Christmas Everlasting: Local Hero / All I Want For Christmas

by Nora Roberts

'Tis the season for heartwarming romance! Fall in love with these two holiday classics from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts.

Local Hero
Single mother Hester Wallace hardly has time for the holidays. Between settling in to her new apartment and chasing after her nine-year-old son, Radley, she’s beginning to feel the pressure of trying to have it all together. So when her neighbor, comic book writer Mitch Dempsey, offers to look after Radley in the afternoons, Hester reluctantly accepts. Mitch is a stranger, after all, even if he is generous and has a connection with her son. Eventually, Hester finds herself relying on Mitch…and even worse, admitting that he’s found his way into her heart.

All I Want for Christmas
Wanting a change from her fast-paced life in Manhattan, Nell Davis moves to the small town of Taylor’s Grove, Maryland, to revamp the local music program. Her sweet students, identical six-year-olds Zeke and Zack Taylor, have already stolen her heart—though she can’t say the same for their brooding father, Mac. A single parent, Mac firmly believes that any romance will only distract him from raising his sons. Little does he know, a mother like Nell is exactly what the boys are hoping for this Christmas…

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Novels, Fiction, Holiday

320 pages, Paperback

Published October 26, 2021

About the author

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Reviews

[Nikki Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should start off by saying this book contains two short stories and I bought it not realizing I read the first already so I read the second one.
This was exactly what I needed, just a Hallmark movie in a book ♥️

[Toni Laliberte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains two separate stories by Nora, one shorter Christmas themed story and one longer regular story. Both are love stories involving single parents falling fast for someone new, but being scared to fall, for many different reasons. In Local Hero, Hester and her young son Radley recently moved into a new apartment across from Central Park, and soon meet their downstairs neighbor Mitch and his dog Taz. Radley is excited to learn Mitch is the creator of his favorite comic book hero, Commander Zark. Hester is just leery because he's so handsome and she's scared because she's been single for ten years. Raising Radley on her own, she's worked hard to give him a good and secure life and doesn't want anyone to screw it up. As Mitch wears down her defenses, Hester finally sees that adding Mitch to their family of two will benefit all of them. Soon, love wins and they all live happily ever after. In All I Want For Christmas, twins Zack and Zeke write a letter to Santa super early and ask him for a Mom. They don't have one. Their father Mac has raised them and they live in a small town. They write specific instructions on what she should look like, how she should be nice, bake cookies, and like dogs, especially their dog Commander Zark. (They like that comic book too) After school their cousin Kim takes them to her choir practice at the high school and that's where they first meet the new choir teacher Nell. They know at once, she's the Mom from their letter to Santa. Nell also feels something when she sees the cute twin boys staring up at her. When Mac comes to pick up his sons, he meets Nell. After they see each other a few times, they start to fall for each other, but Mac is scared because of his sons mother running out on them and he doesn't want that to happen again. After a disagreement with Nell, Mac finds out from the twins about their letter to Santa and they tell him Nell is the Mom! As Christmas gets closer he starts to believe as his children do and he tells Nell how he feels and that he wants her in his and his sons lives. The end.

[Karen Carey · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I enjoyed the first book, all I want for Christmas which was an easy, light hearted read with the typical ending it was bound to have. However, I stopped reading the second book, local hero as I thought the way the character Mitch was portrayed was unnecessary and made him seem too dominating.

[Anna (bibliophiles_bookstagram) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Not my fave. The book is comprised of two novellas, and the first one really has nothing to do with Christmas. The second one was cute, but (and I love Hallmark movies, so this speaks volumes) just too cheesy.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two books in one:

Local Hero : Single mom Hester Wallace and her son, Radley just moved into a new apartment after a job promotion. She is in a jam with finding new sitters for her nine-year-old. Along comes Mitch, another tenant who works from home as a comic book writer (the one that Radley loves). Rad and Mitch hit it off and reluctantly Hester accepts Mitch's kind offer to watch Rad after school. Soon (although Hester has determined she has no time for romance after watching her low-life husband take off never to return), Mitch and Hester fall in love...with the typical, predictable ending.

All I Want for Christmas Music teacher Nell moves to small town Taylor's Grove after being let go from her New York teaching position because of funding cuts. She finds a likeable town with great kids to mentor. She meets Zack and Zeke who are her student Kim's cousins. The six-year-old twins are smitten with Nell and secretly ask Santa to make her THE mom. Of course, curmudgeonly dad, Mac wants nothing to do with romance. Or does he?

Very childlike writing with adult issues makes for a strange juxtaposition of a storyline. Typical Hallmark-y scenes, settings, and outcomes.

[Karelisse Poventud · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm gonna have to rate each story differently

A Local Hero 3 ⭐️
It was a cute story but it was a bit of a bore. Not really a Christmas story. Just set in New York when it snows. I'm not to sure about the title for this story. I didn't really picture Mitch a hero. Kinda throws you off. Maybe in the sense of his character in the comics he writes 🤷‍♀️. It had a cute ending. It was sweet.

All I Want For Christmas 5 ⭐️
I really liked this story. It was beautiful, sweet and tearful. It's a mini Hallmark movie. The twin boys, Zeke and Zack are just too adorable and asking Santa they want "the" mom, their words. It had a nice flow with the change of time amd going through the months. It didn't seem forced. This story was perfect start to the holiday season.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

First story, Local Hero, hated the male character. One, he was kind of a pervert. I know he'a supposed to be sexy and daring but came out as pushy, manipulative, and perverted. Didn't like it at all which made the romance bad. Second, where is the title coming from? There's no hero, nothing heroic happening...if it's refering to the comic's character, I get it less.

Second story, liked it a little more, BUT, again the male character wasn't so lovable. Not a pervert this time but I don't understand how they fell in love when nothing actually happened between them.

All in all, one of my Nora Roberts' least favorite book.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Local Hero: 2/5

This was alright. I didn’t really care for the characters and become frustrated with them often. It had it’s moments, but it moved too fast in terms of the relationship for me. Mitch was very pushy towards Hester and moving their relationship forward. She had her own things she needed to figure out first and he semi understood and respected it, but overall it felt he did not. I know he had good intentions, but some times he needed to back off.

All I Want for Christmas: 3/5

Cute story. Definitely a storyline you’ve seen for a Christmas romance movie on Hallmark. Loved the feel of it. The characters were sweet. I enjoyed them! Nell and Mac look cute together and I liked how their relationship professed. Zack and Zeke are adorable and them wishing for “the mom” is so sweet.

[Tricia Di · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted a believable feel good Christmas book. This book had 2 different stories in 1 book. The first was ok but not really a Christmas story, set in NY.single mom, struggle bit of a dragged out predicable ending. The 2nd was a total hallmark predicable ending Christmas story . Discovering I do not like completely predicable books even if Christmas themed. If you want a light read with happy very predicable endings you will like these stories. They ended satisfactory in both books joust the in between story lines were just ok.

[Amberlee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first Nora Roberts book & I was not a fan of either of these stories.
My biggest complaint with Local Hero was Mitch was so pushy and needed Hester to marry him immediately when he easily could have chilled and given her some more time.
I was liking All I Want For Christmas better until the last couple chapters when the relationship was such a rollercoaster and then suddenly they were engaged.

[Monica Pattison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for a cozy/Christmas book, but it did not meet my expectations! The book is split into two novellas. The first novella does not even hint at Christmas, but is a cute romance. The second novella only feels Christmassy the last 20ish pages. The title “Christmas Everlasting” does not match the book one bit!

[Abby Mace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Local hero isn’t a Christmas novel it’s just romantic and dull.
All I want for Christmas is a Christmas novel but it reads like a hallmark movie. It’s another romance very similar to local hero with some miracle on 34th St.

[Cathey McKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Christmas I love to read a good Christmas story, do with that in mind I bought this book. It is typical Nora Roberts writing, but I was disappointed when I found the first story was written in the 80’s.

[Deborah · Rating 1 out of 5]

With lines like: "She shifted uncomfortably......There was something unnerving about being alone with this man." Followed by; "a sensible man gave them a wide berth. Too bad because she was a looker." The 'good' guy procedes to force a kiss. I hated this book and stopped reading halfway into it.

[Merceda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book, but with all that has changed over the last 20 years in regards to relationships, it was not really what I wanted to read. It was a good book from Nora Roberts, but you can tell it was written in the '90s.

[Maritere Matosantos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warm and fuzzy. Short and straightforward. Interesting characters, cute and smart children. Troubled single parents who work it out at the end. This book is a reprint of her earlier work but I hadn’t read them.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book consists of two stories about single parents finding love, and how much more complicated it is when kids are involved. The first story (Local Hero) was better than the second. I appreciated the complexity of adding kids to the equation, but the stories were pretty dull.

[Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

My first time reading Nora Roberts and my last. Hated it. Male characters were awful. Story goes from hating the person to marrying them in such a short time frame. A book I did not like after the first chapter but kept reading thinking it would get better. It did not.

[Teri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mundane

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple stories, good Christmas time read!

[Judy Herling · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 short novellas. Cute and very “Hallmarkish”.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lonely guys and gals meet, spark and make permanent commitments within a few weeks or months, one in a Hallmark movie setting. Two stories.

[Annie Z. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but predictable. The first story is not even a Christmas story so what the hell?!?

[Lee Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A warm Christmas read- 2 good stories!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

One book, 2 stories - easy read, no surprises with a happy ending. Very Hallmark-ish, so I wasn’t disappointed.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two stories in one book. Nice relaxing read. Thoroughly enjoyable!

[Shannan Rawcliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book with two stories. Easy read to help bring some joy into my ever growing college reading list.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good rom-com. I do have a problem with promoting instant chemistry upon meeting someone. Sometimes you just know but I believe those times are rare. Quick read and enjoyable.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very slow. Very predictable.

[Charlene French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good short stories just wish they had been longer The second one was definitely shorter than the first though