A Southern Stars Christmas

by Cari Blake

A festive return to the McKenzie Estate!

Eight months after their reconciliation in New Zealand, ER charge nurse Sophia Mitchell has found her rhythm with paramedic Jack McKenzie—coffee deliveries, teenage daughter drama, and the controlled chaos of Metro General. But when Jack suggests spending Christmas at his family's estate, Sophia's carefully rebuilt confidence wavers.

Summer in December still feels wrong. Helen McKenzie still feels intimidating. And Troy—Sophia's toxic ex—has perfect timing with his latest attempt at legal warfare.

A heartwarming holiday return to the world of Code Blue Hearts, where medical emergencies don't take vacations, McKenzie family dinners require diplomatic immunity, and love means never having to explain why you're hiding behind a wine rack while your future mother-in-law hunts for Riesling.

Sometimes the perfect proposal takes ten boxes to unwrap.
Sometimes home is 7,000 miles from where you started.
And sometimes, the best Christmas presents come with an Australian offering to pee on you.

This can be read as a standalone but is best enjoyed after Under Southern Stars (Code Blue Hearts, Book 1).

127 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2025

Reviews

[Gwen Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really good, and I highly recommend that you all check out " A Southern Stars Christmas". The first book and the second in this series are both great so you might want to read them both. Let us know what you think.

This is the second book about ER charge nurse Sophia Mitchell has found her rhythm with paramedic Jack McKenzie. They had a little problem when they went to visit Jack's family in New Zealand and she found out that not only did his family own a winery but that they were very rich, and Jack had said nothing to her about these things. And now that they have got that problem resolved, Jack wants to go to New Zealand for Christmas. There it will be summer, and Christmas is just not the same in the summer. Plus, his mother still is very intimidating, and Sophia just is not sure if she is up for another round. And her ex is taking her back to court trying to not let them go on the trip. Like he really cares for his daughter, he is such a jerk.

Sophia, Jack and her teen-aged daughter are off for another trip, and this time New Zealand will be better. And hopefully there are no more surprises waiting on her this time.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous Christmas addition to this series. Others in the series can be read in any order but this has to be read after, not before, Under Southern Skies. It follows Sophia, Jack and Madison as they visit his family for Christmas. I think Cari is a fabulous author and sometimes having less medical scenes is not bad. Their roles, nurse and paramedic, are still part of their characters but they are off work in this story. I would love more from them and would be more than happy for them to both retire in New Zealand. Trauma work is …well traumatic and despite loving their jobs I feel surely they deserve a happy, if early, retirement. Yes I think I’m projecting on to them! Maybe they could set up a training company in New Zealand on how to give first aid? Would recommend to people who love romance and Christmas and maybe have worked in health care around the world, just read the Under Southern Skies first or it would not make sense, unlike the others in the Code Blue Heart series, all of which I have read have been fantastic.
I was sent this book by the author on request because I had reviewed most of the other books in the series. This is my own rambling and personal opinion.

[Nathalie DeSousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read the previous books in this series, so it was easy to follow the story, it just felt like visiting a new chapter in the Jack and Sophia's story. This book is a stand alone story, but there are a few details that come from the previous book.

This story starts as Jack is taking Sophia and her daughter - Madison- to visit his family and spend the holidays down in New Zealand. First, it is Summer down under, then Madison is a teenager, and finally Sophia's ex is trying to cause trouble again.

But as they land, and his fortune starts to show, she is worried of what they will think, but his family welcomes them with open arms, and Jack knows it is time to make it permanent and legal. Be ready to see Madison's growth as she stops her father's extortion, Jack and Sophia's commitment to each other, and finally the way his family accepts and adopts them.. Such a great book!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

We revisit the characters from Under Southern Stars when Jack, Sophia and her daughter Madison are heading off toe New Zealand for Christmas with his family. Sophia's ex pops up again, still trying to control her and make her life a misery.

This book is part of a lovely series but I do recommend having read the first book in the series to have already met the characters.


I have read all three books in this series and I am eagerly waiting for more books by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kristy Bevans · Rating 5 out of 5]

another fantastic read!

Cari Blake did it again. The characters she has created just feel like home. You connect so easily with them. I love the subtle humor and all of the details
She tosses in of New Zealand.