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West Coast Happily-Ever-After #3

Caleb's Christmas Wish

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Black Friday. The lines in Miami financier Jake Westin's world are crisp and easy to black and red, profit and loss, single and planning to stay that way. Until the day after Thanksgiving when Allison Jeffries—a woman he’s heard about for four and a half years but never met—calls to tell him the world they’ve shared from opposite sides of the country will never be the same.

Black ice. Kenny Rydell—Jake's best friend and only link to the "bad ol' days" of his youth—and wife Pam died in a car accident on the way to a Sierra ski resort, leaving their son, Caleb, with his grandmother, who suffered a heart attack upon hearing the news.

Lives changed in a blink. Caleb’s godparents—two grieving strangers who never imagined the worst-case scenario becoming a reality—must decide how to best care for the little boy they both love. The confirmed “rake” and the computer “geek” call a truce to survive the holidays, but no one expects them to fall in love --except, possibly Caleb.

How far would you go for the sake of a child? CALEB’S CHRISTMAS WISH is Book 3 in the WEST COAST HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER series. If you're a fan of true-to-life romance with believable characters in settings you’ll want to add to your bucket list, you'll love this action-packed series from Debra Salonen—past winner of Romantic Times Reviewer's Career Achievement "Series Storyteller of the Year" award. “Debra Salonen captures reader attention with multifaceted characters, layered conflict and fast pacing.” —Pamela Cohen, Romantic Times Buy CALEB’S CHRISTMAS WISH—Book 3 in a series of unique, stand-alone novels set on the West Book HER FOREVER COWBOY – What if one summer isn’t enough? Book NEVER SAY NEVER -- Some second chances come with big secrets. Book CALEB’S CHRISTMAS WISH -- How far would you go for the sake of a child? Book A BABY AFTER ALL -- When divorce is the answer, maybe two people in love need a new question. Book LOVE, AFTER ALL -- A match made in heaven? When pigs fly—in designer shoes! Book THAT COWBOY’S FOREVER FAMILY -- The cowboy life wasn’t enough for his daughters’ mother, how can he make it work now? Book FOREVER AND EVER BY GEORGE -- Even the dog knows the importance of happily-ever-after.

346 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2004

39 people are currently reading
55 people want to read

About the author

Debra Salonen

97 books210 followers
- Born and raised in Brookings, South Dakota. Youngest of five (much youngest). A Baby Boomer who married her high school sweetheart (our lockers were side-by-side). Mother of two, grandmother of three darling princesses, dog mother of 2.5 mutts.

- Graduate of South Dakota State University with a Master’s degree in Geography and History.

- Job history: taxi driver, flax seed counter, cartographer, rural mail carrier, substitute teacher, secretary/community liaison for Merced College’s Child Development Center, bookkeeper, journalist, author.

- First sale story: June, 1999, to Harlequin Superromance. Total number of books sold to Harlequin =27.

- Honors and awards: Romantic Times BOOKreviews, 2006 Series Storyteller of the Year. Winner: Best Superromance of 2010: Until He Met Rachel. Nominated for Desert Quill in 2008.

- First book published by Tule Press, summer 2014: Cowgirl Come Home. The Big Sky Mavericks series opens Aug. 2014 with: Nobody's Cowboy.

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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly.
25 reviews1 follower
March 3, 2010
this is a love story and it is a sad story in the beginning but then it turns out to be a warm hearted story.
2,687 reviews19 followers
December 5, 2017
This is a very powerfully and emotionally written story that will touch your heartstrings and soul as two godparents are left to raise their best friend's child following a car accident. It will fill you with hope and make you want to cry. If you have children it will make you think of them and what would happen to them. I really like the significance of their best friends watching over their brother and baby in heaven with open arms. I received an advance copy of this story and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
Profile Image for Belinda .
1,297 reviews8 followers
December 11, 2017
This is a story of loss, grieving, and life changing events. 4 year old Caleb's parents are killed in an accident and his Godparents who have never met have been called in to take responsibility for him and help him through a difficult time. Add an ill Grandmother who recently lost her husband and now her child and is now worried that she will lose the only link (Caleb) to both. Very well written, emotional and thought provoking. Totally enjoyed this book.
Profile Image for Elissa.
Author 39 books109 followers
July 15, 2018
Christmas Miracles

Here is a book about love and loss so skillfully written that you will feel a part of the families and individuals involved, mourning and rejoicing with them as Death divides but Love conquers. A heartwarming story centering on a four year old boy, we share his pain as he struggles with the concept of death, and then learns that loss is a part of life, affecting everyone. But overall this is a joyous book of discovery and growth and LOVE.
Profile Image for Catherine Purcell.
11 reviews
December 30, 2017
Calvin's Christmas Wish by Debra Salonen

Wonderful story about a little boy that lost his parents from a devastating accident. He had to cope with the loss and learn to live without them but being so young to not forget them. He had to reach out and learn to love again
1,833 reviews4 followers
December 24, 2017
Nice Read

A little sad to start with,but it gets better real quick.I enjoyed the way the two leads started working to make a little happy.
2,749 reviews128 followers
March 30, 2025
Caleb’s parents are killed in a car accident and his godparents, Allison and Jake, have to step in.
Profile Image for Laura.
59 reviews5 followers
December 6, 2016
This book really touches my heart - it starts off making you cry but ends up giving the reader that "Christmas Feeling". Debra Salonen writes characters who truly come alive. I highly recommend this story.
Profile Image for Marcy.
108 reviews10 followers
January 26, 2015
nice quick christmas read - i really liked that she covers the grief that a child goes through and the different ways it can be handled to help the child work through it.
Profile Image for Kimberly Westrope.
Author 8 books9 followers
September 17, 2020
This is a very sweet and emotional story that will take hold of your heart. I love the characters and the good story line. A heartwarming Christmas story.
Profile Image for Shelagh.
1,795 reviews25 followers
December 14, 2017
Caleb’s Christmas Wish had me crying at times and feeling warm and wonderful at others. This beautiful story is about love blossoming out of devastating loss and it really tugged at my heartstrings.
There are three characters at the centre of this story. Four year-old Caleb has to learn to live without his parents after they are killed in a freak car accident. His godparents, Jake and Ally have to learn how to be parents to the heartbroken little boy while adjusting their lives and dealing with an unexpected and not entirely welcome attraction to each other. Caleb’s grandmother Cordelia, while not at the centre of the story, is a great secondary character. Her grief, her health issues and her feelings are all factors in driving the final outcome. In this story Debra Salonen has done a masterful job of drilling down into all the fears and doubts and hopes and dreams that make people act the way they do.
I was utterly absorbed in Caleb’s Christmas Wish. Plenty of tissues were needed. Plenty of thoughts were provoked, but there were also plenty of smiles and at the end there was a feeling of rightness. This story is up there with the very best Christmas stories I have ever read. I just loved it!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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