Christmas Spirits

by Isabelle Drake

In the quaint town of Hickory Hollow, this Christmas season brings more than twinkling lights and festive cheer—it brings matchmaking ghosts, unexpected romance, and a chance at new beginnings.

When baker Paisley Dunn arrives to start fresh in her aunt’s riverside mansion, she learns that her new home is haunted by two mischievous ghosts—a pair of star-crossed lovers who won’t ascend to the afterlife until they help another couple fall in love within the mansion’s walls. Determined to become a part of the close-knit community, Paisley agrees to a romantically risky deal.

Meanwhile, Lucas Lee, a famous LA contractor looking to reconnect with his roots, returns to Hickory Hollow and is immediately caught up in the town’s quirky traditions, including the beloved annual Santa Claus contest. Trading his bespoke suits for a red velvet one, Lucas is prepared for anything—except the surprising sparks that fly when he meets Paisley.
As snow falls gently on Hickory Hollow, laughter, tears, and holiday magic fill the air, and the town’s residents discover that sometimes, the greatest gift of all is a second chance at love.


Reviews for Not Home for the Holidays
Marsha’s Keeper Bookshelf, Goodreads Reviewer
5 stars
“… everything felt very real like it could easily happen, and that is the type of story that will draw me in and keep me engaged until the final page. I…recommend it to readers who love a good Christmas romance.”

K.J. Sweeney, Goodreads Reviewer
“You know how sometimes you're just in the mood for a nice, feel-good romance? Well Not Home for the Holidays ticks all the boxes in that regard…a sweet little read that leaves you with a smile on your face and a satisfied feeling inside.”

123 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 6, 2024

About the author

Isabelle Drake is the fiction alias of Melissa Ford Lucken. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Lasell University and an MA in Special Education from Eastern Michigan University. She teaches creative writing and composition and is the fiction and creative non-fiction editor of the Washington Square Review.

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Christmas Spirits was a festive romance with a mystery entwined within it, and I really hoped to love this book, but it was a little all over the place that ruined it for me in the end. Parts of the story seem missing, there's no character headings for each chapter or when it changes to a different POV which would have been helpful as I got very lost as to who's POV I was reading all the way through. I think with some good editing and guidance, this book could have been better produced and even had the potential to be longer than a novella read.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy a good holiday romance movie, this book is for you! I really enjoyed the main story of Paisley restarting her business, but the giant old house she wants to host her business in is haunted. It was a fun twist on a traditional holiday story. I liked our main characters and was rooting for Paisley and Lucas the whole way through! I found the romance very believable, which is always a bonus.

I did find the historical backstory that is interspersed between chapters to be confusing. Except for our two main ghosts, Charlotte and Henry, it was difficult to keep the side characters from the past straight because they are mostly unnamed. I think there was too much to the mystery for this little novella. It could easily have been expanded to a nice 200+ page novel to help untangle all the webs of the story.

If you love a good mystery, this will add to the plot for you, but know that you need to pay a lot of attention to the flashbacks from the beginning to keep the characters of the mystery straight.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy! All opinions are my own.

[Denise Schenk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paisley Dunn has a bakery shop closed in her hometown. She moves to her aunt's mansion in Kentucky; she doesn't know the history of the house. It seems there are a pair of ghosts that haunt the mansion.
Lucas Lee has returned home to Hickory Hollow to reconnect with his family. He was famous in LA as a contractor. His brother has signed him up for the Santa contest which leads to a fun time.
Paisley and Lucas meet and seem to keep running into each other. They learn to break the curse on the mansion a couple needs to fall in love in the mansion. So, they set out to fake a romance.
We also learn the story of the star-crossed lovers in the book.
I loved the story, but it seems the author did not tell the whole story of the past and present.

[Nicole Normand · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy from NetGalley and I'm willingly leaving a review
It's based on the town's legend, holiday romance with friendly ghosts. I love legends! Sometimes, though, it's a bit confusing as it's one POV that reverts from first to third person. No problem when the narrator tells the ghosts' story. It was weird that Paisely/Paisley doesn't ask Lucas where the man is and Lucas forgets that the man in question gave him something for her. There is also no rhyme or reason for these 2 strangers (the woman, then the man); they bring nothing to the story. Toby was funny in his cockiness. All and all, it's a good story, fun and endearing, bringing much holiday spirits to your soul.

[Haney Hayes Promotions · Rating 3 out of 5]

This charming and enchanting novel will captivate readers who delight in heartwarming, feel-good romances infused with a touch of magic. Its quirky small-town setting, brimming with festive cheer, provides the perfect backdrop for a story that delivers a delightful blend of love, laughter, and second chances. As the holiday season unfolds, readers will be swept away by a tale that celebrates the enduring power of love and the magic of new beginnings. With its endearing characters, heartwarming plot, and sprinkle of holiday magic, this book is an ideal choice for anyone who enjoys a heartwarming and uplifting read.

[Thelma Brace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received through NetGalley in return for a review. 😊

This story has A LOT of potential! But, for now, I'll have to rate it 3⭐️. My biggest issue with the story was how it switched back and forth between 1st person and 3rd person point of views (especially in the middle of a chapter). When it first happened, it threw me way off. The last few chapters were my favorite, though.. With the plot twists and romance going around. Overall, it was a cute & quick read.

[Carson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been sitting on this review for a while so I actually don't remember much about this book. Which the fact that its been 10 days since I've finished this and I don't remember ANYTHING is very telling. I did not like it while reading which I feel should be apparent since it took me like almost a full month to read an under 200 page book. It felt incredibly slow, I could not get into it and I just could not get into the writing or the story

[BlueFalkon95 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Spirits by Isabelle Drake is a unique and wonderful Christmas Romance in which over a few days a young man and woman meet each other in a small town. It is a sweet story of boy meets girl with a ghost curse is bringing them together. I enjoyed reading the Christmas Story and acknowledge that it’s not exactly normal for people to fall in love so quickly and it can occur.

[Brooke ✌︎㋡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute holiday romance. Clean. If you love sweet Hallmark movies, you’ll love this cute and short read.

I got a little confused here and there because it’s dual POV and each section wasn’t labeled as to who was talking.

The Christmas festivities in a small town made this novella so adorable and cozy. Snuggle up with a cup of hot coco and enjoy.

[SelkieReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is chaos, all the characters, all the POV, all the timelines, all at once.
It makes almost no sense and even the writer seems to mix up what’s going on some times and got Liam and Lucas mixed up at 93%.
The whole book bounces from one unfinished thought to the next.

[Jaime Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

The constant jump in timelines and first person POV to 3rd person POV made this book very difficult to follow. The story was okay but those issues made reading the book pretty frustrating.

[Sofia Rios · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique Christmas story with matching making ghosts.

[Hope T · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎅🏼

Cute story, I love the lore of the past woven in with each chapter. Things ended in a blur but I feel like that's how that moment would have felt if I was experiencing it irl.