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Return to Sender

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Holly O’Brien’s plans are flipped upside-down when she receives what she believes to be a Christmas letter in the mail. Turns out, the letter is from a complete stranger, and is intended for someone else. The passionate note—written with shaky handwriting—clues Holly in to the fact that the writer wants to reconcile with her estranged family. Holly flies into action to find the sender of the letter. Getting it into the right hands is critical. Her journey leads her to the Shady Acres nursing, where she meets Gertie, the writer of the cryptic letter. Only one problem: Gertie, who has Alzheimer’s, has no memory of writing it. Enter Liam, Gertie’s handsome grandson. Does he have to key to unraveling this mystery? When Liam and Holly come together, sparks fly, but not all of them in the right direction. Can they work together to solve the mystery behind the letter? And will Holly witness a Christmas miracle as she gets to know this wonderful family? Inspirational author Janice Thompson is thrilled to share this heartfelt holiday story with her readers and wishes them all a very Merry Christmas.

105 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2016

13 people are currently reading
89 people want to read

About the author

Janice Thompson

252 books751 followers
Welcome to the wacky, wonderful world of inspirational author Janice Hanna Thompson, where romantic comedy rules the day! I hope you love to laugh, because I make it my goal to tickle your funny bone at every turn in my light-hearted tales.

Whether you’re looking for inspirational romance, quirky cozy mysteries, light-hearted historicals or fun books for younger readers, you will find it here. You will also find an abundance of non-fiction books, guaranteed to ease life’s burdens.

Why do I focus on the light-hearted stuff? Because life is hard! My readers lead busy, chaotic lives and need those special “Calgon, Take Me Away!” moments! Providing “Love, Laughter and Happily Ever Afters” brings me great delight. Lest you think it’s all fluff, think again!

Woven between the lines of each cheerful tale you will find the ultimate love story, one guaranteed to stir your soul and get your heart fluttering. Talk about a real happily ever after! There’s something for everyone on my site, so settle back in your chair, grab a cup of Earl Grey tea, and get ready to discover a light-hearted approach to life!

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls).
2,120 reviews4,984 followers
October 3, 2022
About this book:

“Holly O’Brien’s plans are flipped upside-down when she receives what she believes to be a Christmas letter in the mail. Turns out, the letter is from a complete stranger, and is intended for someone else. The passionate note—written with shaky handwriting—clues Holly in to the fact that the writer wants to reconcile with her estranged family. Holly flies into action to find the sender of the letter. Getting it into the right hands is critical. Her journey leads her to the Shady Acres nursing, where she meets Gertie, the writer of the cryptic letter. Only one problem: Gertie, who has Alzheimer’s, has no memory of writing it. Enter Liam, Gertie’s handsome grandson. Does he have to key to unraveling this mystery? When Liam and Holly come together, sparks fly, but not all of them in the right direction. Can they work together to solve the mystery behind the letter? And will Holly witness a Christmas miracle as she gets to know this wonderful family? Inspirational author Janice Thompson is thrilled to share this heartfelt holiday story with her readers and wishes them all a very Merry Christmas.”


Series: As of now, no.


Spiritual Content- Set during Christmas; A Christmas Eve & Christmas Program; Talks about God; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, sermons, & pastors; Mentions of a Christmas program & songs; Mentions of a miracle; Mentions of angels; A couple mentions of blessings & being blessed; A couple mentions of hymns; A couple mentions of Heaven; A couple mentions of being a saint; A mention of a church choir.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘gosh’; A bit of eye rolling; Mentions of a con-man and being robbed; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a car accident & deaths; A couple mentions of murder; A couple mentions of the smell of urine; A mention of hitman;
*Note: A couple mentions of Starbucks.


Sexual Content- a cheek kiss, a nose kiss, a not-detailed kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, four border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses, and a semi-detailed kiss; Touches & Embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing, Smelling, & Blushes; Mentions of a kiss & kissing; Mentions of touches (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of staring, blushes, & liking someone; Mentions of an elderly man flirting/hitting on & whistling at Holly; Mentions of flirting; A few mentions of swooning; A few mentions of exes; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A couple mentions of skinny dipping; A couple mentions of wandering around the house naked; A (teasing) mention of a cat going through a [gender] change.

-Holly O’Brien, age 27
P.O.V. of Holly
100 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star (and a half)
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Four Stars (and a half)
Talk about a fun read! Oh, my goodness. I'm feeling so spoiled with Kindle Unlimited and all the books by a very favorite author--Janice Thompson!
Just like all her other books, I so enjoyed and loved the plot to this one, add in all crazy characters and wit and it's such a Janice Thompson book! Which is a favorite type of book for me. ;)


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
Profile Image for Faith.
Author 5 books259 followers
July 13, 2017
Hilarious! I really enjoyed this short story. I loved Gertie's character, and Liam and Holly were sweet too :) The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were crazy-funny. XD

The romance moved a little quicker than I would have like, but all in all it was cute and enjoyable. Very Christmasy. <3
Profile Image for Natalie.
3,354 reviews119 followers
December 1, 2019
2.5 stars

It felt a little rushed, especially the love between the main couple. I absolutely hated the main character’s mother, and the representation of nursing home life didn’t seem especially realistic. I liked the Christmas mentions and the character Gertie was sweet.

And on an unrelated note, I had Return to Sender by Elvis stuck in my head almost the entire time I was reading it.
Profile Image for Kara.
669 reviews74 followers
January 23, 2017
This is a cute and sweet little novella written by one of my favorite authors. Ms. Thompson's stories almost always have just the right amount of humor to tickle my funny bone, along with an adorable romance. While this one had both of those things, it seemed to not flow as smoothly as I was expecting. The banter between the main couple had its cute moments, but there was something holding me back from fully investing in their relationship and I'm not sure why. Lots of novellas have things moving at a pretty quick pace, simply because they have to given the shortness of the page count, so that wasn't the issue for me. Regardless though, I did enjoy the story overall! Holly and Liam have nice chemistry and I loved Gertie. She was pretty fun! I closed the final page with a smile on my face, what more can a reader ask for? :)
Profile Image for Angelina Kerner.
Author 26 books152 followers
October 19, 2016
Book Title: Return to Sender (A Christmas Love Letter novella)
Book Authors: Janice Thompson
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 5 stars

Holly aka Kiki receives a letter from a sweet and elderly lady at the nursing home, three miles away. She decides to give the letter back because it moved her so and ends up meeting friends, falling in love, and gaining a new family.

The novella is filled with a ton of sweet moments and funny moments; the funny moments being having to do with Old Man. If you're thinking that your Christmas season has started early (I know that Halloween hasn't passed yet), then this is a sweet start to the merry season.

Good for sixteen and older. Really sweet!
Profile Image for A.M. Heath.
Author 24 books356 followers
December 21, 2016
Return to Sender was everything you’d expect in a Hallmark Movie. It was cute, funny, warm, and sweet all at once. Thompson put together a cast of memorable secondary characters. It was a fun Christmas read that I’d recommend to anyone looking for a novella to enjoy in December. I’m giving it 4 stars.
Profile Image for Kristie Weiner.
15 reviews1 follower
January 25, 2017
Sweet Holiday Romance

This is a wonderful story. Great characters, Christmas, family..a good clean romance. Great author who always does such a great job. Loved it.
Profile Image for Jo.
297 reviews15 followers
September 15, 2017
This was the type of feel good Christmas romance novel that you can read in one sitting and shut the book with a smile on your face.
Profile Image for Regina Merrick.
Author 17 books62 followers
March 10, 2017
I've never met a Janice Thompson book I didn't LOVE, and this novella is no excepion. What do you get when you mix an elderly dementia patient and a young woman renting a house in a new city? Why, a romance, of course - and it all starts with a letter and a visit to a nursing home! Snap this novella up and devour it. It is a wonderful tidbit of book that I wished with all my heart was longer!
Profile Image for Angeline Stephen.
36 reviews2 followers
June 28, 2020
Hmmm... That was my first Janice Thompson book...errr or novella. It was really good for a nice cozy read and a quick one. I really liked the contemporary aspect of it and I liked the setting of the book, which was a retirement home. I did like all the characters, but I felt like the ending was rushed and maybe I would have given it a five star if it was at least a bit longer. But other than that, hats off to the author and I am gonna find some other books of hers =).
1,392 reviews7 followers
January 18, 2017
When Holly moves to Texas her whole life changes. The letter she received will change a lot of people's lives. When Holly goes to meet Gertie she is surprised that the lovely lady in front of her could of written such a wonderful letter. When Holly turns and sees Liam standing at the door she is shocked to see him. The way Holly is with the people at the nursing home is truly remarkable. Watching Holly and Liam's relationship change is wonderful. You will feel God working throughout this whole book. This book deserves a higher rating than a five star review. You won't be able to stop reading it.
Profile Image for Barbara.
842 reviews
October 7, 2016
This story will warm your heart with a person's obedience to God. If you've had a loved one reside in a health care facility, you will relate to the atmosphere created in this book. If you've never visited a health care facility, this book will encourage you to do so and will reveal the impact you may have.
974 reviews18 followers
December 28, 2016
Such a sweet tender story that takes place at Christmas. It has all the makings for a Halmark movie, romance, humor, good feelings. I fell in love with the characters. They seemed real. This is a book I will want to read every Christmas. It is also a great book to read anytime of the year.
Profile Image for Nina Yahnke.
39 reviews
October 9, 2016
Wonderful

What a wonderful light-hearted Christmas read. I greatly enjoyed this. I recommend this book to others as well. I want to hear what happens next.
Profile Image for Rachel .
3 reviews
October 15, 2016
Loved it

My one complaint: not long enough... I wanted more of this story.. The wonderful characters, the love story and even Miss Beazley!
Profile Image for Melanie.
828 reviews11 followers
November 19, 2016
I really enjoyed the short novella. It really showed how God could use a simple mistake to bring people together. This story was very humorous.
570 reviews3 followers
January 15, 2017
A fun story.

This was a cute story and the characters were somewhat crazy but was a good short read. I like this author so usually read her books. Never know what you will find.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

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