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An Overdue Christmas: A Novella
Some love stories need time to simmer.
Celebrated chef Claire Mayes had it all until a viral meltdown cost her everything. Returning to Pine Ridge, Wyoming in disgrace, she expects judgment and pity. What she doesn't expect is to find her high school sweetheart living in the apartment above her mother's restaurant.
Finn Taylor, the town's beloved librarian, never stopped loving the girl who left without saying goodbye. He's the kind of man who archives forgotten recipes like treasures and finds poetry in the mundane.
Stranded together by a historic storm, Claire and Finn discover that some connections only deepen with time. When old wounds resurface and Finn refuses to be her consolation prize, she must prove that this time, she is finally running toward him.
“An Overdue Christmas” is the second novella in the clean Snow Place Like Home novella trilogy.
Celebrated chef Claire Mayes had it all until a viral meltdown cost her everything. Returning to Pine Ridge, Wyoming in disgrace, she expects judgment and pity. What she doesn't expect is to find her high school sweetheart living in the apartment above her mother's restaurant.
Finn Taylor, the town's beloved librarian, never stopped loving the girl who left without saying goodbye. He's the kind of man who archives forgotten recipes like treasures and finds poetry in the mundane.
Stranded together by a historic storm, Claire and Finn discover that some connections only deepen with time. When old wounds resurface and Finn refuses to be her consolation prize, she must prove that this time, she is finally running toward him.
“An Overdue Christmas” is the second novella in the clean Snow Place Like Home novella trilogy.
129 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 19, 2025
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 3, 2025
claire mayes was a rising star in the culinary world. then a single heated moment on camera shattered her reputation and sent her retreating to her hometown of pine ridge, wyoming. she expects cold looks and awkward sympathy. she does not expect to cross paths with the boy she once loved, now living just above her mother’s diner.
finn taylor has built a quiet life surrounded by books and stories, yet he has never quite shaken the memory of the girl who walked away without explanation. he is the kind of person who tucks handwritten recipes between novels and finds comfort in the steady rhythm of ordinary days.
when an unexpected winter storm forces claire and finn under the same roof, they are confronted with the history that has followed them both. as old pain stirs and finn refuses to settle for being the person she turns to only when she has nowhere else to go, claire must show him that she has come back because she wants a future with him, not because she has run out of choices.
what a lovely, short christmas novella filled with humour, tension, romance and fun cooking scenes!!
as a girl who likes to cook when she is stressed just like claire, i really found myself relating to her methods and madness when it came to her cooking. it was so sweet to read claire and finn finally come together again and develop those feelings they both pushed away. claire finally understood why finn stayed in their small town, what it meant to actually have community and create a space instead of just creating a performance like she was with her Michelin cooking. not just trying to prove she was worth something, but to actually feel like she was doing something good.
nearly two decades of distance and trying to forget their love was all undone in just three days together. i mean i know i couldn’t resist a cheeky librarian who writes poetry about me, tells me random historic facts about things and waited for me to come back when i left.
‘home was something you chose, every single day, with every meal you made and every story you preserved and every person you loved ‘
i really enjoyed this book, thank you to june joyce and booksirens for this arc. all opinions are my own and i’m leaving this review voluntarily 🤍
finn taylor has built a quiet life surrounded by books and stories, yet he has never quite shaken the memory of the girl who walked away without explanation. he is the kind of person who tucks handwritten recipes between novels and finds comfort in the steady rhythm of ordinary days.
when an unexpected winter storm forces claire and finn under the same roof, they are confronted with the history that has followed them both. as old pain stirs and finn refuses to settle for being the person she turns to only when she has nowhere else to go, claire must show him that she has come back because she wants a future with him, not because she has run out of choices.
what a lovely, short christmas novella filled with humour, tension, romance and fun cooking scenes!!
as a girl who likes to cook when she is stressed just like claire, i really found myself relating to her methods and madness when it came to her cooking. it was so sweet to read claire and finn finally come together again and develop those feelings they both pushed away. claire finally understood why finn stayed in their small town, what it meant to actually have community and create a space instead of just creating a performance like she was with her Michelin cooking. not just trying to prove she was worth something, but to actually feel like she was doing something good.
nearly two decades of distance and trying to forget their love was all undone in just three days together. i mean i know i couldn’t resist a cheeky librarian who writes poetry about me, tells me random historic facts about things and waited for me to come back when i left.
‘home was something you chose, every single day, with every meal you made and every story you preserved and every person you loved ‘
i really enjoyed this book, thank you to june joyce and booksirens for this arc. all opinions are my own and i’m leaving this review voluntarily 🤍
December 2, 2025
Thank you to BookSirens and the author June Joyce for an ARC of this beautiful Novella!
I honestly can’t count the amount of times I caught myself laughing and giggling and kicking my feet at just how adorable and funny this book is! It was truly the perfect read to get me into the holiday season mood.
Favorite quotes/ moments:
“I thought love was supposed to feel like fire, consuming, dramatic, all-or-nothing. What I felt for you was quieter than that. Steadier. It scared me because I didn’t recognize it, and I was too young and stupid to understand that passion could be shown differently.”
•••
“I’m terrible at decorating, fair warning. My gingerbread men always look like they’re screaming.” A laugh escaped her, genuine, surprised. “We’ll give them therapy.” “With frosting?” “It’s the only cure.”
I honestly can’t count the amount of times I caught myself laughing and giggling and kicking my feet at just how adorable and funny this book is! It was truly the perfect read to get me into the holiday season mood.
Favorite quotes/ moments:
“I thought love was supposed to feel like fire, consuming, dramatic, all-or-nothing. What I felt for you was quieter than that. Steadier. It scared me because I didn’t recognize it, and I was too young and stupid to understand that passion could be shown differently.”
•••
“I’m terrible at decorating, fair warning. My gingerbread men always look like they’re screaming.” A laugh escaped her, genuine, surprised. “We’ll give them therapy.” “With frosting?” “It’s the only cure.”
December 8, 2025
This book was about a second chance for two characters Finn and Claire.
I truly enjoyed the way this book came about. I laughed, I smiled and I couldn’t put it down.
This was a fun read for me. I loved that this story was based around Christmas time. As I wanted a Christmas romance to read. The author did a wonderful job writing this book. I will for sure be reading more by her because I loved how this book made me feel after reading it.
5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I truly enjoyed the way this book came about. I laughed, I smiled and I couldn’t put it down.
This was a fun read for me. I loved that this story was based around Christmas time. As I wanted a Christmas romance to read. The author did a wonderful job writing this book. I will for sure be reading more by her because I loved how this book made me feel after reading it.
5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 16, 2025
This is a warm and sweet novella for Christmas. I LOVED the writing style. Finn and Claire were adorable together. I also appreciate the book's messaging, even if some things felt unrealistic (one grand gesture and a few days seems like a lot to make up for 17 years and a lot of miscommunication). This is an enjoyable, quick read.
Thank you to BookSirens, June Joyce, and Cracked Pepper Books for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions.
Content notes: This book is closed-door, but not clean; there's some swearing, some kissing, and one character sees another in just a towel.
Thank you to BookSirens, June Joyce, and Cracked Pepper Books for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions.
Content notes: This book is closed-door, but not clean; there's some swearing, some kissing, and one character sees another in just a towel.
January 1, 2026
I really enjoyed this well written second chance romance novella. The story was compact and yet fleshed out well despite it being a novella length. The romance was so sweet — the MMC is a total cinnamon roll and so gone for his lady ❤️ I also totally loved all the quirky cooking and library science trivia and poetry references in it. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I will read the other books in this series, I liked this one so much!
November 29, 2025
A sweet, short, second-chance romance. Lots of cooking. Loved the historical facts. Lots of snow. Thanks to BookSirens for providing a copy. My review is voluntary.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews