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The Christmas Countdown
Not yet published
Expected 20 Oct 26Lucy Sullivan swore she'd never spend another Christmas in Birch Harbor.
Not after Dylan Mercer drowned ten years ago.
Not after the town turned his death into a tragedy no one wanted to talk about.
And definitely not after she left behind Dean Walker—the boy who stayed by her side when her entire world fell apart.
But when her parents announce they're leaving Maine for good, Lucy returns home for one last Sullivan Family Christmas, expecting little more than awkward reunions and memories she's spent years trying to outrun.
Birch Harbor's newest detective, Dean Walker has spent the last decade trying to move on from the girl who disappeared from his life without warning. But the moment Lucy walks back into town, old feelings come rushing to the surface—and so do questions surrounding Dylan's death.
When mysterious gifts begin appearing on Lucy's doorstep—each one connected to the night Dylan died—it becomes impossible to ignore the past.
Everyone in Birch Harbor has always believed Dylan's death was an accident. But someone remembers exactly what happened on the icy harbor that night. And they're determined to make sure the truth stays buried.
As the truth draws them closer, Lucy and Dean begin to wonder if coming home might mean more than finally putting the past to rest—it might mean finding their way back to each other.
Not after Dylan Mercer drowned ten years ago.
Not after the town turned his death into a tragedy no one wanted to talk about.
And definitely not after she left behind Dean Walker—the boy who stayed by her side when her entire world fell apart.
But when her parents announce they're leaving Maine for good, Lucy returns home for one last Sullivan Family Christmas, expecting little more than awkward reunions and memories she's spent years trying to outrun.
Birch Harbor's newest detective, Dean Walker has spent the last decade trying to move on from the girl who disappeared from his life without warning. But the moment Lucy walks back into town, old feelings come rushing to the surface—and so do questions surrounding Dylan's death.
When mysterious gifts begin appearing on Lucy's doorstep—each one connected to the night Dylan died—it becomes impossible to ignore the past.
Everyone in Birch Harbor has always believed Dylan's death was an accident. But someone remembers exactly what happened on the icy harbor that night. And they're determined to make sure the truth stays buried.
As the truth draws them closer, Lucy and Dean begin to wonder if coming home might mean more than finally putting the past to rest—it might mean finding their way back to each other.
- GenresChristmas
220 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 20, 2026
About the author
Linny Mack
6 books408 followersLinny Mack grew up a voracious reader and writer. She spent her days of adolescence up in her room writing her own stories, cutting her characters out of the Delia’s catalog, and then forcing her family to listen to her read them aloud. Now, Linny is a debut author of contemporary romance. When she isn’t writing your next book boyfriend, she is spending time with her real-life romantic hero and their three children in New Jersey.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
❄️🎄🎁❤️
Lucy is going back to her hometown of Birch Harbor, Maine for the first time in ten years for Christmas. She hasn’t been back since the traumatic accident that happened to her boyfriend Dylan. A lot has changed since then like moving to South Carolina and not looking back. Dean has always called the small-town home. He hasn’t left and still lives in the quaint coastal town working as a newly promoted detective. He’s been trying to get over his dream girl since she left. Lucy gets home and shortly after she gets there runs into Dean. They bonded after everything that happened all those years ago. They were able to take comfort and found solace in each other during a hard time. They end up falling in love because of it. But they didn’t keep in touch. A few days after arriving, Lucy receives a gift and since it’s the holidays, she opens it. However, it’s not at all what she’s expecting: it’s something connected to that horrific night. She kind of brushes it off and then every few days receives a gift with a poem. Since being home, her and Dean start spending more time together again. They get food, go to the bar, and a night at the orchestra (during a snowstorm) changes everything for them. She ends up telling him, and being the detective he is tells her to be cautious. The pieces start coming together for Lucy and Dean, only to find out the answer to what happened that night all those years ago was right in front of them the entire time.
I want to thank Linny Mack for letting me be apart of her arc team and read this early! I feel so grateful to have received it. The holidays truly came early for me! I liked how this book was a mix of mostly romance but also has a sprinkle of mystery embedded in it. It’s a novella, so it’s really fast paced. I liked getting to know Lucy and Dean. I think Lucy definitely needed to come home and I’m glad she did. Dean, he has a heart of gold and deserved all the happiness. I really liked them together being able to rekindle after literally ten years of not seeing each other. They had such a special connection to begin with so as adults it wrapped it all up nicely. I definitely enjoyed the little mystery thrown in. I figured it out pretty quickly where the story was gonna go, but nevertheless enjoyed seeing it all play out.
I recommend this book if you’re looking for something quick during the business of the holiday season. It comes out October 20th!
Lucy is going back to her hometown of Birch Harbor, Maine for the first time in ten years for Christmas. She hasn’t been back since the traumatic accident that happened to her boyfriend Dylan. A lot has changed since then like moving to South Carolina and not looking back. Dean has always called the small-town home. He hasn’t left and still lives in the quaint coastal town working as a newly promoted detective. He’s been trying to get over his dream girl since she left. Lucy gets home and shortly after she gets there runs into Dean. They bonded after everything that happened all those years ago. They were able to take comfort and found solace in each other during a hard time. They end up falling in love because of it. But they didn’t keep in touch. A few days after arriving, Lucy receives a gift and since it’s the holidays, she opens it. However, it’s not at all what she’s expecting: it’s something connected to that horrific night. She kind of brushes it off and then every few days receives a gift with a poem. Since being home, her and Dean start spending more time together again. They get food, go to the bar, and a night at the orchestra (during a snowstorm) changes everything for them. She ends up telling him, and being the detective he is tells her to be cautious. The pieces start coming together for Lucy and Dean, only to find out the answer to what happened that night all those years ago was right in front of them the entire time.
I want to thank Linny Mack for letting me be apart of her arc team and read this early! I feel so grateful to have received it. The holidays truly came early for me! I liked how this book was a mix of mostly romance but also has a sprinkle of mystery embedded in it. It’s a novella, so it’s really fast paced. I liked getting to know Lucy and Dean. I think Lucy definitely needed to come home and I’m glad she did. Dean, he has a heart of gold and deserved all the happiness. I really liked them together being able to rekindle after literally ten years of not seeing each other. They had such a special connection to begin with so as adults it wrapped it all up nicely. I definitely enjoyed the little mystery thrown in. I figured it out pretty quickly where the story was gonna go, but nevertheless enjoyed seeing it all play out.
I recommend this book if you’re looking for something quick during the business of the holiday season. It comes out October 20th!
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Christmas Countdown by Linny Mack
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
The first thing I noticed about the writing in this book, was the skill Linny has for creating a perfect picture with words. I first realised this on page 13, a scene set in a cafe. The description just blows me away at how vividly I could picture the whole scene playing out. And this is carried out throughout the book.
I really loved the who done it in this book! The slow pieces of information connecting to the mystery. The people who wrote it off, but never truly convinced themselves it was an accident! Somehow Linny Mack achieved an incredible balance with keeping this story super cozy and festive, with the underlying mystery.
Also… The gifts… Linny Mack, that was incredibly thought through, and I can’t say I expected anything like that!! The tiny pieces of the puzzle falling into place every few chapters, to be followed by memories for the final pieces. It was a perfect amount of keeping me on the edge of my seat and wanting to read more instantly, and also giving me time to come up with my own prediction before receiving more information…. And obviously changing my prediction 🫣😂
I love the second chance aspect of this book, and how it wasn’t something that was forgotten about in their time apart. It was spoken about how he thought constantly about chasing her. And he then wouldn’t give up the opportunity when it came back to him. I loved this, it was more romantic, more cute and in perfect line with the overall tone of the book♥️
The epilogue tied everything beautifully together and was a perfect HEA.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
The first thing I noticed about the writing in this book, was the skill Linny has for creating a perfect picture with words. I first realised this on page 13, a scene set in a cafe. The description just blows me away at how vividly I could picture the whole scene playing out. And this is carried out throughout the book.
I really loved the who done it in this book! The slow pieces of information connecting to the mystery. The people who wrote it off, but never truly convinced themselves it was an accident! Somehow Linny Mack achieved an incredible balance with keeping this story super cozy and festive, with the underlying mystery.
Also… The gifts… Linny Mack, that was incredibly thought through, and I can’t say I expected anything like that!! The tiny pieces of the puzzle falling into place every few chapters, to be followed by memories for the final pieces. It was a perfect amount of keeping me on the edge of my seat and wanting to read more instantly, and also giving me time to come up with my own prediction before receiving more information…. And obviously changing my prediction 🫣😂
I love the second chance aspect of this book, and how it wasn’t something that was forgotten about in their time apart. It was spoken about how he thought constantly about chasing her. And he then wouldn’t give up the opportunity when it came back to him. I loved this, it was more romantic, more cute and in perfect line with the overall tone of the book♥️
The epilogue tied everything beautifully together and was a perfect HEA.
Review of advance copy received from Author
✨ 𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨
🎄 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 by @linnymackwrites 🎄
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into this one. A Christmas mystery thriller with romance isn’t something I read all that often, but this combination really worked for me.
Lucy returns home for Christmas ten years after her former boyfriend, Dylan, died in what was believed to be an accident.
I read this in a day because I needed to know what was going on. Dean, Dylan’s best friend and now the town’s detective, gets pulled into the mystery when strange gifts connected to that night start showing up for Lucy. Was Dylan’s death really an accident?
Between Dean, Ryan, Bri — Lucy’s childhood best friend who starts acting a little strange — Lucy’s family, and the possibility of a second chance at romance for Lucy, there was always something going on to keep me turning the pages.
I also really liked the eerie, unsettling feeling throughout the mystery and how the Christmas setting worked with the darker side of the story.
🎄 𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦 🎄
🎄 Christmas Romance
💗 Friends to Lovers
✨ Second Chances
🫶🏼 He Falls First
🛏️ One Bed
🔎 Who Done It
🎄 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 by @linnymackwrites 🎄
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into this one. A Christmas mystery thriller with romance isn’t something I read all that often, but this combination really worked for me.
Lucy returns home for Christmas ten years after her former boyfriend, Dylan, died in what was believed to be an accident.
I read this in a day because I needed to know what was going on. Dean, Dylan’s best friend and now the town’s detective, gets pulled into the mystery when strange gifts connected to that night start showing up for Lucy. Was Dylan’s death really an accident?
Between Dean, Ryan, Bri — Lucy’s childhood best friend who starts acting a little strange — Lucy’s family, and the possibility of a second chance at romance for Lucy, there was always something going on to keep me turning the pages.
I also really liked the eerie, unsettling feeling throughout the mystery and how the Christmas setting worked with the darker side of the story.
🎄 𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦 🎄
🎄 Christmas Romance
💗 Friends to Lovers
✨ Second Chances
🫶🏼 He Falls First
🛏️ One Bed
🔎 Who Done It
Review of advance copy received from Author
*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.*
Christmas + a mystery 🎄🔎
Small town secrets ✔️
An “accidental” death ✔️
High school reunion ✔️
One bed ✔️
Second chance romance ✔️
“It’s always been you” ✔️
He falls first ✔️
Welcome to Birch Harbor!
Lucy left her hometown 10 years ago after her boyfriend died around Christmas during their senior year. She also left behind her complicated relationship with his best friend, Dean Walker.
Now, 10 years later, Dean is a detective and Lucy is back in town for a visit. Their unexpected run-in brings all those old sparks right back—but someone wants Lucy to remember what really happened the night her boyfriend died.
I really enjoyed the way the mysterious gifts were used to deepen the mystery and keep the story moving. I did figure out the twist, but there were a few red herrings along the way that kept things interesting.
The ending moved pretty quickly, which is typical for a novella, but everything came together nicely.
Cheers to Linny on her first indie! 🎉
4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Christmas + a mystery 🎄🔎
Small town secrets ✔️
An “accidental” death ✔️
High school reunion ✔️
One bed ✔️
Second chance romance ✔️
“It’s always been you” ✔️
He falls first ✔️
Welcome to Birch Harbor!
Lucy left her hometown 10 years ago after her boyfriend died around Christmas during their senior year. She also left behind her complicated relationship with his best friend, Dean Walker.
Now, 10 years later, Dean is a detective and Lucy is back in town for a visit. Their unexpected run-in brings all those old sparks right back—but someone wants Lucy to remember what really happened the night her boyfriend died.
I really enjoyed the way the mysterious gifts were used to deepen the mystery and keep the story moving. I did figure out the twist, but there were a few red herrings along the way that kept things interesting.
The ending moved pretty quickly, which is typical for a novella, but everything came together nicely.
Cheers to Linny on her first indie! 🎉
4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars on Goodreads)
I loved that it was not a pure romance story, but also a mystery. The writing was fabulous...I could see every scene clearly in front of me, and the fact that it played around Christmas gave it just the right amount of Christmas feeling. It was a quick read and I really liked that it was so short, I read it within a day. It is just right for December when you have a lot to do and organize for Christmas but want a little me-time for yourself. I could totally feel the hurt and struggle of the main characters, and the mystery around the death of Dylan kept me on my feet until the end. Not gonna lie, the presents were sending a shiver down my spine, especially reading almost the whole book at night! I would have freaked out if that were me receiving the gifts, but I was on the right path with my thought on who it was in the end. All in all, it’s a great festive read for readers who love a little bit of everything in it.
Rating: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars on Goodreads)
I loved that it was not a pure romance story, but also a mystery. The writing was fabulous...I could see every scene clearly in front of me, and the fact that it played around Christmas gave it just the right amount of Christmas feeling. It was a quick read and I really liked that it was so short, I read it within a day. It is just right for December when you have a lot to do and organize for Christmas but want a little me-time for yourself. I could totally feel the hurt and struggle of the main characters, and the mystery around the death of Dylan kept me on my feet until the end. Not gonna lie, the presents were sending a shiver down my spine, especially reading almost the whole book at night! I would have freaked out if that were me receiving the gifts, but I was on the right path with my thought on who it was in the end. All in all, it’s a great festive read for readers who love a little bit of everything in it.
September 17, 2026
ARC EBOOK REVIEW
Linny Mack takes us to a place that is truly picturesque, warm, and ideal for Christmas with the family—and then completely bamboozled us with tragedy. While it was terribly sad, it led to something so incredibly beautiful.
My Thoughts:
The Romance: I was rooting for Lucy and Dean from the very start!
The Villain: I was totally plotting against the minor character, Bri. She is not a girl’s girl and totally deserves a laxative or six in her peppermint beverages. ☕️💀
The Tropes: This book gives you all the feels with the just-one-bed trope, a second-chance romance, and plenty of small-town scandal.
I absolutely inhaled this novella in less than 24 hours. It is the perfect fast, emotional holiday read!
Linny Mack takes us to a place that is truly picturesque, warm, and ideal for Christmas with the family—and then completely bamboozled us with tragedy. While it was terribly sad, it led to something so incredibly beautiful.
My Thoughts:
The Romance: I was rooting for Lucy and Dean from the very start!
The Villain: I was totally plotting against the minor character, Bri. She is not a girl’s girl and totally deserves a laxative or six in her peppermint beverages. ☕️💀
The Tropes: This book gives you all the feels with the just-one-bed trope, a second-chance romance, and plenty of small-town scandal.
I absolutely inhaled this novella in less than 24 hours. It is the perfect fast, emotional holiday read!
September 19, 2026
For me, it’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas. I loved this treat of a book!
I really enjoyed the way the second chance romance was done in this book. It really made me connect emotionally which isn't easy to do in a novella. The combination of that and the mystery of who is leaving Lucy cryptic Christmas gifts kept the story engaging and interesting. As I read I couldn’t help but try to solve the mystery myself which also made it a lot of fun.
Even with this being a novella, Linny still found a way to layer emotions and trauma in this story. I appreciated that none of the character's trauma felt glossed over.
Dean was so eager to not stay stuck in a place of indecision, it made him so endearing to me.
Thank you Linny for this ARC! It’s a great story that filled my heart with joy!
If anyone is looking at how long it took me to read the novella, don't assume that the book didn't have my attention. I just had a very busy week with a lot of nights where I climbed into bed to read, and instantly fell asleep.
I really enjoyed the way the second chance romance was done in this book. It really made me connect emotionally which isn't easy to do in a novella. The combination of that and the mystery of who is leaving Lucy cryptic Christmas gifts kept the story engaging and interesting. As I read I couldn’t help but try to solve the mystery myself which also made it a lot of fun.
Even with this being a novella, Linny still found a way to layer emotions and trauma in this story. I appreciated that none of the character's trauma felt glossed over.
Dean was so eager to not stay stuck in a place of indecision, it made him so endearing to me.
Thank you Linny for this ARC! It’s a great story that filled my heart with joy!
If anyone is looking at how long it took me to read the novella, don't assume that the book didn't have my attention. I just had a very busy week with a lot of nights where I climbed into bed to read, and instantly fell asleep.
September 13, 2026
This was such a sweet Christmas novella! It had the perfect blend of romance and mystery, even considering it's a shorter book! I loved the idea of having the suspicious clue/presents show up from a mysterious stranger. I also picked up on a particular character being shady the whole time but didn't see the actual truth coming! I loved that this was a second chance romance because the characters already had a history/knew each other well, so them jumping into a relationship quickly didn't see that far fetched!
Thank you so much to Linny Mack for the advanced copy! The Christmas Countdown releases on October 20, so be sure to check it out!
Thank you so much to Linny Mack for the advanced copy! The Christmas Countdown releases on October 20, so be sure to check it out!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Advanced reader copy from Author
🎄🎁
Linny mack did it again. This christmas novella was everything and more! Such a great Christmas read that kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down!
Lucy hasn't been home for 10 years after a tragedy happened her senior year. She came home to Birch Harbor before her family home is sold. Here is is greeted by a lot of people she once knew. That is until she gets a present that she doesnt know is meant as a nice gift or not. Things start to get stranger and she reconnect with old friends to figure.out what really happened her senior year that changed her life.
🎄🎁
Linny mack did it again. This christmas novella was everything and more! Such a great Christmas read that kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down!
Lucy hasn't been home for 10 years after a tragedy happened her senior year. She came home to Birch Harbor before her family home is sold. Here is is greeted by a lot of people she once knew. That is until she gets a present that she doesnt know is meant as a nice gift or not. Things start to get stranger and she reconnect with old friends to figure.out what really happened her senior year that changed her life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Slow burn romance with a twist of mystery? Yes, please! 🎄❤️🔍 I love how Linny Mack writes in a way that makes you feel like you’re right there in the story with the characters. Just a few pages into A Christmas Countdown, I was hooked and ready to see where everything was going. The slow-burn romance mixed with the mystery was such a fun combination and kept me wanting to read just one more chapter. I loved watching everything unfold while trying to figure out what was really going on.
Romance, mystery, and Christmas vibes all wrapped into one? Definitely my kind of holiday read!
Thank you, Linny, for the ARC opportunity.
Romance, mystery, and Christmas vibes all wrapped into one? Definitely my kind of holiday read!
Thank you, Linny, for the ARC opportunity.
September 12, 2026
Thank you so much @linnymackwrites for gifting me an advanced copy of The Christmas Countdown 💚 This is my honest and voluntary review:
This was such a fun book to read! A mystery and holiday romance all in one? Heck yes! The friends to lovers and slow burn romance tropes were perfect. I loved Dean and Lucy and really enjoyed their love story while also figuring out who was sending Lucy gifts to bring up memories from the past.
This is the perfect cosy read to get me into the holiday spirit. 😊
This was such a fun book to read! A mystery and holiday romance all in one? Heck yes! The friends to lovers and slow burn romance tropes were perfect. I loved Dean and Lucy and really enjoyed their love story while also figuring out who was sending Lucy gifts to bring up memories from the past.
This is the perfect cosy read to get me into the holiday spirit. 😊
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Review received by author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶
Tropes
📚 Who done it
📚 Second Chance
📚 Friends to Lovers
📚 One Bed
📚 He Falls First
I really enjoyed this. I loved Lucy and Dean and thought Lucy developed really well.
This is mostly romance with a taste of mystery and I felt the ending was good and concluded satisfactorily. I just wish the mystery was a little bit more well developed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶
Tropes
📚 Who done it
📚 Second Chance
📚 Friends to Lovers
📚 One Bed
📚 He Falls First
I really enjoyed this. I loved Lucy and Dean and thought Lucy developed really well.
This is mostly romance with a taste of mystery and I felt the ending was good and concluded satisfactorily. I just wish the mystery was a little bit more well developed.
September 17, 2026
Oooh this novella is the perfect Christmas mystery with nostalgia, grief, tragedy, and romance all wrapped up in one! The way the gifts are used is a fun addition to that mystery vibe along with the family being reunited. I would love to have seen more closure with the friend group, but overall, it was a satisfactory read with fun holiday feels!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Lucy and Dean hold a special place in my heart. I loved seeing their story unfold and Linny did such an amazing job. I loved how this had a fantastic mix of mystery and romance. Plus it’s short and sweet.
September 20, 2026
I am 100% re-reading this in December - Dean and Lucy were so stinkin’ cute together rekindling their romance. I absolutely loved the mystery tie-in portion too (even though I nailed who it was quite early on). Such a fun holiday read!! Thank you so much Linny Mack for the early Christmas present… I mean ARC!! 🎁
Review of advance copy received from Author
Linny did it again! Freakin’ fabulous! I will write out an actual review tomorrow. I just couldn’t let this sit without my five star stamp of approval. 😉
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews