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Almost Christmas
A quiet holiday getaway. One missing light display. A Christmas she never planned on.
When Reece Cannon escapes to snowy Hearthridge for a low-key holiday, she expects long walks, hot cocoa, and no responsibilities. Then the town’s beloved light display disappears days before the big ceremony, and Reece finds herself following a trail of clues from Main Street to the town square, determined to help this place she barely knows keep its holiday magic.
But as she searches, River’s End Bakery keeps pulling her back — and so does its green-eyed owner, widower Hunter Blackwell, who somehow appears exactly when she needs him. When his clipboard-toting eleven-year-old daughter, Amelia, joins the hunt, the three of them click like cinnamon and sugar.
With snow deepening outside and the countdown to Christmas drawing near, Reece has to face the choice she never saw return to the life that wore her down…or stay in the small town that suddenly feels like home.
A cozy, sweet, clean Christmas romance with a dash of mystery, found-family warmth, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after for anyone who’s ever wondered if it’s too late to begin again.
When Reece Cannon escapes to snowy Hearthridge for a low-key holiday, she expects long walks, hot cocoa, and no responsibilities. Then the town’s beloved light display disappears days before the big ceremony, and Reece finds herself following a trail of clues from Main Street to the town square, determined to help this place she barely knows keep its holiday magic.
But as she searches, River’s End Bakery keeps pulling her back — and so does its green-eyed owner, widower Hunter Blackwell, who somehow appears exactly when she needs him. When his clipboard-toting eleven-year-old daughter, Amelia, joins the hunt, the three of them click like cinnamon and sugar.
With snow deepening outside and the countdown to Christmas drawing near, Reece has to face the choice she never saw return to the life that wore her down…or stay in the small town that suddenly feels like home.
A cozy, sweet, clean Christmas romance with a dash of mystery, found-family warmth, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after for anyone who’s ever wondered if it’s too late to begin again.
- GenresChristmas
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2025
132 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 14, 2025
Reece Cannon goes to a small town to spend a few days with a friend, Charlotte. It is near Thanksgiving time, but holidays have not been her favorite for the past 15 years. The people in this town are really friendly and welcoming. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, is to be the lighting of the town's Christmas tree. The Blackwell family has been made this a celebration for all for many years. Hunter and his brother own the local bakery called, "Rivers End".
When they go to do inventory on all the lights for the celebration, they were all gone. Hunter has a daughter name, Amelia, who is quite disappointed. Why would someone take lights that mean so much to the town? Now the mystery begins, it is know that Reece is a detective in her line of work. They ask Reece if she will take on this case and get to the bottom of it. Reece gets along with Hunter and Amelia well. So the hunt begins for the suspects in the "Christmas Light" caper. Many questions and getting to know the town people with answers for her.
As this investigation goes on, Reece, is really liking the town. The people give her the feeling of belonging. With this mystery she gets to know Hunter and Amelia well, and just maybe there is more to this new friendship then we think. Amelia has taken a real liking to the detective. She seems to notice that her Dad is happier since Reece came to town.
I really enjoyed this novella and all the wonders a small town can bring to someone, especially when life has been so lonely for them. Do read this book and it will brighten your spirits of how a town can really work together. Looking forward to reading more of Laurel Leigh's other books.
When they go to do inventory on all the lights for the celebration, they were all gone. Hunter has a daughter name, Amelia, who is quite disappointed. Why would someone take lights that mean so much to the town? Now the mystery begins, it is know that Reece is a detective in her line of work. They ask Reece if she will take on this case and get to the bottom of it. Reece gets along with Hunter and Amelia well. So the hunt begins for the suspects in the "Christmas Light" caper. Many questions and getting to know the town people with answers for her.
As this investigation goes on, Reece, is really liking the town. The people give her the feeling of belonging. With this mystery she gets to know Hunter and Amelia well, and just maybe there is more to this new friendship then we think. Amelia has taken a real liking to the detective. She seems to notice that her Dad is happier since Reece came to town.
I really enjoyed this novella and all the wonders a small town can bring to someone, especially when life has been so lonely for them. Do read this book and it will brighten your spirits of how a town can really work together. Looking forward to reading more of Laurel Leigh's other books.
December 5, 2025
𝑳𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒍 𝒍𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒘𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕-𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚!!! 😊😊😊
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒑-𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕. 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒊 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆!!! 😍😍😍🤩🤩🤩
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒑-𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕. 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒊 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆!!! 😍😍😍🤩🤩🤩
December 7, 2025
Enjoyable story
This was an enjoyable holiday story. Reece is burnt out with her job and life, but hasn't admitted those facts to herself. This book is about her discovering what is missing, embracing friends and maybe finding love, taking chances. A little mystery is thrown in for the detective to help solve while she is on vacation in Heartridge. I found the book entertaining and I loved Amelia's character and her part in this story.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review
This was an enjoyable holiday story. Reece is burnt out with her job and life, but hasn't admitted those facts to herself. This book is about her discovering what is missing, embracing friends and maybe finding love, taking chances. A little mystery is thrown in for the detective to help solve while she is on vacation in Heartridge. I found the book entertaining and I loved Amelia's character and her part in this story.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review
December 15, 2025
This is book 1 of the Hearthridge Holidays series. This book features Reece, a burnt out detective, Charlotte, her bff, Hunter, the town baker, and Amelia, Hunters daughter and math/engineer extraordinaire at 11 years old.
I really enjoyed the transformation that Reece had over the course of the book. And Amelia is an amazing character! I LOVE her color coded lists, her diagrams, her organization, and how analytical she is.
While a theft mystery, there’s a lot more about finding yourself and making/finding a new place to belong.
I really enjoyed the transformation that Reece had over the course of the book. And Amelia is an amazing character! I LOVE her color coded lists, her diagrams, her organization, and how analytical she is.
While a theft mystery, there’s a lot more about finding yourself and making/finding a new place to belong.
December 4, 2025
Cute story
I loved this story but it made me miss the old time Christmas when it was more than presents and showmanship. I would love to spend a holiday place like this.
I loved this story but it made me miss the old time Christmas when it was more than presents and showmanship. I would love to spend a holiday place like this.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews