A Very Married Christmas

Silver Bell Falls #3

by Samantha Chase

She’s ready to deck the halls…
But not with wedding decorations.

For the most part, Melanie Harper has made her peace with her negative feelings toward Christmas. Thanks to her fiancé, she’s even learned to enjoy the holiday. But that doesn’t mean she wants to share it with her wedding day!

He’s dreaming of a white Christmas…
Complete with a wedding!

Ever since they first met, Josiah Stone has done his best to show Melanie how magical Christmas can be. He’s gotten her to participate in parades, decorate trees and even celebrate the holiday, but asking her to marry him on Christmas Eve just might be more than she’s ready for.

Will this be a very Merry or very Married Christmas??

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Holiday, Audiobook, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Novella

130 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2017

About the author

Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance that’s hotter than sweet, sweeter than hot. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than seventy titles under her belt – including THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE which was a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017! She’s a Disney enthusiast who still happily listens to 80’s rock. When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 30 years and their two sons in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Very Married Christmas is the third book in the Silver Bell Falls series by Samantha Chase. This is a novella and you need to have read book one of this series, Christmas in Silver Bell Falls, before this. This is a continuation of the two main characters, Josiah and Melanie.



Melanie Harper and Josiah Stone have been together for two years now and their lives have never been happier. They have been engaged for the past year. Josiah is ready to set the date and he has a very specific date in mind, a Christmas wedding.



Melanie has come so far. Josiah has helped her overcome her aversion to Christmas. He has given her enough happy Christmas memories to replace all the negative ones of her childhood. But does she want to share her future wedding anniversaries with Christmas? No she does not. She can’t wait to be married to Josiah but not on Christmas.

Life takes an unexpected turn for Melanie and Josiah that throws them both off course. It is also a reminder to them how much they love each other and just how lucky they are to have found each other.

This was a sweet story that might have even made my eyes feel a little bit hot a couple of times. I love when an author falls in love with her own characters and feels compelled to give us more of their story together.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable romance in Christmas village.

This is a novella and the third part of Silver Bell Falls. As the title says it's a Christmas wedding and you should read book 1, Christmas in Silver Bell Falls before this one so you know how the couple met (It's so much better too!).

[Isha Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make way for the Scrooge of Christmas past! Melanie and Josiah are at it again. A Very Married Christmas is a chance to catch up with Christmas phobic Melanie and her Prince Charming of the season, Josiah. In order to enjoy the full experience, reading Christmas in Silver Bell Falls is a must! Melanie and Josiah"s road has been full of snowdrifts and rocky terrain but they've weathered the storm. Will they survive the wedding planning? Ms. Chase has a simple formula for the magic she creates. She gives her heart to each character and it shines through. A Very Married Christmas is neurotic, humorous and heartwarming sentimentality. The perfect read for any time of year.

[Joni Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!! SO GOOD!! Samantha is a master at her craft that's for sure.. This novella is the perfect addition to the Silver Bell Falls series.. It had all the feels, happy and ugly crying with excitement and cheering the characters one.

[Nicki - The Overflowing Bookcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melanie and Josiah have been engaged for a while but have never set a date. Josiah thinks it would be perfect to get married at Christmas but Melanie is not a fan. But when Josiah is hurt on the job, Melanie thinks that a date needs to be a priority. Can a wedding be put together in a few short days? With the help of the entire town, anything is possible....especially at Christmas. A complete romantic tale from beginning to end. Samantha Chase really knows how to write about the holiday.

[Rhonda Ziglar · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 MARRIED CHRISTMAS STARS!! I love Silver Bell Falls and it was fun going back. What a perfect Christmas story for this time of year. This was a beautiful story for Josiah and Melanie, these two deserved it. Samantha Chase is by far one of my favorite authors always giving me a 5 star read. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet! This is a continuation of Mel and Josiah's story. It is cute, sweet and fun! A quick and fun holiday story for all! I am in love with Silver Bells Falls and hope there are more stories to come!!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a good job. This was a cute, short, low angst story about the characters from book 1. I like the H/h and secondary characters.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The couple is still cute, but even more than the first book, I hated how he just tries to guilt trip her into his plans. I love Christmas, but still I wouldn't want to do all my important life things on Christmas days?

[Trio · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet story. I haven't read all of the books in Samantha Chase's Silver Bell Falls yet, and I've been doing them out of order, but it wasn't difficult to follow along in A Very Married Christmas

The audio edition of A Very Married Christmas is perforemd by Marietta DePrima.

[Macy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book horribly offensive to women, Melanie specifically and hated it. Josiah is groomzilla and a master manipulator and yet when she turned around on him he became a complete and total jerk. I kind of thought he was a jerk in the first book, but kept thinking he meant well. In this one very different. I feel like he is her captor and she becomes his hostage with Stockholm’s syndrome. No one seemed to care about what Melanie wanted. Josiah, John (Melanies dad) and the entire town went went into overdrive in terms of being invasive and overstepping by miles. Does not a single human in that town understand boundaries? And Josiahs sister Danielle, I’d kill myself if that were my sister in law or if a single one of the invasive obnoxious towns people were in my world. Seriously Danielle and almost everyone needed to shut up. The puns, not cute, just annoying. Just once it would have been nice to have Melanie get just one thing she wanted her way without being taken advantage of or told what she really wanted. It would have been nice if she grew a spine as well. Ugh so over this series.

[Sandy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars—

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 15, 2017

She’s ready to deck the halls…
But not with wedding decorations.

For the most part, Melanie Harper has made her peace with her negative feelings toward Christmas. Thanks to her fiancé, she’s even learned to enjoy the holiday. But that doesn’t mean she wants to share it with her wedding day!

He’s dreaming of a white Christmas…
Complete with a wedding!

Ever since they first met, Josiah Stone has done his best to show Melanie how magical Christmas can be. He’s gotten her to participate in parades, decorate trees and even celebrate the holiday, but asking her to marry him on Christmas Eve just might be more than she’s ready for.

Will this be a very Merry or very Married Christmas??


••••••••••••

REVIEW: 3.75 stars--A VERY MARRIED CHRISTMAS is the second instalment in Samantha Chase’s contemporary, adult SILVER BELL FALLS romance series of novellas focusing on the men and women of Silver Bell Falls. This is the continuing story of Silver Bell Falls sheriff Josiah Stone, and romance writer Melanie Harper’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Josiah and Melanie) A VERY MARRIED CHRISTMAS picks up two years after book one –Christmas In Silver Bell Falls-in which we discovered the reasons behind Melanie’s dislike of everything Christmas. Fast forward to present day wherein Melanie and Josiah’s life continues to grow with the building of a new home, and the publication of several romance novels, but no final date has been set for their long awaited nuptials. With Christmas just around the corner, Josiah sets into place a series of events aimed at convincing the woman he loves that Christmas is the perfect day to celebrate their happily ever after-but-everything backfires as old feelings and memories from the past continue to haunt our story line heroine.

A VERY MARRIED CHRISTMAS is a sweet story of romance’ a heart-warming and light-hearted look at one woman’s ongoing struggle to move on from the past; and one man’s love for the woman that calls to his heart. The premise is moving; the characters are animated; the romance is affectionate-all of the $ex scenes are implied or fade to black. A VERY MARRIED CHRISTMAS is a cute, fun and sassy story.

Copy supplied for review

[January · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Very Married Christmas by Samantha Chase
Silver Bell Falls #3
102-page Kindle Ebook story pages 4-98

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Holiday > Christmas, Novella

Featuring: Author's Note, Fictional Small-Town, New York - Near the Canadian Border, Christmas Town, Return of MCs, Romance Author, Sheriff, Christmas Wedding, Spoilers for Book 1, October, Wedding Planning, Manipulative LI, Stubborn MC, New York City, New York; Publishing Contracts, Sex - Closed-Door, December, Author's Bibliography

Rating as a movie: PG-15 for adult content


My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💒👰‍♀👮🔮🎄

My thoughts: This story pissed me off and then stressed me out before the 5th chapter, so it was hard to enjoy the rest of the story. There were plot holes and inconsistencies. She tells Josiah that most of his family live in Albany nearby but according to book one only his 2 brothers live in Albany his parents live in Florida and he has 3 sisters and 2 of them are out-of-state 1 in Pennsylvania. I'm not sure if they're counting Pennsylvania as nearby but Florida definitely isn't nearby. If you are getting a movie deal why do you need your just-not-broke dad's money? I just couldn't get on board with this story with all the manipulation that was going on in the name of Christmas and love. Overall it was okay, and maybe I was too emotionally invested from reading the last 2 books, I was a Grinch while reading.

Recommend to others: Sure. It's a fun book but I didn't like the plot or manipulation.

Silver Bell Falls
1. Christmas in Silver Bell Falls (2015)
2. Christmas On Pointe (2016)
3. A Very Married Christmas (2017)
4. A Christmas Rescue (2019)
5. Christmas Inn Love (2019)
6. The Christmas Plan (2020)

[Angela M. Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silver Bell Falls welcomes you back!!!

Wow! Samantha Chase can really write a book. She is a favorite author of mine. She writes with a style all her own that you just love. Samantha puts everything in her books. She writes with heart and soul. There is something magical about Samantha's books. She has a magical way about her. I just love her books.

If you haven't read any of the Silver Bell Falls stories then do do. Start with:
1)Christmas in Silver Bell Falls.
2)Christmas On Pointe.
then read A Very Married Christmas.

In A Very Married Christmas we catch up with Melanie Harper and Josiah Stone. Josiah and Melanie's lives have been full and busy over the last two years from engagement to building their new home. Josiah and Melanie want different things when it comes to their wedding. Will they ever come to an agreement? Can they make it to the alter? I loved catching up on Dean, Abby and Maya's story as well as others.

A Very Married Christmas is different from other books in the way that as a reader you really can feel the Christmas magic of this town. Silver Bell Falls sweeps you away and you just fall in love with everything and everyone there. It proves that Christmas is really a magical time of year. In A Very Married Christmas my heart swooned. I laughed and cried. As I read the story I felt as if I really was there. I truly love this book. I'm secretly hoping for more from the Silver Bell Falls series. This book is full of the magic and romance of Christmas. Samantha Chase you did a fabulous job. A great romantic Christmas read full of love, laughter and the magic of Christmas. I highly recommend A Very Married Christmas.

[Kay Pflueger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella is a continuation of “Christmas in Silver Bell Falls”and ties up Melanie and Josiah’s love story with a big red Christmas bow. I loved the book and am keeping my fingers crossed that the Hallmark Channel realizes what a wonderful Christmas movie this story would make!

Melanie came to Silver Bell Falls under duress but in doing so, found her true love in Josiah. The only problem is she hates Christmas and the town literally oozes it. She has lived there now for two years and has learned to tolerate and sometimes even enjoy the festivities but when Josiah suggests they have their wedding on Christmas Day, she puts her foot down. She does not want to share that magical day of love with the holiday she can barely tolerate.

Josiah’s intention behind suggesting the December 25th date for their wedding was to give Melanie something happy to associate with the holiday but Melanie is not easily swayed. She reluctantly agrees to look at possible venues and flowers etc. but in her heart, she is not on board with the idea.

But… one day something happens that could alter the course of their path to the altar and Melanie is forced to re-evaluate her priorities. No spoilers here… so you will have to read the book to see if they celebrate Christmas as “Mr. and Mrs.”

Samantha has created a magical place in Silver Bell Falls and I certainly fell under its spell. I am sure you will too!

[Lynn Lim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you know what I LOVED most about this book, other than it being another phenomenal Samantha Chase story? It was a conclusion to a previous that did not have a cliffhanger. I absolutely flipped when I found out that we would find out more about the lives Melanie Harper and Josiah Stone from a previous book, Christmas in Silver Bell Falls. YES!!!!
I will say this, you do REALLY need to read Christmas in Silver Bell Falls first to understand the full impact of the storyline in A Very Married Christmas. Josiah and Melanie went through a LOT in that book, and understanding what they went through made me ABSOLUTELY fall in love with this book even more.
This was just another reminder why I love Ms. Chase’s writing so much. All of the characters are so lovable, even when they screw up, because of the way Ms. Chase writes the story, you fully understand the “why’s” of how they could do what they did. The tears I cried during the ceremony…. SIGH
I was gifted an advance copy to read a head of the release date, and now that my purchased copy has arrived, I think I must go read it again, it is just that great.
Thank you for reading my review. I LOVE a great Christmas story, and A Very Married Christmas certainly fits that category….

[oneclickkindlechick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone loves an amazing Holiday read right? And who doesn't love reading about an amazing winter wedding? Well Samantha Chase delivers on both accounts with A Very Married Christmas. However at times her characters have other ideas. Not one for Christmas Melanie just can't imagine celebrating much less having her big day take place on the one holiday she just can't enjoy. But her future husband can't give up now trying everything he can to get Melanie to not only love Christmas but have their big day on Christmas as well. Josiah and his family love Christmas and everything it brings, decorating, trees and well just an all around being with family so when the opportunity presents itself to have his favorite holiday, his favorite woman and his big day all in one he can't resist. Only one problem he is going to have to convince the other half how amazing Christmas can be. Can he prove to Melanie that Christmas is as amazing as he has always felt it was? Or will he forever be the one who has to try to bring the joy into their homes while Melanie just struggles through the holiday? Well, I won't tell the secrets, but I will tell you this read is a must. And it's right in time to get you excited and in the holiday spirit.

[Alima Livzletlivz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melanie Harper and Josiah Stone christened “Christmas In Silver Bell Falls” and now a couple of years of dating and we return to Silver Bell Falls for their wedding.

As different as two ends of the spectrum and polar opposite of each other, Melanie and Josiah have overcome their vast differences and end up falling in love. Now with Christmas upon on them, and Josiah wanting to tie the nuptials during the Christmas festivities, he’s got a heck of a job convincing Melanie of the same. With Christmas hang-ups still very raw, Melanie loves Josiah and wants to get married, but will take a lot of courage and understanding to overcome her fears and follow her heart.

A wonderful read perfect for the holiday season. A simple love story as two people learn to give each other the trust and the foundation of a future. A simple narrative of a story, Josiah and Melanie take a place in my heart as they overcome pain and insecurities. Samantha Chase creates some wonderful supporting secondary characters and she does what she’s good at – weaving a winter wonderland of romance.

Received an ARC from Chasing Romance, Inc. for an honest review.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always a treat to revisit a favorite couple from a well loved romance. When it's set during the holiday season, it adds a extra bit of magic. And if it revolves around the wedding of said couple...in this case Melanie and Josiah from Silver Bell Falls...it's definitely a must read for all romance readers!
Before reading further, I recommend you first read Christmas in Silver Bell Falls. While that book ended without a cliffhanger, A Very Married Christmas is definitely a continuation and does have spoilers to the first book!
After being engaged and having lived together for two years, it's time to start thinking about setting a wedding date. While Josiah is pushing for a Christmas wedding, our former Scrooge Melanie is very resistant to connecting her wedding day to the holiday that she now enjoys but still doesn't totally embrace. High-jinks follow as not just Josiah but the whole town try to convince Melanie that a Christmas wedding is written in the stars for the lovebirds.
Samantha Chase again brings us a story full of love, fun, family and magic. Enjoy this holiday treat from one of the my favorite authors!

[MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome back to Silver Bells Fall for the wedding of the season..The 3rd book in Silver Bell Falls...

Heartwarming, Christmas, Makes you laugh right from the beginning..

Ms. Chase has done it again. If you haven’t read
Christmas on Pointe start there first, and then Christmas in Silver Bell Falls.

You don’t want to miss the journey in the town that’s know for all things Christmas.

Are there Wedding bells in Silver Bell Falls for Melanie Harper and Sheriff Josiah Stone?
They both want two different weddings?
Josiah knows if he can show Melanie why it would be a great idea for a Christmas wedding she might just bend.
Melanie isn’t against the idea completely, but why is it so hard for Josiah to see things her way?

One pivotal moment and things change. The most important thing Melanie sees so clearly now. Josiah has brought her back from a dark place. He’s her light.

See what happens...Buy the book to find out.

Don’t miss the other books in the series.
Book 1-Christmas on Pointe
Book 2- Christmas in Silver Bell Falls
Book 3-A Very Married Christmas

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Christmas extravaganza

Melanie and Josiah are back and the focus is on Christmas again, but now it is in terms of their wedding day! Their house is built, their jobs are great and they are more in love then ever. It is great to have this story to see how they are doing after some time has passed in Silver Bell Falls.

While Melanie is not the Scrooge about Christmas anymore, she is not feeling the love for a wedding on Christmas Day. However, Josiah’s dream day is for Christmas! Talk about a conundrum. Throw in a scary injury in the line of duty, a major development in Melanie’s job and the magic of Silver Bell Falls and this story takes on a whirlwind view of love, humor, compromise and a beautiful community full of talented and caring citizens.

The story is full of vivid descriptions, silly and sweet moments and a range of emotions from many characters. I would love to see a story like this on tv or in real life! The barn, the tree decorations, the geography, ....it all sounds amazing! This series is a delight to read.

[Donna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this extended epilogue to Melanie and Josiah' s story. Josiah has made good memories with Melanie in the last couple of Christmases to combat her bad ones growing up. They were engaged Christmas eve. When their house is finished, they run out of excuses to put off the wedding. Josiah has plans to have a Christmas wedding but Melanie still has hard feelings about the holiday.
I enjoyed this volume as much if not more than the first book. Josiah has grown to accept that Melanie is having a hard time getting over a lifetime of aversion to Christmas but hasn't lost hope that he can change her mind about that Christmas wedding that he's always dreamed of. Melanie wants to please Josiah but is having a hard time wrapping her head around planning a wedding so fast and on her least favorite day. The town comes together again and shows them how much is possible.
This is definitely a heart warming tale set in the most magical time of year in the most magical town.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Christmas in Silver Bell Falls I couldn’t imagine a man more perfect than Josiah. He is strong, community-focused, loving, kind, and sexy as hell! Turns out that Josiah gets better with time as he settles into his wonderful relationship with Melanie.

Since we last visited Josiah and Melanie, they have built a house together and now live in it. They are engaged and they are loving life. Josiah has one desire…marry the love of his life at Christmas…this Christmas to be exact!

Melanie has very few warm and fuzzy feelings towards Christmas even if Josiah has made the last couple of them special. She has a bunch of reasons why it just won’t work out. An unforeseen accident has Melanie seeing things in a different light. Thanks to the close-knit town full of supportive friends and family, Melanie and Josiah get their wedding and their wonderful happily-ever-after!

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

The continuing romance of Melanie and Josiah, whom we first met in Christmas in Silver Falls. Now that the house is done, 2 years in the making, Josiah wants a wedding now at Christmas, he thinks it is the perfect time of the year. On the other hand, Melanie wants to get married but wants the time to plan and not at Christmas, since she was a holiday scrooge. When an incident threatens their future, things might happen faster than planned.

I love visiting Silver Falls, a town that loves Christmas all year long, with all the magic of the holidays. This is short novella that will for sure put you in the mood of romance and Christmas. I highly recommend this story but I do highly advise you read Christmas in Silver Falls, to understand the love of Melanie and Josiah. Thank you, Samantha Chase for this fictional town that I would move to in heartbeat if it was real!

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melanie & Josiah have had a busy two years starting with getting engaged. He's been reelected to the sheriffs office. She's written & published two books. They've built their house & moved in. Now it's time to concentrate on their next step, the Wedding. If your fiancée hates Christmas, what better way to stay on her good side than ask for a Christmas wedding? The thought is good - to try to replace her bad memories with a good one. Too bad Melanie isn't on board.

This is a terrific update into how Melanie & Josiah are getting along. I really enjoyed the emotional aspect & the way they worked together instead of walking. The characters have continued their growth. The updates on the other characters was nice too. Another terrific read by Samantha Chase!

[Jessica Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a novella this book packed in a lot. It’s filled with love, scary moments and thoughts, and friendship. Josiah has and will always Love Christmas, which is why to him it’s the best time of the year to marry his soulmate. Melanie isn’t a fan of the idea. She wants to wait until spring and have their own special memories. When Josiah is hurt on the job, Melanie soon realizes a Christmas wedding is for the best. This doesn’t mean there won’t be bumps in the road.
Josiah is the kind of man I wish I could meet in real life. To have someone so thoughtful and loving would make me latch on and never let go.
Do yourself a favor and read Christmas in Silver Bell Falls first....you won’t regret it.

[Bev Sten · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Very Married Christmas" is the continuation of "Christmas in Silver Bell Falls". Melanie Harper is warming up to the idea of Christmas until Josiah brings up the possibility of having their wedding at Christmas. She still dislikes Christmas but she loves Josiah! As Josiah shows Melanie the possible venues she's torn but still adamant that bad things happen near Christmas. A truly sweet novella. The special Silver Bell Falls and an awesome holiday read to get you in the mood for Christmas. Samantha Chase knows how to do Christmas. I really recommend you read Christmas in Silver Bell Falls first, it's also a novella, to get the full understanding and impact of A Very Married Christmas.

[Tina Todd shobe · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'll want to read Christmas in Silver Bells Falls prior to reading A Very Married Christmas. You'll get a better understanding to Melanie's aversion to Christmas.

Josiah would like to set their wedding date for Christmas Day and has found the perfect location. Melanie would like just about any other date but then. They keep pushing back their 'date' discussion not that they don't want to get married but because they wanted to avoid possible disagreements.

I love how Josiah knew the sneaky ways to show Melanie how perfect a Christmas wedding would be.

I just love the small town Silver Bell Falls, their love of Christmas and they way they are all family and all pull together to accomplish what seems to be the impossible.

This is a wonderful, feel good read.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha Chase has once again whisked us back to beautiful Silver Bell Falls, and this time for a wedding of two characters we have already grown to know and love, Josiah and Melanie!

Josiah's eagerness to get married in a quick manner is met by Melanie's hesitance, as she craves time to plan a proper wedding. Josiah doesn't need time, and makes it his mission to show Melanie that all they need is each other and a little Christmas magic, that is abundant in Silver Bell Falls!

Samantha Chase treats readers to a holiday delight in this novella, while showing her fans how much they mean to her! A great Christmas treat!!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What better than a Christmas wedding to wrap up Josiah and Melanie’s beautiful love story! I love Silver Bell Falls and how tight knit they are. No matter if it’s due to a crisis or to help plan and celebrate, they all come together and there are to support and help each other.

Samantha Chase gives us another spectacular holiday book that leaves you feeling all warm and happy inside. This is the perfect book to snuggle under a blanket with a warm cup of cocoa and lose yourself in the festive town of Silver Bell Falls.

Since this is a continuation of Josiah and Melanie, so make sure to read Christmas in Silver Bell Falls first to fully appreciate and understand their journey.