What do you think?
Rate this book
This Christmas
Celia Batista waited a long time for all three of her sons to be together for Christmas. But after one of her identical twins disappears without a trace, Celia must rely on Police Captain Luke Veldkamp for help. Despite Luke’s accusations that her other twin son is involved with organized crime, she falls for the handsome, Stetson wearing cop.
Luke Veldkamp is facing his first Christmas after the loss of his wife, working nonstop to avoid the holidays and his grief. His daughter, who’d moved home to care for her mom before her passing, pushes him to face his pain. Luke pushes back, telling her to return to college and regain her own life. If his own strife isn’t enough, the mission to locate the missing son of his beautiful neighbor grows more personal than any other case.
While Luke and Celia fight to keep their families from falling apart, they find comfort and strength in one another. And when love blooms between their children, Luke and Celia’s own relationship takes root and grows. But Celia is used to living on her own terms, and loving a man who has isolated his heart is a risk too great. Now, Luke must either confront his emotions or face a life without the woman he’s come to love.
Luke Veldkamp is facing his first Christmas after the loss of his wife, working nonstop to avoid the holidays and his grief. His daughter, who’d moved home to care for her mom before her passing, pushes him to face his pain. Luke pushes back, telling her to return to college and regain her own life. If his own strife isn’t enough, the mission to locate the missing son of his beautiful neighbor grows more personal than any other case.
While Luke and Celia fight to keep their families from falling apart, they find comfort and strength in one another. And when love blooms between their children, Luke and Celia’s own relationship takes root and grows. But Celia is used to living on her own terms, and loving a man who has isolated his heart is a risk too great. Now, Luke must either confront his emotions or face a life without the woman he’s come to love.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2020
About the author
Laurie Winter
26 books524 followersPublishers Weekly bestselling author Laurie Winter is a true warrior of the heart. Inspired by her dreams, she creates authentic characters who overcome the odds and find true love. She balances her life with regular yoga practice and binge-watching true-crime TV. She's likely fueling up on wine, cheese curds, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups when not pounding the keyboard.
Follow Laurie as she lives out her dreams at lauriewinter.com
Follow Laurie as she lives out her dreams at lauriewinter.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 25, 2020
Exceptional Holiday Romantic Suspense!
I think this is the first book I have read by this author, and I am surprised at how wonderful I found it! As you might guess from the book's description, this is far more than a simple holiday romance (not that I don’t love those, too!). For one thing, we get a double dose of holiday romance, the main one between a middle-aged couple and one between two of their children. There's also a suspense plot going on here—creating twists and turns of its own that impact the romantic plots—making this a romantic holiday suspense... not a combination I've read or seen often! The author pulled me right into the story from the start, painting a vivid picture of not only the Utah setting but also of the older hero’s emotional issues because of the relatively recent loss of his wife. The author did an excellent job showing precisely what he was feeling as the story progressed, making his actions, reactions, and thoughts very real as well as realistic and making him incredibly believable and relatable. This excellent, immersive writing style pervades the book. This novel is certainly deeper than most holiday romances, exploring the complexities of adult child/parent relationship, loss, trust, faith in the future, and new romantic relationships... even those that start in middle age. Once I started the book, I did not want to put it down as I wanted to see how everything turned out for all these flawed, decent, and sometimes hurting people. An excellent holiday read. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
I think this is the first book I have read by this author, and I am surprised at how wonderful I found it! As you might guess from the book's description, this is far more than a simple holiday romance (not that I don’t love those, too!). For one thing, we get a double dose of holiday romance, the main one between a middle-aged couple and one between two of their children. There's also a suspense plot going on here—creating twists and turns of its own that impact the romantic plots—making this a romantic holiday suspense... not a combination I've read or seen often! The author pulled me right into the story from the start, painting a vivid picture of not only the Utah setting but also of the older hero’s emotional issues because of the relatively recent loss of his wife. The author did an excellent job showing precisely what he was feeling as the story progressed, making his actions, reactions, and thoughts very real as well as realistic and making him incredibly believable and relatable. This excellent, immersive writing style pervades the book. This novel is certainly deeper than most holiday romances, exploring the complexities of adult child/parent relationship, loss, trust, faith in the future, and new romantic relationships... even those that start in middle age. Once I started the book, I did not want to put it down as I wanted to see how everything turned out for all these flawed, decent, and sometimes hurting people. An excellent holiday read. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
October 28, 2020
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
Celia Batista is like most moms, no matter now old her son, she is going to take up for him when he is accused of a horrific crime. My heart went out to Celia because I would do the same thing. Her Merry Christmas with her three boys home was turning out to Merry! As the story unfolds, we get a deeper glimpse of the family and why the emotions and feelings and flying high! And then there is Captain Luke thrown in the mix with his beautiful daughter. As Celia and Luke spend more time than usual together, will an attraction grown between them? After all Luke knows he can’t love anyone as much as he loved his wife? Well, if you read this book, “This Christmas” you will find out all of this and so much more.
This is such a fun story, a story that tells of difficulties in families, but love still flows through no matter what. Sometimes I would get so frustrated, especially at Luke and Celia, but it would all iron out and the story would flow on smoothly. If you are looking for a good clean story to read during the Christmas holiday, this is a great choice. For me, I give this story four stars all the way!!
Celia Batista is like most moms, no matter now old her son, she is going to take up for him when he is accused of a horrific crime. My heart went out to Celia because I would do the same thing. Her Merry Christmas with her three boys home was turning out to Merry! As the story unfolds, we get a deeper glimpse of the family and why the emotions and feelings and flying high! And then there is Captain Luke thrown in the mix with his beautiful daughter. As Celia and Luke spend more time than usual together, will an attraction grown between them? After all Luke knows he can’t love anyone as much as he loved his wife? Well, if you read this book, “This Christmas” you will find out all of this and so much more.
This is such a fun story, a story that tells of difficulties in families, but love still flows through no matter what. Sometimes I would get so frustrated, especially at Luke and Celia, but it would all iron out and the story would flow on smoothly. If you are looking for a good clean story to read during the Christmas holiday, this is a great choice. For me, I give this story four stars all the way!!
December 17, 2020
I have been a big fan of Laurie Winter since her very first book. I was impressed with her writing and her ability to take a contemporary romance story that’s been done countless times, but make it her own - and stay away from all the cliches you usually get (in both plot and writing). Now she’s giving us romantic suspense with a unique storyline and the same great writing.
But this genre is tricky for me. I want equal parts of both the romance and suspense. And while we did get a balanced amount of both, the romance left me wanting a little more...
Luke Veldkamp has dealt with the loss of his beloved wife by throwing himself into his work as a police captain. And his latest case involving the sons of his very beautiful neighbor from across the street, Celia Batista, is just another opportunity to not deal with his grief.
Except Celia’s presence in his life is starting to stir feelings he thought he’d never have again. As Luke and Celia work together to find one son and keep the other safe, it becomes harder for them to ignore the growing feelings between them.
The suspense part of this book was good. I read a lot and it’s hard to keep me guessing about what’s going on, so I’m pleased to say This Christmas had some twists I didn’t see coming! The action kept things moving but wasn’t too heavy, which was a good thing because I think most people go into a holiday story looking for warm fuzzies and a lighthearted story. (Or maybe that’s just me?)
As for the romance part...I enjoy books about older couples. They tend to have real, actual issues to wade through instead of self-inflicted ones that are all in their heads. And this couple had some deep issues. Luke is still dealing with the loss of his wife, and Celia - a widow of 14 years who recently became an empty nester - is ready to travel and have adventures of her own and would love someone to share her life with after being alone for so long. She knows Luke is a good man, but he’s not ready to move forward and she deserves more. Unfortunately, so much of their conflict resolution was done internally. I wanted to see them have more heartfelt conversations and - gasp - maybe a little more angst between them. There’s also a secondary romance going between Luke’s daughter and one of Celia’s sons that was fun to see develop, but again...I would have liked to see more!
Overall I enjoyed This Christmas. It was an excellent balance to all the sappy holiday love stories I’ve been subjecting myself to the past three weeks!
But this genre is tricky for me. I want equal parts of both the romance and suspense. And while we did get a balanced amount of both, the romance left me wanting a little more...
Luke Veldkamp has dealt with the loss of his beloved wife by throwing himself into his work as a police captain. And his latest case involving the sons of his very beautiful neighbor from across the street, Celia Batista, is just another opportunity to not deal with his grief.
Except Celia’s presence in his life is starting to stir feelings he thought he’d never have again. As Luke and Celia work together to find one son and keep the other safe, it becomes harder for them to ignore the growing feelings between them.
The suspense part of this book was good. I read a lot and it’s hard to keep me guessing about what’s going on, so I’m pleased to say This Christmas had some twists I didn’t see coming! The action kept things moving but wasn’t too heavy, which was a good thing because I think most people go into a holiday story looking for warm fuzzies and a lighthearted story. (Or maybe that’s just me?)
As for the romance part...I enjoy books about older couples. They tend to have real, actual issues to wade through instead of self-inflicted ones that are all in their heads. And this couple had some deep issues. Luke is still dealing with the loss of his wife, and Celia - a widow of 14 years who recently became an empty nester - is ready to travel and have adventures of her own and would love someone to share her life with after being alone for so long. She knows Luke is a good man, but he’s not ready to move forward and she deserves more. Unfortunately, so much of their conflict resolution was done internally. I wanted to see them have more heartfelt conversations and - gasp - maybe a little more angst between them. There’s also a secondary romance going between Luke’s daughter and one of Celia’s sons that was fun to see develop, but again...I would have liked to see more!
Overall I enjoyed This Christmas. It was an excellent balance to all the sappy holiday love stories I’ve been subjecting myself to the past three weeks!
Read
April 18, 2021FREE today (March 15, 2021) on Amazon.
March 19, 2021
This is the first book in the North Star series. And while it somewhat sets a foundation for the rest of the series, it does work as a standalone and it is not necessary to read it before moving on to the next book in the series. However, I think you will enjoy all of the books more if you read them all. I did read this one first.
In this one, we meet Luke, a widow about 11 months out from losing the love of his life. Across the street is Celia, a feisty woman who has been widowed for 14 years. Luke's daughter is grown; Celia's boys are now grown, but she raised them on her own. They have known each other for a few years, but nothing much more than passing acknowledgements.
Luke is a captain in the local police department and finds himself getting involved with Celia and her family when her boys come to town for the Christmas holiday and one's involvement in a crime family comes to light. He also finds himself attracted to Celia and doesn't know what to do with it. He's still raw from losing his wife, but he also knows at some point, he could move on in life. It's completely understandable. I'm about the same age as these characters, and I don't know what I would do if I had grown children and was already widowed, though I have friends in that position.
Luke is frustratingly stubborn at times, convinced that he knows what is best for everyone, even when he is clearly wrong. But I appreciate his turmoil because that felt so much more realistic. Celia also has her frustrating moments at times, with her quick temper. At the same time, it's the stubbornness on both sides that makes these two a perfect match. They just have to give into it and let it happen in its own time.
There's also a bonus romance in the making in this book.
So you have an interesting contemporary romance brewing (okay, times two) with the additional thriller aspect of the organized crime issues affecting Celia's family. I was unexpectedly glued to my Kindle to finish this one and then immediately started the second book in the series. I'm intrigued by the people in this town and enjoy their banter and relationships with each other. I look forward to learning more about the rest of them in later installments.
In this one, we meet Luke, a widow about 11 months out from losing the love of his life. Across the street is Celia, a feisty woman who has been widowed for 14 years. Luke's daughter is grown; Celia's boys are now grown, but she raised them on her own. They have known each other for a few years, but nothing much more than passing acknowledgements.
Luke is a captain in the local police department and finds himself getting involved with Celia and her family when her boys come to town for the Christmas holiday and one's involvement in a crime family comes to light. He also finds himself attracted to Celia and doesn't know what to do with it. He's still raw from losing his wife, but he also knows at some point, he could move on in life. It's completely understandable. I'm about the same age as these characters, and I don't know what I would do if I had grown children and was already widowed, though I have friends in that position.
Luke is frustratingly stubborn at times, convinced that he knows what is best for everyone, even when he is clearly wrong. But I appreciate his turmoil because that felt so much more realistic. Celia also has her frustrating moments at times, with her quick temper. At the same time, it's the stubbornness on both sides that makes these two a perfect match. They just have to give into it and let it happen in its own time.
There's also a bonus romance in the making in this book.
So you have an interesting contemporary romance brewing (okay, times two) with the additional thriller aspect of the organized crime issues affecting Celia's family. I was unexpectedly glued to my Kindle to finish this one and then immediately started the second book in the series. I'm intrigued by the people in this town and enjoy their banter and relationships with each other. I look forward to learning more about the rest of them in later installments.
October 23, 2020
Oh my word. I was not prepared for this book at all. For some reason, I thought it would be kind of like a fluffy Christmas book about a missing person case that has a neatly tied up ending. Yep, I was wrong. This book is so much more than that. It’s a beautifully written book about dealing with loss, new love, and realizing that your adult children aren’t children anymore. Adult children can be even messier than when they were younger. Celia found this out the hard way and then some.
I adored Celia and Luke from the beginning. These two shouldn’t be together, at least on paper. Neighbors, Luke’s wife’s friend, and a sounding board for his daughter, Kenna after the loss of her mother. And of course, Luke hasn’t moved past the death of his wife. It shows in how he treats the people around him. Ms. Winter’s take on his loss is realistic. It’s like he can function with his job but he just didn’t get the memo on how to deal with the people in his life now. Celia on the other hand, her loss was much earlier in life. And of course, when she tried to talk to Luke about it, he wouldn’t listen. Their conversations were real, poignant, and heartfelt.
I loved how this book had two romances going at the same time. Luke and Celia. Alex and Kenna. Neither romance overshadowed the other and in some ways, it only enhanced the other couple. The stink eye that Luke gives Alex is too funny and in some ways, the way Luke tries to “lecture” Kenna is hilarious. The one scene in the garage is too funny. Luke just didn’t know what to think or do. Perfection.
The suspense part of the book is top-notch. It is what drives the plot. Plausible and tension-filled at times but not over the top. Ms. Winter does an excellent job of keeping the tension up while keeping the book character-driven and the potential romances in the front. She blends it seamlessly for me as a reader. You know me, I’m a huge romantic suspense reader so for an author to do that, I’m hooked.
Do yourself a favor and pick up the first book in this series. It’s a great start to seeing the town, the ski resort and I can’t wait to see Luke and Celia again. I miss them.
I adored Celia and Luke from the beginning. These two shouldn’t be together, at least on paper. Neighbors, Luke’s wife’s friend, and a sounding board for his daughter, Kenna after the loss of her mother. And of course, Luke hasn’t moved past the death of his wife. It shows in how he treats the people around him. Ms. Winter’s take on his loss is realistic. It’s like he can function with his job but he just didn’t get the memo on how to deal with the people in his life now. Celia on the other hand, her loss was much earlier in life. And of course, when she tried to talk to Luke about it, he wouldn’t listen. Their conversations were real, poignant, and heartfelt.
I loved how this book had two romances going at the same time. Luke and Celia. Alex and Kenna. Neither romance overshadowed the other and in some ways, it only enhanced the other couple. The stink eye that Luke gives Alex is too funny and in some ways, the way Luke tries to “lecture” Kenna is hilarious. The one scene in the garage is too funny. Luke just didn’t know what to think or do. Perfection.
The suspense part of the book is top-notch. It is what drives the plot. Plausible and tension-filled at times but not over the top. Ms. Winter does an excellent job of keeping the tension up while keeping the book character-driven and the potential romances in the front. She blends it seamlessly for me as a reader. You know me, I’m a huge romantic suspense reader so for an author to do that, I’m hooked.
Do yourself a favor and pick up the first book in this series. It’s a great start to seeing the town, the ski resort and I can’t wait to see Luke and Celia again. I miss them.
October 19, 2020
Luke and Celia are both widowed. He has a daughter - she has three sons. He's a police captain - she teaches second grade. They live across the street from each other, and she was friends with his late wife. One son has some possible legal/criminal troubles that he won't admit to, and his twin brother disappears. The drama and suspense are not over when Alex is located. There's so much mystery and suspense in this book, and more than one romance brewing. Besides Luke and Celia budding friendship/romance, his daughter, Kenna, has taken a shine to her son, Alex. Luke and Celia have some amusing conversations, and a love/hate thing going on - she'd like to act on her attraction to him, but he can't/won't move on from Maggie. This is my first read from this author, and I'll definitely look for her books again.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 14, 2020
This was a funny read for me, the suspense, family drama and the way grief was addressed and dealt with held my interest, I enjoyed the romance, but there were two romances in this story and that's were things got a bit funny for me. I really did enjoy watching Ceila and Luke work through their feelings and find a way to a new relationship but when I finished I had questions about the second romance, I wanted to know more and experience that one as well. I also wanted a little bit more family between the last chapter and the epilogue, to see how they moved on to how they were in the epilogue, if that makes sense? See a funny read for for me, but one that I did enjoy.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 6, 2020
This is book one in The North Star Series and it is Celia and Luke's story and what a story it is. When Celia's son goes missing she knows that she needs help and she knows who to ask. Luke's wife had died and this will be his first Christmas alone so he decides to work long hours to get through it all. Celia and Luke have great chemistry but they also both have a lot of serious baggage between them but will they be able to put everything aside and see what is in front of them. This is the first book that I have read by Laurie Winter and it was so well written and a really great read and I look forward to reading more books From this author.
I voluntarily reviewed an Arc copy of this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an Arc copy of this book.
October 14, 2020
This is a well written book with strong characters in Luke and Celia. The author does a great job developing the story and pulls you in with all the emotions flowing throughout. It's a love/ hate relationship with each of them carrying baggage from their pasts that they will need to work through. The story is brought to life with detailed and descriptive scenes and the story flows fluidly. I enjoyed reading their story and would recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
October 18, 2020
This was a well written, emotionally driven novel. I think that all of the past hurts that Luke and Celia have to get over as he helps her search for her missing son really drag you into the story and keep you there. I think that their love/hate relationship is shown with their characters strong personalities and that mixed with the suspense and romantic feelings between these two makes for a really engaging novel
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2020
Loved this suspenseful romance with Police Captain widowed single dad Luke and his neighbor Celia who is also widowed school teacher with three sons. Celia was a friends to his wife but Luke has always been a bit unfriendly but when one of her sons disappears she ask him for his help in locating him. Enjoyed the suspense and also the romance that Luke tried to deny but in the end he could not. Great story and characters.
October 20, 2020
This is the story of Celia and Luke. One of her twin sons has gone missing. Luke is the Police Captain who is assigned the case. While he is investigating, the attraction between Celia and Luke starts to blossom. Can they keep their family together while they explore their feelings? I enjoyed the mystery and romance in this story. I received an arc of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 27, 2020
The start of The North Star Series a well written story that kept me turning pages. I enjoyed reading school teacher Celia Batista, Police Captain Luke Veldkamp, and their children Celia's twins Alex and Marco, and Andrew, and Luke's daughter Kenna, and the trouble one person's choices can do, to a lot of other people.I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 18, 2020
This is the 1st book I've read written by Laurie Winter; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I loved the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I loved the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
October 24, 2020
I really enjoyed this romantic suspense story. The characters are well depicted, likable, and have issues from the past. This story is well written and has mystery, suspense, and a double romance. This is the first book I have read by this author and I am looking forward to reading more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 10, 2020
This was an emotional read, both Luke and Celia have a lot to get over to heal from the past. Their love/hate relationship is comical at times but also very full of emotions.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 20, 2020
My review is on my blog
https://quirkybookreads.wordpress.com...
https://quirkybookreads.wordpress.com...
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews