Christmas in Alaska: Two heartwarming holiday tales

by Debbie Macomber

Two Christmas weddings—in beautiful Alaska!

Mail-Order Bride

After being jilted by her fiancé, Caroline Myers needs cheering up. So her aunts send her to Gold River, Alaska, on what she thinks is a vacation. But her aunts have something different in mind, and Caroline finds herself married to rugged Paul Trevor. It's obviously a misunderstanding, but can Paul make her see that it might also be a wish come true?

The Snow Bride

Usually practical, Jenna Campbell impulsively heads to Alaska to marry a man she met on the internet. But on the flight to Fairbanks, she meets Reid Jamison, who’s determined to show her she's making a mistake. Reid changes Jenna’s destination, and so she finds herself at his cabin in tiny Snowbound. That leaves her stuck with Reid, a bunch of eccentric old men and a few grizzly bears. But as she gets to know Reid, she realizes she might become a Christmas bride after all. 

A fast, frothy fantasy for those looking to add some romance to their holidays. —Publishers Weekly

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Fiction, Holiday, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Novels

384 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2016

About the author

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Fifteen of these novels hit the number one spot.

In 2023, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publication includes Must Love Flowers (July). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, three adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.

Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.

She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

My maternal grandmother adored Debbie Macomber and I thought of her when my friend sent this book my way. They were good camping reads but maybe I am just too Canadian, I couldn't connect with two women who felt they didn't know the men around them because " they wore a beard" Ladies, I cry when he shaves it!






Goodreads review published 25/07/21

[Rebekah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is actually two books published in a single edition and you guys, you know I have read some pretty stupid books, but the first of these, Mail Order Bride, was quite possibly the STUPIDEST book I have ever read. False pretenses but in a conniving not cute way, silly old aunts plotting but in federal offense ways, stoic handsome wilderness man but in a "you made an agreement even though it was your aunts and you had no idea so I'm holding you to it and holding you against your will and calling you 'love' all the time" way. Spoiler alert, she came to love the man and the tiny Alaska town. Book two, Snow Bride, was definitely really stupid in its own right, but by virtue of being paired with the world's stupidest book, looked pretty okay. It is also really dumb though and also involves baaaaasically kidnapping, but for her own good, and then they fall in love, so the moral of the stories is very clearly: just keep the woman you like, she will learn to love you and everything will be justified in the end. B A R F

[laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

it is so bad, i want to give you a zero. but that's not possible, so i give you a 1.

i bought this book as a joke. as i have a deep and intense love for hallmark movies around christmas time, i thought i would give what is effectively the book version a try. i thought this would be a lighthearted and corny romance novel that i could laugh about and deconstruct as i often do with hallmark movies. instead this book contained two of the most terrifying plots i have ever read.

the first of macomber's "heartwarming holiday tales" told the story of a young woman effectively drugged by two elderly relatives and shipped of to rural alaska where she was married off to a strange man unwillingly and then held captive in his home. genuinely. this is the plot. this man, paul trevor was his name, was painted by macomber as an upstanding man just seeking a woman to get him through the harsh alaskan winters. yes, we were supposed to root for him. supposed to hope that he convinces his kidnapping victim of a wife that she loved him and wanted to stay in this tiny town in the wilderness. there were points in the novel where caroline, the wife, was literally scream crying at paul, begging to be sent back home and paul was genuinely just like "women are crazy lol, in the morning she's gonna love me". and then SHE FUCKING DID. i literally felt sick to my stomach reading this story like it was literally just about stockholm syndrome but like packaged as a cute winter romance read. i think debbie macomber needs therapy.

the second story felt much less problematic but it contained many of the same elements, starting with a woman being kidnapped by a stranger and being taken to a rural alaskan village she couldnt escape from. at least this time she wasn't married off and seemed to possess free will.

i literally cannot believe this book was written and want to offer to pay for debbie macombers therapy. jesus.

[Terry Engel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheesy to be sure. But you read these because it’s cheesy and makes you feel good.
Stories are predictable but again that’s to be expected. It’s like watching the Hallmark channel but instead of a remote, it’s a book.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

See individual books for reviews (Snow Bride and Mail Order Bride).

[Krista Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This two novellas were so well done! I loved both of the stories and the characters! As always Debbie Macomber does not disappoint!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul & Caroline are main characters in first story. I liked the 2nd story better. First was too contrived but the complexity of Jenna and Reid's tale was captivating.
There's not enough Christmas n here for me to categorize the book there.

[Libbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice light read

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, easy, quick read.

[Debbie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One story was just okay but the other was good

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will try not to be too harsh because this book was supposed to be cheesy.. but the male characters in these stories are borderline scary NOT romantic! Holding someone against their will until they fall in love!? That is Stockholm syndrome my friend...
Not my type of romance.

[Sienna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two stories about women being kidnapped? How festive!

[Kristy Finto · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I didn't love the first story in here, the second one was so good. Both were fun, quick reads. I love Alaskan settings and I definitely got those vibes in these two stories.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice duo of Christmas stories though i didn’t enjoy the first as much as the second

[Ashly Barron · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s a no from me, dog.

[Bev Walkling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure what it is about Alaska that appeals to me - it's certainly not the cold! Whatever, these two were fun reads and good escapist reading.

[Courtney Frye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, quick Christmas read with a touch of romance, but not a lot. A little far fetched in terms of the whole mail-order-bride scenarios. If you're looking for an easy, heart-felt read, this was two books in one with very similar plot lines.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas in Alaska is comprised of two stories. "Mail-Order Bride" and "The Snow Bride" both take place in Alaska at Christmastime.  
In "Mail-Order Bride", Caroline Myers doesn't know that she's headed to Alaska as a mail-order bride. Her elderly aunts disguised the trip as a vacation.They took the decision into their own hands believing that it was the best they could do to guarantee their cherished niece's happiness. Hilarious confusion follows!   
"The Snow Bride" presents a different reason for a flight to Alaska. Jenna Walsh is under the belief that she has found her soul mate in a man she's met on the internet. Somehow she ends up in a remote town in Alaska where she is the only woman. To me this story was much more entertaining and funnier. It was also sweet and exciting. The description was so vivid that I got the illusion that I was there. There was only one thing that had me stumped – nobody had cell phones! So I'm not sure of precisely when the story takes place.     

[Aletha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I love to watch HORRIBLE romantic Hallmark Xmas movies on Netflix during the holiday season.

The first story was AWFUL, unrealistic, hard to get into and that is unusual for me with romances. It was cheesy and predictable and not even a "this is bad but so good".

The second story had better development and was bad but in a fun way. I loved the secondary characters as they made me laugh out loud with their personalities.

Overall, it wasn't as Christmasy as I hoped but it was just as bad as I expected (the second one in the way I wanted it, the first one not worth a recommendation or secondary read.)

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually 2 shorter stories both with a setting of Alaska. The first was "Mail-Order Bride" which is the story of Caroline whose 2 aunts answer an ad in the paper (in her name) of a man living in Alaska wanting a mail-order bride. Caroline has no idea when she flies to Alaska any of this has happened. The second is "The Snow Bride" which is the story of Jenna who flies to Alaska to meet the man of her dreams she met in a chat room. However due to a snow storm she ends up in tiny Snowbound and things are very different than her plans.

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Order Bride - Zero stars. Maybe it is because the #MeToo movement impacts my thoughts but this story really bothered me as the story started with a female character being tricked into getting married to a stranger while she was drunk and then being kept a prisoner and a remote Alaska village. This is not romantic, its terrible.

The Snow Bride was better because the female was knew what she was getting into.

[Deb · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this book for Christmas 2021. I’ve liked Debbie’s other series before but these two stories were the worst I’ve ever read. I only got through the book just because I wanted to see how it ended. The lead women in the book were basically lost souls going to Alaska to find husbands. One was even a mail order bride! I suppose things like that still happen in real life but I could not relate at all to the characters, especially the women. Truly one of the worst books I’ve ever read.

[Marmaid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was exhausted the entire way through reading this book. The first story made me so mad I threw the bloody book at a wall and glared at it! And I am not a book thrower! I just wanted it to be over. The second story was ok but the first one infuriated me with each page! Caroline caved WAY too easily even though she had every right to be infuriated because of just a kiss!

[Mary Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book that had two novels in it. The first was much more fun to read than the second. An avid fan of Debbie Macomber, I usually read whatever she has written, and she has written a lot of books. The plots of both of these books were a little far fetched, but they were entertaining. They are not as good as I usually expect of her.

[Sami · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at page 198. I originally picked this up to reread Mail-Order bride, the first of the two stories in this bind up. I finished it, and unfortunately it wasn’t as good as I remembered. Severely lacking in development, which made the romance really unrealistic. I had more than a few eye rolls. Then I got to the second story, and I just couldn’t force myself to get through it.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book didn't translate into 2021 well. Full of kidnapping and Stockholm syndrome.

[erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF-- Got a few pages into The Snow Bride (around pg. 170), and was still so furious about the Mail Order Bride that I decided to put the book down and refuse to continue.

My thoughts (and excuse my french): WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS BOOK?

The characters in the Mail Order Bride were insufferable. Caroline seemed to be suffering a terrible case of Stockholm syndrome while simultaneously being absolutely just as jealous and obnoxious as Paul. Paul, himself, essentially harbored a woman captive after he married her when she was heavily inebriated. He really said "you want to leave after you accidentally married me when you were under the influence of alcohol? Um, cute, but that's not happening. Also, you're my wife and we WILL bone eventually." His actions were criminal, and Carolina and him actually staying together is a crime. You know what else is a crime? Literally every single action that the aunts in this book did.

Can we please get Carolina out of there and into therapy or something? Honey, remember when he just watched as all the disgusting, drunk men were forcing you to dance and wanted you to strip and could have done something horrible to you? And then he made you feel embarrassed and mortified for YOUR actions? Or when he was furious that you sent a letter even though he didn't know what was in it? Or literally dragged you around everywhere he went because he refused to leave you alone because you may try to leave him? What the fuck? This man spent 160 pages gaslighting, provoking, and keeping this woman captive and we're supposed to think that it's cute? That it's love? Sorry, that is not how this work. Consent felt dubious even at the best of times. In a different novel, this easily could have been written as a woman's survival in trying to get out of an abusive relationship. Just keep that in mind.

At the end of the day, don't bother with this one. I'm not sure in The Snow Bride was better, but I won't be reading it to find out. This will be in the next bag that heads off to Goodwill. Good riddance!

[Jeanette Durkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. There are some swear words and some sensual moments.
Mail Order Bride- Caroline is suffering from a broken heart. She had been left at the alter by her fiancé. Her aunts that she lives with decide to answer a mail order Bride application without her knowledge. She thinks she's going to Alaska on a vacation but it's really to marry Paul. She doesn't realized that she's even married until she wakes up in Paul's bed the next morning. She runs away but Paul finds her and brings her back. Gradually she fits into life in her new hometown. Eventually, they grow to love each other but then they hurt each other with unkind words. Caroline goes back to Seattle but soon finds herself missing Paul. He comes to find her and they return to Alaska.
The Snow Bride- Jenna impulsively decides to go to Alaska to meet Dalton, a man she met on the internet. On the flight to Fairbanks she meets Reid. When he discovers who's she meeting he is determined to keep Jenna away from Dalton. He kidnaps her to Snowbound, his hometown. At first Jenna is upset but then she starts to develop feelings for Reid. He also likes her. Dalton, who was stranded in Fairbanks comes to take Jenna to his home. Unfortunately, he is nothing like how he described himself. Jenna wants Reid to say that he wants her to stay but he's too stubborn. Jenna returns to California and tries to return to her old life. She desperately misses Reid. One day her mother comes to California to pack up boxes for her move to Alaska and Reid is there! They go back to Alaska and Jenna is a snow Bride after all.

[Danielle Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas in Alaska by Debbie Macomber contains two hilarious yet sweet heartfelt tales. The first one is about a young woman whose two aunts sign up to be a mail order bride. She knows nothing about it. Thinking she's going on an adventure in Alaska because her aunts think she's not happy, she did not suspect a thing. On the way there, she drinks the magic brew tea, gets drunks, and somehow marries a complete stranger. Both are attracted to each other. Waking up, she and the man find out what happened and how she came to be in Alaska. However, he's not wanting a divorce and forces her to stay with him to talk it out...

The second story is about a young woman who has been in love with her boss for 6-years. She was his secretary. Now, she's ready for action, adventure, and a husband. Thus, she agrees to meet her online male friend in Alaska to see if she will find more. But as things turn out, the man in question who is missing, she meets another man. A very rude man who flies her to his part of Alaska. She is madder than a grizzly bear. However, they find once calm, they have a lot more in common. Turns out the rude man is actually a lot nicer than he is. Now, she has her boss and the male friend coming out to ask for her hand in marriage. Neither one wants to lose. Also, neither does the rude man. But it is up to her to decide on her own happily ever after.

Overall, I enjoyed reading these two novellas. They definitely make one blush, laugh hard, and wanting to stay in Alaska. These stories are both charming and fun. The women and their men are unforgettable characters.

[brewabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first story Mail-order Bride was a quick read that had me grinning from ear to ear.
Caroline is a nurse living in Seattle with her two elderly aunts who greatly reminded me of the witches from Hocus Pocus with their “brew” and bantering. Caroline is devastated after her fiancé leaves her at the alter and her aunts out of sheer concern write to a young man who has put an ad in the paper for a bride. Under a disguise for a vacation Caroline goes to Alaska and meets Paul the man her aunts hope will be her future husband.
This was a fun traditional-esc romance with your usual miscommunications and struggle over emotions but it was also heartwarming and very well written. I could see these characters becoming regulars in a series and wouldn’t be the least bit bored.

The second story The snow bride was a similar story. Here you had a kooky Mom who herself couldn’t get love right and her daughter who signs up for a mail order bride and travels to Alaska to meet her man. Lucky for her the gentleman sitting next to her on her flight to Fairbanks knows all too well about him and ends up kidnapping her so she will see the truth. In doing so the residents of the small town all fall in love with her and the grumpy old gents become pseudo crazy loving uncles to her who also guide and protect her. Near the end of the story she has 3 men vying for her love and its interesting who she picks.
4⭐️’s