What do you think?
Rate this book
Just Until Christmas: A Bookshop Story
A heartwarming fake dating romance with a touch of bookshop magic!
She came to Leafwood Falls to hide from her failure. She didn't plan on faking a romance with the one man who sees right through her.
Amanda arrives in town just before Christmas with impractical boots, too much luggage, and a career in ruins. After her sustainable kitchenware business collapsed in a public scandal, her plan is spend December working at the Oak & Ink Bookshop, avoid difficult questions, and lick her wounds in peace.
She certainly doesn’t plan on Finn.
Finn is a rare book appraiser who prefers crumbling pages to people. He’s hiding his own professional scars behind a wall of quiet reserve and a worn blue notebook full of secret sci-fi stories he’s too afraid to share. When he meets Amanda on the shuttle, her relentless warmth crashing into his logical silence, he assumes they’ll just be polite coworkers for the month.
But Leafwood Falls has a meddling matchmaker, Mia, and when the pressure to couple up gets too high, Amanda makes a panic-induced She tells everyone she and Finn are already dating.
Now, they have a deal. They just have to fake it until New Year's.
It should be easy. But between practice dates by the frozen lake, coffee delivered exactly how she likes it, and the discovery of the beautiful worlds hidden in Finn’s notebook, the lines between "pretend" and "real" begin to blur. They make each other laugh. They make each other brave. And the town, including a certain opinionated orange cat named Hemingway, is starting to suspect that this "fake" relationship has more sparks than a fireplace.
As Christmas Eve approaches and their January 1st deadline looms, Amanda and Finn must retreat to the safety of their solitary lives, or admit that the best love stories are the ones you never planned to write.
Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Debbie Macomber, and the magic of a snowy small town. A gentle, funny, utterly romantic story about second chances, the courage to be vulnerable, and the magic that happens when you finally come home.
She came to Leafwood Falls to hide from her failure. She didn't plan on faking a romance with the one man who sees right through her.
Amanda arrives in town just before Christmas with impractical boots, too much luggage, and a career in ruins. After her sustainable kitchenware business collapsed in a public scandal, her plan is spend December working at the Oak & Ink Bookshop, avoid difficult questions, and lick her wounds in peace.
She certainly doesn’t plan on Finn.
Finn is a rare book appraiser who prefers crumbling pages to people. He’s hiding his own professional scars behind a wall of quiet reserve and a worn blue notebook full of secret sci-fi stories he’s too afraid to share. When he meets Amanda on the shuttle, her relentless warmth crashing into his logical silence, he assumes they’ll just be polite coworkers for the month.
But Leafwood Falls has a meddling matchmaker, Mia, and when the pressure to couple up gets too high, Amanda makes a panic-induced She tells everyone she and Finn are already dating.
Now, they have a deal. They just have to fake it until New Year's.
It should be easy. But between practice dates by the frozen lake, coffee delivered exactly how she likes it, and the discovery of the beautiful worlds hidden in Finn’s notebook, the lines between "pretend" and "real" begin to blur. They make each other laugh. They make each other brave. And the town, including a certain opinionated orange cat named Hemingway, is starting to suspect that this "fake" relationship has more sparks than a fireplace.
As Christmas Eve approaches and their January 1st deadline looms, Amanda and Finn must retreat to the safety of their solitary lives, or admit that the best love stories are the ones you never planned to write.
Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Debbie Macomber, and the magic of a snowy small town. A gentle, funny, utterly romantic story about second chances, the courage to be vulnerable, and the magic that happens when you finally come home.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 4, 2025
51 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 26, 2025
Book version of a Hallmark movie.
Such a cute story!
Such a cute story!
January 2, 2026
I love small town romantic light-hearted series. I have read MANY. Commonalities include small town businesses (bookstore, bakery, cafe Bed and Breakfast, and usually a farm etc.) The story lines are typically someone ends up in said town unexpectedly then falls in love with both the charm of the town and another local grumpy character. What makes Brooke's Leafwood Fall series different is not variation off of the model, but rather and exceptional ability to develop characters that are rich, and deep and complicated. I love that she never presents women as "weak" or unaccomplished. However, she describes their struggles with real feeling and emotional investment. Brooke has a beautiful way of using language and her writing is superb and smart. My only complaint about this book is that it is the final in this series is that I will not be visiting Leafwood Falls again. Too bad! As I have become particularly fond of Hemmingway!
December 21, 2025
I will read anything written by Brooke Skie!
Omg I absolutely love each and everyone of her stories. The characters, the town, the magic and quirkiness are delightful to read. Can't wait to read more from her amazing brain and skills. Thank you Brooke. Oh yeah and Hemingway is spot on too, love him.
Omg I absolutely love each and everyone of her stories. The characters, the town, the magic and quirkiness are delightful to read. Can't wait to read more from her amazing brain and skills. Thank you Brooke. Oh yeah and Hemingway is spot on too, love him.
December 24, 2025
Delightful!
I wanted to read a Christmas story and I came across this one and it sounded different than most and intriguingly delightful! I had not read books 1-5 of the series but took a chance and, wow, what have I been missing? A wonderful, magical, heart warming holiday story. Now I have to catch up with the first five novels (which have been downloaded)!
I wanted to read a Christmas story and I came across this one and it sounded different than most and intriguingly delightful! I had not read books 1-5 of the series but took a chance and, wow, what have I been missing? A wonderful, magical, heart warming holiday story. Now I have to catch up with the first five novels (which have been downloaded)!
December 19, 2025
🩵🩵🩵🩵
I absolutely love this series and this new book added to it! The characters are real and they make the town feel like a place where you'd like to live! I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
I absolutely love this series and this new book added to it! The characters are real and they make the town feel like a place where you'd like to live! I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
January 1, 2026
Review
This is book 6 of a series, and the only one I've read. But it was fine as a stand-alone. I really liked it. Mia was a hoot, and when Finn finally "got it", he and Amanda fit perfectly.
This is book 6 of a series, and the only one I've read. But it was fine as a stand-alone. I really liked it. Mia was a hoot, and when Finn finally "got it", he and Amanda fit perfectly.
January 11, 2026
Addicted to Leafwood Falls
Brooke Skie is now my favorite romance novelist. This series of books are fun and intriguing. Who will Mia torture/help next? The bookstore is my favourite setting in this series and Charlie is still my favorite character.
Brooke Skie is now my favorite romance novelist. This series of books are fun and intriguing. Who will Mia torture/help next? The bookstore is my favourite setting in this series and Charlie is still my favorite character.
December 10, 2025
one of the best
One of the best in the series!! They were all great but this was insightful. The fictional small town is delightful!
One of the best in the series!! They were all great but this was insightful. The fictional small town is delightful!
December 30, 2025
3 1/2 stars. A fake romance set in a small town bookshop. Cute heartwarming story. Great audio.
January 9, 2026
Heartwarming
Just as good as The 1st book in this series. Keep them coming I can't wait to read the next 1 in this series. It
Just as good as The 1st book in this series. Keep them coming I can't wait to read the next 1 in this series. It
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews