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Alba Home for Christmas: A Romantic Comedy Novella
Reporting on Christmas festivals in Italy? Easy. Figuring out her love life? Not so much.
On a work trip to the Italian Piedmont region for her travel magazine, Melina is still reeling from a recent breakup with Henk, her longtime boyfriend back home in the Netherlands. Between reporting on the delicious holiday food, wine, and hoopla in culinary hotspots like Torino and Alba, she's supposed to be there to sort out her feelings and decide what to do next. Instead, she keeps crossing paths with Andre, a sexy, guitar-playing, traveling American. Andre's moonlit serenades aren't helping to make things any clearer. One holiday, a misunderstanding or two, and a lot of laughs later, Melina must is this holiday romance with Andre just the detour she needs or a sign she’s not quite over Henk?
Alba Home for Christmas is a charming, lighthearted tale of holiday hijinks, soulful connections, and the joy of embracing life’s surprises.
If you love Abby Jimenez, Sophie Kinsella, Emily Henry, Sophie Cousens, Christina Lauren, Leonie Mack, and/or Portia MacIntosh, this one’s for you!
#ForcedProximity
#FriendstoLovers
#SecondChances
#SlowBurn
#UnexpectedRomance
#Multicultural
#Italy
#Holiday
⭐ Praise from Goodreads Readers
“A cozy, whimsical read—perfect for a weekend afternoon. I especially enjoyed the adventure to Italy; it brought a charming, almost cinematic quality to the story.”
— Goodreads Reviewer
On a work trip to the Italian Piedmont region for her travel magazine, Melina is still reeling from a recent breakup with Henk, her longtime boyfriend back home in the Netherlands. Between reporting on the delicious holiday food, wine, and hoopla in culinary hotspots like Torino and Alba, she's supposed to be there to sort out her feelings and decide what to do next. Instead, she keeps crossing paths with Andre, a sexy, guitar-playing, traveling American. Andre's moonlit serenades aren't helping to make things any clearer. One holiday, a misunderstanding or two, and a lot of laughs later, Melina must is this holiday romance with Andre just the detour she needs or a sign she’s not quite over Henk?
Alba Home for Christmas is a charming, lighthearted tale of holiday hijinks, soulful connections, and the joy of embracing life’s surprises.
If you love Abby Jimenez, Sophie Kinsella, Emily Henry, Sophie Cousens, Christina Lauren, Leonie Mack, and/or Portia MacIntosh, this one’s for you!
#ForcedProximity
#FriendstoLovers
#SecondChances
#SlowBurn
#UnexpectedRomance
#Multicultural
#Italy
#Holiday
⭐ Praise from Goodreads Readers
“A cozy, whimsical read—perfect for a weekend afternoon. I especially enjoyed the adventure to Italy; it brought a charming, almost cinematic quality to the story.”
— Goodreads Reviewer
146 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 26, 2024
6 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 28, 2025
This novella was a delightful read — a sweet escape with just the right touch of whimsy. I especially enjoyed the adventure to Italy; it brought a charming, almost cinematic quality to the story that made it easy to get lost in the setting. While I found myself wishing for a bit more depth in the character development, the overall tone and pacing were satisfying for a shorter work.
One moment that really stuck with me was this quote: “…laughs, and the sound of it, the ease of it is like a kind of comfort food.” It perfectly captured the warmth and connection between the characters, and it lingered with me long after I turned the last page.
A cozy, whimsical read — perfect for a weekend afternoon.
One moment that really stuck with me was this quote: “…laughs, and the sound of it, the ease of it is like a kind of comfort food.” It perfectly captured the warmth and connection between the characters, and it lingered with me long after I turned the last page.
A cozy, whimsical read — perfect for a weekend afternoon.
December 30, 2024
Don't miss this fantastic holiday escape to Italy! It'll make you laugh and give you wanderlust! ❤️❤️❤️
January 5, 2026
E-book freebie at the time of download. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not affected by the giveaway
I didn't care much for this romance. I didn't like how the main characters didn't know each other very well, were involved with other people "it's complicated" and never really talked until after they jumped into bed together. Plus they were drunk when they slept together and she had already heard he had been on a bender with some wild escapades. I don't know. Maybe it's me but their "relationship" was kind of icky.
The storytelling style didn't appeal to me very much either. I felt dropped into a story in progress as if I was eavesdropping on a private conversation between two friends who were strangers to me. We don't even get the main character's name until page 29 and by then I was bored and uninterested in her lusting after a busker. Their banter is cute but who doesn't know Superman and Lois Lane? I don't do superheroes but I thought literally everyone knew Superman and Lois Lane. I did like learning about Dutch culture but the American southern culture sounded like a stereotype to me. Having Andre be Black was different but his resemblance to Melina's boyfriend Hank was creepy. He might be a more interesting hero. A Black Dutchman whose family has always been Dutch sounds interesting but Henk is a grumpy older man set in his ways, unwilling to compromise or try anything fun.
I loved the setting. Italy's Piedmont region at Christmastime sounds delightful and charming and I was ready to hop on a plane and go visit the Christmas markets of Europe.
With the delightful setting I was expecting a Hallmark movie in book form but unfortunately this was not and it would have to be heavily edited for the Hallmark Channel which means it's just not for me thanks.
I didn't care much for this romance. I didn't like how the main characters didn't know each other very well, were involved with other people "it's complicated" and never really talked until after they jumped into bed together. Plus they were drunk when they slept together and she had already heard he had been on a bender with some wild escapades. I don't know. Maybe it's me but their "relationship" was kind of icky.
The storytelling style didn't appeal to me very much either. I felt dropped into a story in progress as if I was eavesdropping on a private conversation between two friends who were strangers to me. We don't even get the main character's name until page 29 and by then I was bored and uninterested in her lusting after a busker. Their banter is cute but who doesn't know Superman and Lois Lane? I don't do superheroes but I thought literally everyone knew Superman and Lois Lane. I did like learning about Dutch culture but the American southern culture sounded like a stereotype to me. Having Andre be Black was different but his resemblance to Melina's boyfriend Hank was creepy. He might be a more interesting hero. A Black Dutchman whose family has always been Dutch sounds interesting but Henk is a grumpy older man set in his ways, unwilling to compromise or try anything fun.
I loved the setting. Italy's Piedmont region at Christmastime sounds delightful and charming and I was ready to hop on a plane and go visit the Christmas markets of Europe.
With the delightful setting I was expecting a Hallmark movie in book form but unfortunately this was not and it would have to be heavily edited for the Hallmark Channel which means it's just not for me thanks.
July 13, 2025
This is a really good book for Christmas. I really wanted some Christmas in July so I read it. Really good.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 14, 2026
A short holiday read featuring a Dutch travel blogger exploring the Italian countryside who has an exciting adventure with an American guitarist.
Melina is left reeling from a recent breakup with her longtime boyfriend, Henk. She's trying to bury herself in her work as a travel blogger and enjoy her time in the Italian Piedmont region, but she's having a hard time keeping Henk from her mind. That is, until she meets a charming American guitarist by the name of Andre who tugs at her heartstrings. Before the holiday season is over, Melina must decide if she wants something more from Andre or if she is willing to fight to win Henk back. When it comes to matters of the heart, things are never simple, and Melina begins to contemplate what is really important to her.
I wish this one would have been a little longer, but it was pretty solid for a holiday novella. Melina is exploring Italy and she does so many cozy Christmas activities such as visit a Christmas marketplace and attend a live holiday music performance as well as miscellaneous Italian activities, such as handmaking pasta. I found it really fun to follow all the different activities that Melina gets to try due to her job as a travel blogger.
I think the thing I enjoyed the most about this one is witnessing a European travel experience. While reading this book, I realized despite all the books I've read, I've read very few that star Europeans just existing in their day to day lives in Europe. This seems like something that I should have read more about, but alas, it is what it is. There were so many phrases, terminology, and idioms that I'd never heard before, so I found this book to be an interesting study in language.
I had two major problems with this one. The first being the sudden ending and the fact that the book was super short. The second being that both Melina and Andre are pretty much still in relationships during this book. I'll talk about both issues in more detail below.
I felt that the ending was super rushed. Melina has a ton of stuff that she is working through, and it would have been nice to get a bit more resolution to her conflicts. I get wanting to keep stories short, because it's really beneficial as an author to have freebies to giveaway to try to hook readers on their work. Still, I was expecting more of a resolution from this one.
Melina said that Henk broke up with her, but it's kind of a weird situation. It's sort of left on a, "I love you, but I'm not sure I can commit to you forever" vibe. The situations surrounding Andre and his girlfriend are pretty similar, too. They had a vacation planned together, but then she was accepted into Harvard last minute and had to stay back in the States to attend classes. Andre then went on the vacation without her and said that they were pretty much over, even though it didn't really seem like they had broken up. Therefore, all of Melina and Andre's exploits seemed a little suspicious and my brain is still unsure how to view their entire relationship. On the one hand, they are all adults who can do whatever they want and it's not like any of them were married, but it still felt like they were all cheating on each other.
Overall, "Alba Home for Christmas" was a solid holiday novella that had me admiring some of the lesser seen sides of Italy. I wasn't really sold on Melina and Andre's relationship, but I enjoyed the discussion that this book places on what is truly important and how we want to spend the precious time in our lives. I wouldn't be opposed to continuing the series, and I seriously hope that I get a chance to read more of Macy's work in the future.
Melina is left reeling from a recent breakup with her longtime boyfriend, Henk. She's trying to bury herself in her work as a travel blogger and enjoy her time in the Italian Piedmont region, but she's having a hard time keeping Henk from her mind. That is, until she meets a charming American guitarist by the name of Andre who tugs at her heartstrings. Before the holiday season is over, Melina must decide if she wants something more from Andre or if she is willing to fight to win Henk back. When it comes to matters of the heart, things are never simple, and Melina begins to contemplate what is really important to her.
I wish this one would have been a little longer, but it was pretty solid for a holiday novella. Melina is exploring Italy and she does so many cozy Christmas activities such as visit a Christmas marketplace and attend a live holiday music performance as well as miscellaneous Italian activities, such as handmaking pasta. I found it really fun to follow all the different activities that Melina gets to try due to her job as a travel blogger.
I think the thing I enjoyed the most about this one is witnessing a European travel experience. While reading this book, I realized despite all the books I've read, I've read very few that star Europeans just existing in their day to day lives in Europe. This seems like something that I should have read more about, but alas, it is what it is. There were so many phrases, terminology, and idioms that I'd never heard before, so I found this book to be an interesting study in language.
I had two major problems with this one. The first being the sudden ending and the fact that the book was super short. The second being that both Melina and Andre are pretty much still in relationships during this book. I'll talk about both issues in more detail below.
I felt that the ending was super rushed. Melina has a ton of stuff that she is working through, and it would have been nice to get a bit more resolution to her conflicts. I get wanting to keep stories short, because it's really beneficial as an author to have freebies to giveaway to try to hook readers on their work. Still, I was expecting more of a resolution from this one.
Melina said that Henk broke up with her, but it's kind of a weird situation. It's sort of left on a, "I love you, but I'm not sure I can commit to you forever" vibe. The situations surrounding Andre and his girlfriend are pretty similar, too. They had a vacation planned together, but then she was accepted into Harvard last minute and had to stay back in the States to attend classes. Andre then went on the vacation without her and said that they were pretty much over, even though it didn't really seem like they had broken up. Therefore, all of Melina and Andre's exploits seemed a little suspicious and my brain is still unsure how to view their entire relationship. On the one hand, they are all adults who can do whatever they want and it's not like any of them were married, but it still felt like they were all cheating on each other.
Overall, "Alba Home for Christmas" was a solid holiday novella that had me admiring some of the lesser seen sides of Italy. I wasn't really sold on Melina and Andre's relationship, but I enjoyed the discussion that this book places on what is truly important and how we want to spend the precious time in our lives. I wouldn't be opposed to continuing the series, and I seriously hope that I get a chance to read more of Macy's work in the future.
October 27, 2025
This was a very well-written novella that uses a charming Italian holiday setting to tell a surprisingly deep story. While marketed as a romantic comedy, I actually found it leaned more toward self-discovery than a typical romance, which was a refreshing change of pace.
The author, Leau Macy, does a great job making you feel like you're right there with Melina in the Italian Piedmont region, enjoying the food, wine, and atmosphere. Melina's journey to sort out her feelings after a breakup is relatable and engaging.
The ending was not what I expected, but in a way that felt authentic to Melina's personal growth and journey. If you're looking for an escapist rom-com with a focus on a character finding herself, I highly recommend this read!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The author, Leau Macy, does a great job making you feel like you're right there with Melina in the Italian Piedmont region, enjoying the food, wine, and atmosphere. Melina's journey to sort out her feelings after a breakup is relatable and engaging.
The ending was not what I expected, but in a way that felt authentic to Melina's personal growth and journey. If you're looking for an escapist rom-com with a focus on a character finding herself, I highly recommend this read!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 17, 2026
This Christmas rom-com set between the Netherlands and Italy is pure holiday fun. It’s packed with witty banter, comical misunderstandings, and charming situations that keep the story light and entertaining from start to finish.
The international setting adds an extra layer of charm, and the humor really shines—this is one of those books that genuinely makes you laugh while still delivering cozy Christmas vibes.
If you’re looking for a feel-good, funny holiday romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this is a delightful and enjoyable Christmas read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The international setting adds an extra layer of charm, and the humor really shines—this is one of those books that genuinely makes you laugh while still delivering cozy Christmas vibes.
If you’re looking for a feel-good, funny holiday romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this is a delightful and enjoyable Christmas read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 29, 2025
Imma be honest I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I couldn’t get into. I tried skipping ahead and it just didn’t catch my attention. This is to fault of the author because it’s written really well it just didn’t hold my interest.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 17, 2026
This was really sweet and had me smiling a ton. I liked how Melina didn’t just brush off breaking up with Henk. He kind of lingers in her thoughts which makes sense for how she feels about him. This is a lovely story about self discovery and how letting go lets you see what you truly want.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews