had a secret about the parachuter who crashed and died. As the secret unfolded, Laurie amazingly developed an alternate personality where she suddenly professed she always wanted to be like Bree and thoughts of helping others like Bree became important to her. (???) If she hadn’t been such a difficult person and so secretive during the first half of the book, her newfound desires of helpfulness would have been believable. Ah well. The story was good. Three stars.

Holy Night was based in Hawaii with characters from previous Coble books I haven't read. In this book there was a kidnapping. Because of a telephone threat, Leia tried to get her sister back without being honest to the person she loved most, her fiance. Meh. Two and half stars for this one.

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silent Night --Christmas in May you say? Absolutely -- if it's Colleen Coble! And especially if one of my favourite fictional canines shows up and plays hero. Samson, a piece of my heart will always belong to you! Loved this chance to get a glimpse of what married life is like for Bree and Cade (and Samson!) And there's something spectacular about a snowy winter in the North Woods! Plus there's a mystery to solve and a sweet family to celebrate the holidays with. 'Silent Night' conveys the wonder and joy of the season with the kind of fictional characters this reader can't get enough of!

Holy Night -- Woohoo -- Christmas in Hawaii! Including a holiday wedding...on the beach!!!! At least, if the bad guys don't mess things up. Classic Coble edge-of-your-seat suspense with sinister villains and time running out and the kind of pressure doomed to cause trouble in paradise. A hair-raising page-turner!

[Courtney Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

For song title prompt

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because I enjoyed All is Calm; All is Bright so much last month, I thought I would try Colleen Coble's other Christmas novella duology too. And now I have a conundrum: do I keep this paperback because I really liked one of the stories, or do I put it in the Little Free Library I steward because I didn't like the other story? Ahhh, the troubles a bookworm faces, eh?

Silent Night is part of the Rock Harbor series set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I lived in Michigan's Thumb for nine years as a kid and visited the UP several times, so I really loved the setting for this story. I also enjoyed that it wasn't about two people falling in love, but about a husband-and-wife team of search-and-rescue people who live in a lighthouse. I very much liked this story and would like to read the series at some point.

Holy Night is part of the Aloha Reef series set in Hawaii. The setting was really fascinating, since I've never been to Hawaii, but I didn't like the characters very well, and you know that is make-or-break for me. I would not have finished reading this novella except that I really loved Kaia's sister Eva, a young woman with Down Syndrome who gets kidnapped. I very much needed to know if she got through this okay, so I kept reading.

So, now I just have to decide if I should keep this because I probably would like to reread "Silent Night" at some point, or if I should not...

[Morgan's Endless Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silent Night I was able to follow okay despite not having read the series, and it was pretty sweet.

Holy Night I had trouble following, and I didn't enjoy it as much. I'm thinking Colleen Coble might not be the author for me.

[Rebecca (booksandbreggs) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories include Christmas, but it's not really about Christmas. The mystery aspect was ok. 3/5 stars.

[Tara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Story one was tolerable but it was absolutely RUINED by the second story. Am I the only one or were the lead characters awful?! He is throwing red flags into the air and cares more about his ego than the emergency at hand. The codependency here is strong to the point of surrealism. Despite being in law enforcement he shows zero compassion, no knowledge of emotional/mental shock and what part that plays in the psyche.
Admittedly I listened to the audiobook so maybe that affected the personalities but … wow, that was painful.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

These two short stories come from two series Colleen Coble has authored but if you haven't read them (like me) you can follow easily. The genre is like Hallmark movie meets Murder She Wrote. It was an easy and light read if you are looking for something during the holidays that won't tax your brain.

[The Literature Ladies · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, I liked both the mysteries. I think they had potential to be further developed by streamlining the action. The characters were as likeable as they can be for a story so short. There is the feel-good element of Christmas happiness at the end of each one. They are only 100 pages long, so if you want a quick read, give them a try!

Read more on our blog!

[Brittany Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure why this has a Christmas title because neither story is about Christmas other than a quick mention. The 1st story was cute but I didn't like the 2nd. The fiancee was terrible and I didn't connect with the other characters either.

[Joy Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved getting two different books in this collection. In the first one you get to read more about Bree Matthews, who is in a series by this author. If you have read any of the Rock Harbor series then you need this collection. In the second book you have Leia whose sister is taken and the demand to get her back is for her to call off her engagement. Both are excellent short stories that will keep you guessing what will happen.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystery for the winter. This is 2 short stories combine in one book. Both lovely and mysterious and about family and loyalty. Clean

[Beatrice Followill · Rating 4 out of 5]

2 short suspense thrillers , good storylines .

[Annie Prescott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was 2 novellas in one book. I definitely enjoyed Silent Night better. The characters were likeable and there was a character development as well. The second story Holy Night was ok. I don't feel like the story was that great. Overall, it was an ok read over Christmas.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I borrowed this book from my sister, and was happy to have it on hand to read at Christmas time. I loved, loved and adored the Rock Harbor series (and plan to go back and read at some point, as I may not have read them all many years ago), so I particularly enjoyed Bree and Samson's story. I have yet to read the other series, but that didn't affect me reading and enjoying that novella as well.

[Laura- Lover of all things books 📚💕 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first story “Silent night” was meh. The second story “Holy night” was dnf material.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colleen Coble delivers a festive treat of mystery and romance in Silent Night, Holy Night, a heartwarming duo of Christmas novellas featuring beloved characters from two of her most popular series. This collection is a perfect seasonal read for fans of inspirational fiction, combining suspenseful plots with messages of faith, love, and resilience.

In Silent Night, we return to Rock Harbor with Bree Matthews and her loyal search-and-rescue dog, Samson. As Bree and her husband Kade prepare for a cozy holiday, a call comes in about a missing parachuter near the icy shores of Lake Superior. Bree and Samson head into the snow-covered woods, racing against time and the elements to uncover the truth especially since it looks like it involves Kade's sister Laurie. The wintry atmosphere adds an extra layer of tension and beauty to this fast-paced mystery, and fans of the Rock Harbor series will appreciate catching up with familiar faces during the festive season.

The second story, Holy Night, follows Leia and Bane, who are on the verge of celebrating their long-awaited Christmas wedding. However, a sinister phone call claiming Leia’s sister who has a disability has been kidnapped sends their plans into a tailspin. Under the weight of a devastating ultimatum—cancel the wedding or risk her sister’s life—Leia must choose between secrecy and trust. The emotional turmoil, combined with the backdrop of a romantic beachside Christmas, creates a gripping story of faith, sacrifice, and enduring love.

Both novellas are tightly written, with Coble’s signature blend of suspense and heartfelt romance. The Christian themes are gently woven throughout, enhancing the emotional stakes without overpowering the storylines. While the brevity of each tale means character development is somewhat limited, readers already familiar with these series will find comfort and depth in returning to these well-loved protagonists.

Silent Night, Holy Night is a perfect addition to any holiday reading list, offering just the right mix of cozy charm and edge-of-your-seat thrills.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandmother had this book for several weeks and I didn't know it! My mom was going through the library books and said the title and I said, "what? I don't have that. Grammy must have kept it." For her part, she had looked at the back that very morning and thought, "why did I order this?" :) She is not into the action/suspense books, at all.

Silent Night takes us back briefly into Bree Matthew's world and life. It really wasn't that suspenseful but it was a nice bridge between her Rock Harbor story and her cameos in some of Coble's other series. The connection is Bree getting pregnant and having the twins, Hannah and Hunter. I don't think I knew their names before.

Holy Night, on the other hand, was pretty suspenseful for a short story. Again, we get to go back to some great characters. Leia and Bane are preparing for their wedding when Eva is kidnapped. Leia gets a call that tells her to call off the wedding and not to say anything to the police, Kaia, or Bane. Terrified for her sister, Leia does as she's told.

There was a great theme about trust between a husband and wife, and how in marriage the other person is going to hurt you, but you work through it together.

Rock Harbor and Aloha Reef are my favorite series by Coble, so it was wonderful to get to spend just a little more time with the characters.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy reading holiday books in the time period between Thanksgiving and the new year. This book really had very little to do with the holidays. It is "set" of two novellas from two of the author's series, which I didn't realize when I picked it up. The first story, Silent Night, is from her Rock Harbor series, and the second story, Holy Night is from her Aloha Reef series. I have read several books in the Rock Harbor series. This does contain characters who I am familiar with, but the story was not memorable. I can't even provide a much of a review right now, because I've already forgotten the details. I have not read any of the other books in the Aloha Reef series prior to reading Holy Night, so the characters were unfamiliar to me. This novella did not make me want to run out and read others in the series.

[Jficele · Rating 1 out of 5]

I chose this book because it was available on my hoopla and met the requirements for a book club prompt. I regret my choice. I listened to the audiobook version of these 2 novellas. It was the cheesiest book I have ever listened to. The plots were predictable with so many cliches. The female characters were naive and unidimensional. The male characters felt flat and self absorbed. The ending of the first novella felt very abrupt. In fact, I had to check that I hadn’t accidentally clicked on the epilogue by mistake. The end of the second novella was all tied up with a bow when a wedding cures everything including the trauma of kidnapping. Yikes.

[Katy Bess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silent Night: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ This novella was pretty interesting. I liked the “search party” storyline and it definitely felt like Christmastime given the setting and the very sweet, heartwarming ending.

Holy Night: ⭐️ I almost didn’t finish this one. It was painful to get through. The main character was whiny and irritating, but no worse than her gaslighting, jerk of a fiancé. The plot was all over the place and the ending felt rushed and unbelievable.

If you get this book, just read the first story.
3 ⭐️ overall.

[Rebecca Cecil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two great Christmas mysteries in one book.
Silent Night - As Christmas day nears Brew and Kade are preparing for Christmas guest when they get word that a parachuted has disappeared in the North Woods. Brew and her faithful search and rescue dog Samson plunge into the search.
Bane has no idea how close this mystery is about to get really close to home.
Holy Might- Leia and Babe are looking forward to their long awaited Christmas Wedding , until Leia's phone rings and her world skids out of control. The call derails the wedding plains. Will it keep them apart forever.

[Pianosue · Rating 4 out of 5]

2 novellas in one. Good stories. In Silent Night Bree Matthews and her search and rescue dog Samson search for a parachuter has disappeared in the North Woods. This in turn leads to a search for a missing girl. Will they find the girl alive? In Holy Night Leia receives a sinister phone call saying her sister has been kidnapped and she needs to call off her wedding. Will they be able to find her sister? Or will she and Bane break up over all the drama?

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains two novella mysteries. Both are interesting and worth reading. There is a feeling at times that things happen quickly and that either story would lend itself even better to a full length book. The second novella seems to have one mistake. A character says she’s not much of a shot, and then, a paragraph or two later, says she’s never held a gun before. How do you know what kind of shot you are if you’ve never held a gun? I found this a very enjoyable, quick read.

[Hayley Prahlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoilers!

I didn’t mind these stories. They were short and were good for their shortness.

The only qualms I had and it isn’t really much of a qualm is how they didn’t know Bree was pregnant with twins until she delivered. It was a cute twist, and I know it can happen, but two babies at what seemed to be full term? Good for them, but not super believable for me.

I still liked both stories quite a bit and they were well written.