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Christmas Hope at The Storyteller's Cottage
When Elliot Marino leaves the police force due to a career-ending injury, it sends him back to Avonbury to work with his parents at the family restaurant., He’s angry at the world, chasing after a ghost for the last five years. One he’ll never catch.
But his need to protect is on alert once Leila Hayes walks into his life.
Leila Hayes is running from a past she’d rather forget. Terrified her family will discover where she is, she knows her secrets won't stay hidden. Secrets can’t be outrun.
When she meets Elliot, for the first time ever safety and peace wash over her in a way she’s never experienced before. Even if her intuition is screaming at her to leave her walls up and protect her heart. But when her past comes back to haunt her, it threatens not only her, but Elliot and his family as well.
Will they be able to heal each other and find happiness, or will the legend of The Storyteller’s Cottage falter for the first time?
But his need to protect is on alert once Leila Hayes walks into his life.
Leila Hayes is running from a past she’d rather forget. Terrified her family will discover where she is, she knows her secrets won't stay hidden. Secrets can’t be outrun.
When she meets Elliot, for the first time ever safety and peace wash over her in a way she’s never experienced before. Even if her intuition is screaming at her to leave her walls up and protect her heart. But when her past comes back to haunt her, it threatens not only her, but Elliot and his family as well.
Will they be able to heal each other and find happiness, or will the legend of The Storyteller’s Cottage falter for the first time?
127 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 2, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 18, 2025
Yeahhhh I absolutely loved this!! I ate it up! The Storytellers series is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Love the Hallmark vibes so much! This was my first five star read this month. So, so good!! Loved the connection to Balsam Cliffs.
READ IT!!! 👏🏻
READ IT!!! 👏🏻
December 21, 2025
This book includes some trauma triggers, including abuse, parental neglect, severe Injury due to violence on the job, panic attacks, homelessness, and after effects from death of a loved one.
Once again we're at the Storyteller's Cottage...but can the cottage and it's magical charm help a woman on the run and a man carrying so much pain and guilt? Maybe it can...
I love these stories, which is why I actually continued reading even though I actually had a very hard time with the triggers. As someone who has had panic attacks before in the past, it set off all those emotions again which I did not appreciate nor was I prepared for. Being in a healthier place, I am able to realize it's a story and these Storyteller books always have a happy and fulfilling ending - so I continued reading so I could watch her heal and discover the pieces that would help her move forward. The young man, too, had his triggers and sorrows, and still dealing with anger and grief years after losing a sister, I just wish he was able to not "use" the girl to sort of help him out of his slump! It was too fast a change and I don't agree that the girl would have trusted so quickly nor would he have not had a moment or two to push her away again.
P.S. - As someone who has been homeschooled, it actually hurt that the POV was an abusive family who homeschooled. That is NOT the norm!! Many families are helped and I know many kind and wonderful families with healthy children who are not shut-ins kept under a controlling family atmosphere. Not sure why this was the author's choice, but I guess it was to enhance the fact that the girl didn't have enough adult protection in her life to help her be safe. It was an unfortunate choice, personally, for the story.
Once again we're at the Storyteller's Cottage...but can the cottage and it's magical charm help a woman on the run and a man carrying so much pain and guilt? Maybe it can...
I love these stories, which is why I actually continued reading even though I actually had a very hard time with the triggers. As someone who has had panic attacks before in the past, it set off all those emotions again which I did not appreciate nor was I prepared for. Being in a healthier place, I am able to realize it's a story and these Storyteller books always have a happy and fulfilling ending - so I continued reading so I could watch her heal and discover the pieces that would help her move forward. The young man, too, had his triggers and sorrows, and still dealing with anger and grief years after losing a sister, I just wish he was able to not "use" the girl to sort of help him out of his slump! It was too fast a change and I don't agree that the girl would have trusted so quickly nor would he have not had a moment or two to push her away again.
P.S. - As someone who has been homeschooled, it actually hurt that the POV was an abusive family who homeschooled. That is NOT the norm!! Many families are helped and I know many kind and wonderful families with healthy children who are not shut-ins kept under a controlling family atmosphere. Not sure why this was the author's choice, but I guess it was to enhance the fact that the girl didn't have enough adult protection in her life to help her be safe. It was an unfortunate choice, personally, for the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2025
Christmas Novella!
Who doesn’t love a Christmas Novella? Especially when it’s by J! I absolutely loved this Storyteller’s cottage and how she tied it into her other series.
Who doesn’t love a Christmas Novella? Especially when it’s by J! I absolutely loved this Storyteller’s cottage and how she tied it into her other series.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews