Their Unexpected Christmas Gift

The Stone Gap Inn #3

by Shirley Jump

She’d given up on Christmas miracles, until one landed on his doorstepVivian Winthrop is a brilliant lawyer, but family has never been on her to-do list. Until her baby niece is left at the Stone Gap Inn on Christmas Eve. Vivian is thrust into the role of mommy, a challenge she’s completely unprepared for! Luckily, chef Nick Jackson is a natural with little Ellie. And if being near him stirs up delicious—and unexpected—feelings? Maybe a little Christmas magic could turn their holiday fling into something a little more permanent…

Genres: Romance

211 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2019

About the author

Shirley Jump is a writing instructor and an award-winning, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and USA Today bestselling author who has published more than 80 books in 24 countries. She has spoken all over the world about the power of narrative and how to create compelling books. A former reporter and communications director for a marketing agency, she uses her diverse background to help clients create impactful books that readers can’t down.

She knows the path to publication isn’t all rainbows and unicorns, so to help writers write their best possible book, she offers monthly Manuscript Masterminds through her website, www.WritingCompellingFiction.com.

On her channel, https://YouTube.com/@WritingCompellin..., she unlocks the secrets behind compelling novels and delves into the psychological aspect of overcoming creativity-stoppers like doubt and perfectionism. Follow her channel for more writing exercises, classes, and behind-the-scenes writing lessons or join her Manuscript Mastermind to build your tribe of like-minded writers and receive crucial feedback on your pages.

Reviews

[Harlequin Books]

Categories
Holiday Romance, Small Town & Rural Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Romance

Miniseries
The Stone Gap Inn

[CatherineF]

Novel in a Nutshell - Vivian plans to meet with her half sister at Stone Gap Inn for a weekend break. When she gets there she finds her sister has had a baby and isn't coping well. When her sister disappears, asking Vivian to care for her child, Nick (chef at Stone Gap Inn) finds himself lending a hand. As the pair muddle along together, they begin to grow closer...

My review - Is there anything better than a Shirley Jump romance? Well, only a Shirley Jump Christmas romance!! I truly love Shirley's perfectly crafted novels, and a sprinkling of Christmas magic makes them even better. I love how her characters feel real - they are strong without being annoyingly so, and have normal and understandable vulnerablilities. I love how Shirley's emotional scenes are so touching, yet are never schmaltzy or sickeningly sweet. They always come from the heart.
Vivien was a great character - strong in her field of work, but terrified when confronted with the alien concept of looking after a baby! And it was easy to see how she fell for Nick. As an aside to the story, I loved all of the delicious food descriptions - any chance I could steal Nick away for a week to cook for me?! All in all, a great read.

[Robyne (grl-1der-reader)]

Good story. Interesting characters. Happy ending. Adorable baby. Only key ingredient in a great story that is missing is a dog.

[Cris]

I couldn't put it down, another wonderful story by Shirley.