Return to Christmas

by Anne Stuart

Madison Simcoe has had enough. She’s a cold, lonely workaholic who’s been harassed one too many times by a fellow worker, it’s Christmas and the spirit is gone, and she feels like a stranger in her own life. A little retail therapy should cheer her up. Macy’s is huge, a giant store full of wonders, and Madison’s happy place. So when she decides to indulge herself, pushing through the big doors on a cold afternoon in December, she’s not expecting to suddenly find herself in 1947, unable to leave the huge building. And she’s certainly not expecting to find incredibly hot Johnny Larsen, former Army spy during WWII, with a buttload of PTSD, artistic brilliance, and bad attitude, looking out for her. Bad things happen, even at Christmas, but there’s magic in the air, and Madison is inconveniently in love with a man who must be long dead. Surely there’s a happy ending among the mistletoe and holly?

Genres: Romance, Time Travel, Christmas, Paranormal, Historical, Historical Romance, Fiction

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 13, 2019

About the author

Anne Stuart is a grandmaster of the genre, winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, survivor of more than thirty-five years in the romance business, and still just keeps getting better.

Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.

She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.

When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.

Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.

Reviews

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this Christmas Story! It wasn't a sweet, shallow tale. This is a different Holiday Romance. It takes on some real issues, and the time travel angle was wonderful. You do have to let go of your reality meter and just go with the plot. I only wish we would have had a better epilogue.

Madison Simcoe is having a very bad day. It's the Christmas Season but Madison just doesn't have any Holiday Spirit. She has a job she likes, but there is a real nasty harasser in her company. So, she decides a trip to Macy's will lift her spirits while she contemplates looking for another job. A chance encounter with the Santa at the entrance sends her life in a totally different direction. Going through the Macy's entrance sends her back to 1947. At first, she thinks it's a reenactment but soon discovers she can't leave.

John Larsen is a window dresser in Macy's. It allows him to use his creativity, and the store allows him a safe space. WWII was an awful experience and like some other solders, he is having a difficult time with his reentry to polite society. When he encounters Madison, he feels he has found another person with a wounded spirit and is determined to help her. He didn't count on falling in love with her.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS


I really enjoyed this, despite the few issues I had with the heroine, and the numerous typos. But what's a Christmas story without a little magic. ;) . Loved Rosa and all of the supporting characters, even the "bad" guys were entertaining. It was a classic Christmas love story, albeit one with time travel.

[ꕥ Ange_Lives_To_Read ꕥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Christmas 2022 - Naughty

A great premise, but it didn't deliver any Christmas feels for me.

Madison Simcoe has had to leave every job she's ever had. Because she's so hot, and every man is such a pig, at some point one of them inevitably pushes her against a wall and feels her up and breathes obscenities into her ear. She doesn't want to make a fuss, so she just quits.

When this happens right before the holiday, she walks out of her fancy social media influencer job in Manhattan and across the street to Macy's, her happy place. But as she walks through the door, something strange happens. It's 1947, and she's trapped inside - she can't back to her own time! She meets a big, handsome hunk of a guy who just wants to push her up against a wall and feel her up and mutter obscenities into her ear. But he's a 1940's gentleman, so he doesn't do that until she wants him to.

What's usually fun about these time travel stories is that the MC learns something about themselves that changes them in some way. Madison learns that sex can be good with the right guy. She didn't change or grow other than that as far as I could tell. Not really the feel-good Christmas message I'm looking for.

In fact, other than being set at Christmas, this was kind of dark. There was a lot of profanity, sex, and violence.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being sexually harassed at a job she hates, Madison Simcoe leaves work and decides some retail therapy is in order. A quick walk to 34th Street leaves her at the door of her favorite department store, Macys. Walking through the revolving doors, everything changes. Along with the heavy crowds of Christmas shoppers, Madison also notices the stores retro decor and the worker's old-fashioned costumes. She soon learns that she has traveled back to 1947; and cannot seem to leave the Department store no matter how hard she tries. As she wanders through the store, Madison meets John Larsen, a WWII veteran who designs and decorates the various displays in the store. He doesn't believe her time-travel tale, but he is willing to help her out.

Madison starts out as a character that lets people walk all over her. As she gets to know John and Rosa and sees what women in the 1947 work force have to put up with, her outlook on life changes. John worries that Madison may be in some kind of trouble, so he offers her a job working with him and his assistant, Rosa. He has PTSD from his time in the war. He knows that people need time and space to work out their problems and wants to give this to Madison.

I enjoy picking up an Anne Stuart book because she always has a unique setting or original plot. I loved that she set this Christmas tale in Macys flagship store in New York City. My only problem with the story was Madison constantly fantasizing about John. That could have been toned down. My rating: 3.5 Stars.

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute.

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Return to Christmas" is the story of Madison and Johnny.

A modern day time travel romance, in which modern day Carrie from SATC is frustrated by men and her job, goes to Macy's on Christmas eve and encounters and old man. She passes by a revolving door, and finds herself in 1940's. Baffled and trapped in a new century, she meets the hero- the mall "security guard"- and soon her journey has evil villains, crazy OW, loads of banter, drama and magic!

I love "Kate and Leopold", and was pretty excited by the premise of this book. We had a strong confident heroine, meeting a lonely scarred hero- we had loads of hot lovemaking- and a super damn sweet ending. But why is this not a 5 star read?
1. I get the heroine was from 2020. Yup totally a modern day woman. But her bragging about sleeping with many, MANY men and women, and constantly thinking about her sex life and vibrators put me off- it did not suit the theme of the book.
2. Her cursing unnecessarily- don't get me wrong- I love a potty mouth too- but here it felt it was mostly for shock value
3. The racism discussed was kinda disturbing.

The heroine was supposedly strong, yet cried at the drop of a hat. The evil men drama in a mall was absurd. The ending was rushed.

Safe
2.5/5

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kobo+ December Reads. Christmas Romance. This is my 21st Christmas Story this year. Tropes: Christmas Romance, American Historical Romance (1947 NYC), Paranormal Romance.
MC's h. Madison Simcoe (present day) lives in NYC and goes into Macy's and time travels back to 1947.
H. H. Johnny Larsen, ex WWII spy with PSTD (stuck in 1947 inside Macy's)

This was a retro Miracle on 34th Street story with a few changes. I enjoyed the parts about the time change and how things were post WWII, the clothes, the technology, the better quality of everything, no zippers or elastic for socks etc. I liked Johnny's character. He was a protector with a conscience. Madison's character was kind of sad. She didn't have anyone in her life who really cared. She had a mouth on her but she was a survivor. I liked the love at first sight story for both of them. My favorite part was Santa of course. Who can grant miracles but him? I gave this 4 stars.

[Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Published in 2019 but reads as if it had been written much earlier.

I associate Anne Stuart with bad-boy MMCs, whose behaviour edges pretty close to abusive and insulting. What they do have going for them is energy.

"Return to Christmas" gives us an empathetic MMC, and a surprisingly bland FMC. What it doesn't give us is much energy. It didn't convince me as a love story, or a love letter to Christmas - more like a love letter to Macy's.

Cover Design: Dar Albert, Wicked Smart Designs.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

With this book, I got to take a trip to the Macy’s in Manhattan. Not in modern time, but in it’s glory days in 1947. The setting of Miracle on 34th Street, the old-fashioned Macy’s that was closed on Thanksgiving, where people shopped and then left for treats at Schrafft’s . The author’s descriptions of that store in that time were just marvelous, and for that the book deserves a five-star rating.
However, the very frequent, very vulgar language and explicit sex scenes brought my rating down to two stars. I found myself skipping through those scenes as quickly as I could. The love story between Madison and John was a sweet one, and for me the graphic sex took away from their developing relationship. Wish this had turned out to be a warm, fuzzy Christmas story…

[GigiReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

The set up was amazing but the execution fell very flat. FMC walks into her favorite store Macy's in NYC and ends up time traveling to 1947. The descriptions of the store and the fashions of the forties were great. I adored the idea of a romance set in the 40's . But was very little romance and there were so many bad guys and evil twats that the whole thing was a huge downer.

Tropes
Time travel
Forced Proximity

[MBR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Return to Christmas by Anne Stuart released in 2019 had me jumping up and down in excitement at the very idea of the new release. Because Anne Stuart is THAT author for me. Return to Christmas tells the story of 27 year old Madison Simcoe and 29 year old John Larsen, in delivering upon the theme of Christmas miracles and love that stands the test of time itself.

It is the year 2020, and Madison who is feeling a bit desolate, a whole lot of disillusioned and a bit lonely decides to cheer herself up by going to the Macy’s Department Store to engage in a little bit of retail therapy. When she gets to Macy’s Madison gets more than what she bargained for when she finds herself transported to the year 1947, and having to rely on the maddening man she encounters, who sets her senses humming.

John would like nothing better than to ignore Madison’s sudden appearance into his life and the way she gets under his skin. An ex-military man, John is hounded by his own demons that are hard to shake off, and it is his ingenuity as a designer that allows him the freedom and leeway to mostly come and go as he pleases within the store.

With Madison in the picture, John finds himself inexorably drawn to her, even when he tells himself that a woman who keeps concocting far-fetched stories about how she came to be is not worth all the trouble. Interestingly enough, the more Madison tries to leave, the harder it is, as whatever it is that had transported her back in time wasn’t done messing with her fate.

Return to Christmas was not exactly what I envisioned for the story to be, but nevertheless I enjoyed most of it and not so much the rest. It is my theory that anything written by Anne Stuart is 100 times better than the any other book that you may alternatively get your hands on, and this one too proved that in spades.

I liked John and Maddie well enough, but I cannot say that I was enamored by them, nor connected with either of them at a deeper level. Madison spent a lot of her time inside her own thoughts which prevented me from understanding where she was coming from at a deeper level. Yes, she was feeling lonesome and feeling an ache she couldn’t define, but beyond that, it was hard to get a read on her character.

John is mellower than Anne Stuart’s usual hero material, which is fine. One doesn’t need to be ruthless to come off as commanding, sexy, and all of those things that makes you hum with pleasure as you read along. I felt that John was a bit under developed as a character. Why? Because I wanted to know more about his past, his likes and dislikes, what made him tick (apart from Madison of course), and I wanted to read about his stint in the military and the damage it had done to him on the inside. That would have made me relate to him more than I did.

I also found it a tad weird that two adults just lived inside a department store throughout the novel. I quite don’t know how I feel about that. The one thing that I did love though, was the epilogue. That was the ultimate ending if you ask me, classic Anne Stuart, leaving the reader sniffling with happy tears.

Final Verdict: Return to Christmas is a novel that delivers on the premise of Christmas miracles, and hope in a world that has little of that to offer, and how love knows not the bounds of time and reason.

Rating = 3.5/5

For more reviews and quotes, please visit A Maldivian's Passion for Romance

[Sheila Melo · Rating 4 out of 5]

FINAL DECISION: This was an enjoyable story that felt "old fashioned" in a good way - perhaps classic is a good word. The time jump to the 1940s and getting a mix of modern and history was a fun read. The story made me happy and is a definite feel good holiday story.

THE STORY: Madison Simcoe finds herself living an unfulfilling life and she's had enough of the harassment she has had to deal with at work. She decides to visit Macy's during the Christmas season and finds herself in transported 1947. There she meets Johnny Larson who has returned from the war haunted by what he did there. Johnny works at Macy's and is grumpy towards the woman who invades his life. Madison needs to find a way back to 2020 but finds a deep connection to the people in the past.

OPINION: This book had the comfort of watching one of those old holiday movies. Iconic imagery, a sweet romance with characters who are good people, and a special magical bit of help in the end. It's the kind of story that feels like it should be read on a cold winter's day in front of a fire with a cup of hot cocoa.

I liked these two characters. Madison/Molly is a woman who feels empty in her present place and time. After traveling to the past, she finds meaning in her life with the right person. I especially liked how she sees parallels in her challenges in both times.

Johnny is a man who is broken but does his best to do good even while being a crusty recluse. I thought that the interactions with Molly and Johnny were the smart interactions that are in classic 1940s films.

The story was fun and definitely festive. Lovers of classic romantic films or time travel romances will like this. While there is definitely some heat, it is not as explicit of some of Stuart's other stories. I will add this book to my holiday story rotation.

WORTH MENTIONING: Content warning for sexual harassment and attempted sexual assault.

CONNECTED BOOKS: RETURN TO CHRISTMAS is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com

[Patti · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book and thought it would be the perfect Christmas story. I could barely get through the book because of all of the vulgarity! This would have been the perfect story but was totally ruined with all of the inappropriate and unnecessary sexual references! The story was wonderful but was a total disappointment because the author felt the need to make it smutty and inappropriate. I was determined to find out the ending of the story, but had to skip paragraphs & sometimes up to pages to get past all of the disgusting references of sex and cuss words! I will think twice before reading another book by this author.

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad I found this. I don't like all of Anne Stuart's books, but (ashamedly) the cover of this book was the draw. I LOVE Manhattan, and then Christmastime to boot! Okaaay.

I loved it, I loved MOST of it. There were a few things i was like "Are you kidding me. Really." but I kept going. You know what saved it, is Manhattan (two time periods) Christmas (magical ya ya ya) and Johnny. Oh, Johnny. May we all grieve for the "greatest generation" we will never know again.

Kinda kidding. Johnny has some flaws. I like him though. I also have a thing for blond heroes, which aren't the norm.

I loved everything about 1947 NYC. I could have read even more just about that. I liked the references to "the 400" (having finished a bio of the Vanderbilt family) and I liked the modern references in 1947. Including Outlander! I do love time-travel.

I can't really agree with the majority of the things the heroine does, or says (tedious shock value after awhile) but it was worth sticking with.

[Jacquie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madison is disenchanted with her job and the sexual harassment she faces on a daily basis. The holiday lights and gaiety add to her loneliness and she decides to drown her sorrows in the ritz and glamour of Macy’s.

The moment she enters through the revolving glass doors, she realizes something has changed; people are dressed in clothing from another era, but she assumes she’s stumbled into an expensive ad campaign.

Boy, was she wrong.

Johnny Larson is running away from nightmarish memories of the war and only wants to be left alone. But he can’t ignore the beautiful, confusing young woman who literally lands in his arms.

This was a different take on a time travel romance by one of the stars of the genre- Anne Stuart.

She has an amazing talent for taking a broken, unlikable hero and turning him into one the reader not only empathizes with but falls madly in love with. She is one talented writer and an inspiration to many.

Have you read any Anne Stuart books? Are you a fan?

[D.L. Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madison has dedicated her life to working and has lost the holiday spark. She decides to spend the day shopping at her favorite place, Macy’s. She steps out of modern times, entering the store from a world where she controls her body, mind, and word choice to the year 1947. Johnny, the window dresser, immediately comes to her rescue, even if he thinks she is insane. Madison finds herself drawn to a man who believes she should be married and home with kids while he tries to keep her at a distance. It took me a bit to warm up to Johnny because of his old-fashioned attitude and his PTSD from the war, but I was rooting for him in the end. The difference in how women were treated back in the 40s was stark compared to now, but they were still powerful characters. Madison kept trying to find her way home while developing friendships with people who had long passed in her world. This is a steamy, holiday, time travel romance for those who want an adventure different from most holiday stories.

[Pamela · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF- What potential this book had and what an incredible disappointment. Slipping through the front doors of Macy’s and finding herself transported back to 1947 Christmas shopping season- ( which we’ve caught glimpses of in movies etc) main character Madison finds herself of course confused. But for inexplicable reasons, she cannot return to modern day.
There the book gets bogged down in this mush of supposedly sexual tension between herself and Johnny with each of them fighting their urges. What?!?
I wanted to be charmed by sweet descriptions of the store during the hustle and bustle of the holidays but instead the pages were laced with profanity, relentless sex references( a vibrator- really ?!?) and just repetitive dialogue. Ugh. With at least 300 more digital books to read, not to mention at least 40 hard copies, I have better things to read.

[Leticia Youngblood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Time Travel

I liked the tale of Madison. I didn't like her changing her name ...silly. It's her name, you don't just change it because a hot man doesn't like it.
I got a bit lost towards the end. Why was Madison yanked away from 1947 so abruptly? That didn't make sense. She and Johnny had made plans for forever, and POOF she's out? That was odd and painful. Sorry if I am oversharing the book's story (a few spoilers exist here), but you asked for a review.

[GorgeousN · Rating 5 out of 5]

100% Fairy Tale … for adults only

It’s a fairy tale I will say this upfront. Madison / Mollie walks into Macy through the retro revolving door and finds herself in 1947. Almost immediately she meets Johnny, a talented window dresser there. Theirs is a long and rocky road to love and HEA, but what a ride. For a fairy tale, this story packed a punch. Ms Stuart, this is a winner in my book. Thank you for the lovely escape.

[Karen Brauneis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprising!

I didn’t really know what to expect from this book. At first, the story seemed to drag a little, but at the same time, I needed to see what happened. I am a believer in Shakespeare’s phrase “There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy”. I’ve seen and experienced enough to not doubt its validity. Will I read Anne Stuart books again? Yes.

[Roni Denholtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book with an unusual setting in the time-travel genre. I loved the romance and heat between the hero and heroine, and the glimpse into the 1947 retail trade! I remember New York City in the 1950s so some of the things the author described seemed quite familiar. I found the book to be compelling reading. this is a great example of a holiday romance!

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating plot! I’ve read time travel books before, but none as good as this. It was suspenseful; I never knew if Maddison was going to be somehow returned to her time or not. The love story was volatile, but I could see the damaged people acting out of their past. It’s now close to 1:00 a.m. I had to finish the book before I could sleep.

[Chip Pertel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting lost in Macy's NY might be fun!

Especially if it was 1947.... What a blast. Time travel can be rewarding but if there is a hero and heroin who don't get along, a reader has to like them. In this book, the chemistry is solid. A well conceived plot and just enough uncertainty to keep you reading. Nicely done Anne!

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable…

A lovely but flawed tale. So many mistakes that even a semi-decent proofreader should have caught, never mind the mistake in Johnny’s name.
Of course there is my own personal irritation, the unchanging and boring repetitions of thoughts and emotions.
That said - it was an enjoyable story and is worth reading.

[NATIVE TEXAN · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love the premise of going back in time but the asides in this tale were too raunchy for the poignant story it could have been. And the author labored much too hard in the telling, too many tangents of no significance. By 40% I was speed reading and rapidly flipping pages just to finish. I have never dumped a book but this should have been my first.

[The Sleeping Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Madison/Mollie remained prickly throughout, but I was still glad that she and Johnny had such a fulfilling HEA. I really enjoyed reading about Johnny, and Rosa was a fantastic friend too.

The relationship could have used more depth, but overall, I didn't mind.

[Nancy Tippett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminiscent of other similar stories

So much like Somewhere in Time
Intriguing nonetheless. Good read.

I like Anne Stuart's books. Good writing style. I like prose that's not boring and easy to read. Hers hits the mark every time.

[Allen Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right where they belong

A well written story that brings the characters to life. It is so satisfying when characters are given a choice and they finally can see the truth. A wonderful love story. Highly recommend it

[Nancy Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably one of the dumbest books I’ve ever read. Worst book of 2023. Glad I saved it til last. I give it 2 stars simply because it involved time travel. But this was like a very bad Hallmark movie with lots of sex. This was written by a nun??

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting storyline. I loved how she brought you back in time to how it was in a quieter, less violent time when there was respect, and people actually celebrate Christmas without worry of offending others. Great book.