Home in Time for Christmas

by Heather Graham

Melody Tarleton is driving home for Christmas when a man—clad in Revolutionary War–era costume—appears out of nowhere, right in the path of her car. Shaken, she takes the injured stranger in, listening with concern to Jake Mallory's fantastic claim that he's a Patriot soldier executed by British authorities.

Bringing Jake to her parents' house, Melody concocts a story to explain the handsome holiday guest with the courtly manners and strange clothes. Mark, her close friend who wishes he were more, is skeptical, but her family is fascinated. So is Melody. Jake is passionate, charming and utterly unlike anyone she's ever met. Can he really be who he claims? And can a man from the distant past be the future she truly longs for?

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Time Travel, Holiday, Fiction, Contemporary, Fantasy

285 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Also published as Heather Graham Pozzessere and Shannon Drake.

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell's Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette's Shadows, and for Harlequin's mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.

Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children's charity.

She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.

Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

Reviews

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 1 out of 5]

What did I just read?

I am going to have to agree with all those reviewers that gave this story either one or two stars. Neither the contemporary storyline nor the time travel section made any sense. Mallory? Meh. Jake? I felt sorry for the guy. I thought the other characters were just filler for a silly, nonsensical, wannabe Christmas romance.

What a shame.

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know if I am going through some sort of reading slump, but it seems lately I've been able to finds things to pick apart in the recent books I've read. This being no exception in that while the story sounded really interesting, the author didn't do it justice.

First, while she initially tried to have the 18th century gentleman speak proper English as he probably would have, it seemed like she gave up half way through the book. Then, throughout it all, the modern day heroine kept saying to him that things weren't as wonderful as they seemed. OK, I got it the first few times, didn't need repetitious dialogue. And speaking of dialogue, it felt like most of it was just filler, had nothing to do with the story. Then, back in the 18th century, the characters went into the kitchen. Now, I could be wrong, but I didn't think kitchens were separate rooms back then - didn't the woman do all the cooking over a huge fireplace in the keeping room?? And finally, an editor should have picked up on the fact that while the priest gave a ROSE to the modern day gentlemen, a few chapters later, it turned into ROSES.

All in all though I finished this book, I kept checking to see how many more pages I had left. Mildly enjoyable but now know that had I never read it, I wouldn't have missed anything.

[Rachel-RN · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. I didn't connect with any of the characters. Things that I probably wouldn't notice, or care about, irked me. Melody's parents are too nice and wacky. Too nice (think of a Hallmark Christmas movie!)! And of course, they live in Jake's old house. Yep, he recognized it. After 233+ years of remodeling and changes, etc it was still recognizable to him. (Yeah right). I could go on, but I've wasted enough time.

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melody menemukan Jake saat scr tidak sengaja nyaris menabrak Jake. Melody awalnya menyangka Jake orang sinting krn terus2ann terheran-heran dgn kemajuan teknologi abad 21. Belakangan Melody baru menyadari Jake berkata jujur bhw dia berasal dari thn 1776.

Alur ceritanya menarik dan kocak juga walaupun garing. Cerita satu keluarga eksentrik tetapi rukun dan saling menyayangi satu sama lain. Sayangnya, chemistry Melody dan Jake terasa "mentah" krn tidak jelas ketertarikan apa diantara mereka sehingga saling jatuh cinta. Apa kelebihan Jake ketimbang Mark (mantan teman kencan Melody yg tipe pemaksa) masih terasa samar2 bagi saya.

Yg justru lucu tapi garing adalah saat Mark, Melody dan Jake terpental-pental antara thn 1776 dan abad 21. Solusi utk ending-nya juga rada maksa, tapi yasudahlah... yg penting HEA. Untung sekali tertolong oleh terjemahan yg rapi dan diberi footnote utk kosakata yg tidak umum.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travel book about Christmas……I had to love it. It was a bit far fetched….but the old adage that love transcends time….come through in this book

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really tried to enjoy this book but I just could not get into the story or the characters. Some of it all felt a little too out three for me.
I just kept feeling sorry for Jake the whole time and that he didn’t deserve any of this.

[Lorna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story 3.25 stars Narration 4 stars. ***Possible spoilers***I enjoyed the story for the most part until the last fourth or so when things kind of unraveled a bit for me. I’ve read a lot of time travel and there’s so many ways authors have chosen to make it happen. This time it became really convoluted in the end. Jumping back and forth in time and changing up the ritual each time made no sense. You really have to suspend your belief in anything to go on with this story. Also all the different outcomes? These people were acting pretty crazy at the most inopportune times! Other things too, but I’m going to leave it at that.

However, if you just decide you are going to enjoy it and not worry about it making much sense, you may find it to be a fun and enjoyable read/listen. For the most part I did. It actually would make for a cute Christmas movie actually.

[Kara Mettler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised that this book kept me interested. The first few chapters had me wondering if I really wanted to read it, because it just seemed so scattered and poorly thought out. HOWEVER those chapters all started to tie in together and create a really interesting plot. I was really glad I stuck with it. The characters all have very different and strong personalities, which makes the interaction among them very fun to read.

I love that the author includes different religious views, and different opinions on those religions. Historically accurate, too.

[Amber Plant · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. I give kudos to Ms. Graham, I’m pretty sure I’ve never read a time traveler Christmas book before! It was nice to step out if the cookie cutter story lines. The story itself was good. It got a little annoying in places and the editing was terrible. It’s been a while since I’ve ran into so many typos and grammatical errors. All in all a quick, easy read!

[Melissa-ann Strausser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story if u like Christmas & history (1776). I loved it.

[Sandy]

Loved it.

[Laura Jean Potter-Bucek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I especially loved the characters and plot! I love the growth of the characters! I will recommend this book to my fellow book friends !

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the second book that I read for my read-a-thon last weekend in the Goodreads group You'll love this one...!! A book club & more. This was the very first book I've read by the author and I figured I may as well give this book a try since I think I've owned it for somethink like 3 years.

Anyways, the reason I wanted to get this one out of the way was because I wanted to try a new author but I was also craving another holiday romance after I finished A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas which was the first book I read for the read-a-thon my review can be found here. Plus I'd heard some really good things about the author so I thought why not?

So the book focuses around Melody, a young woman with a wee bit of an attitude problem whom as she is driving home hits a mysterious stranger (Jake) dressed up in clothes from 1700s. After hitting him she brings him to her family home despite the fact that she thinks he's off his rocker and completely insane or at least suffering from a horrible case of amnesia due to the accident.

However through a series of events it comes to pass that Jake really is a solider from the Revolutionary War who was hanged and disappeared from the noose on Christmas 1776 after his adopted sister uses his mother's magic to transport him to the future. But, while Jake is safe in the future he worries for his sister so he recruits Melody's family to help send him back in time which works except Mark a man that melody was dating previously shows up and bungles their first attempt of 3 I believe. Anyways, 3 attempts later and Melody and Jake make a life for themselves in Melody's time after Mark who mysteriously looks like Jake goes back in time to be with Sarah Jake's sister all in time for Christmas.

I thought that this was a nice twist to the usual time travel fiction that I've read because it has the man coming forward through time and I liked how there was a bit of witchcraft mixed in as well. I liked how it was set during the holidays and I enjoyed the characters of Melody's parents, younger brother, Jake and Sarah but I honestly could not stand Melody or Mark.

I thought Mark was an ass. He was very close minded about other peoples beliefs and I couldn't handle it. I'm pretty sure if he was as real person that I would murder him. He was that annoying. Plus he was trying to be all macho and it didn't make sense to me.

Melody, was a little easier to handle but I still didn't like her so much. She was rude, over the top and very pessimistic and selfish. However, later on in the novel I did start liking her a little more and I think it is because of how she mellowed out a bit because of her love for Jake.

Like I said the plot of the novel was good but I think it could have been executed a little better and the characters could have been more realistic and less annoying. Plus there were one or two plot holes that I thought could have done with a major fix because they didn't make much sense.

I did enjoy the spirit of the novel though and that was about finding love around Christmas and weather it is science, witchcraft or the magic of Christmas the holidays are about being surrounded by the family, friends (and pets!) that you love.

I would recommend this novel to fans of contemporary holiday romances with a clean rating. It was a cute Christmas story that I think can easily be devoured in one sitting (I did it!) under a blanket curled up on the couch with a nice hot beverage. Despite my issues with some things in the book I'm going to check out more of this author's books but I've heard I may have better luck with her non-holiday books so I'll be checking those out first before returning to try another of her holiday romances.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tis the season to believe in miracles and love and Heather Graham Pozzessere delivers both with this delightful present in Home In Time For Christmas.
Graham is a prolific best-selling author of several genres from romance and paranormal to romantic suspense so it was a pleasure to find Home In Time For Christmas that combines her historical romance roots in a contemporary with a paranormal (time travel) element.
This unique plot for a Christmas story captivated me from the start with the colliding worlds of a patriot soldier about to be hanged and a 21st century woman returning home to her family in New England. The two intersect on a stretch of road Melody Tarleton is driving on her way to Boston to celebrate Christmas with her family. When Jake Mallory appears in her headlights dressed in Revolutionary-era garb the magic begins.
Concerned for his well-being and complete disorientation, Melody brings Jake home to recuperate while she tries to locate his family. Fortunately, her parents, Mona and George are grown up hippies welcoming all ideas and people into their world which is a direct contrast to their more cynical daughter.
Graham’s trademark of tight plotting and sensual characters allows for suspension of disbelief as readers are immediately plunged into the week of Christmas while the Tarleton family works to make sense of Jake who in turn, tries understand his apparent time travel through a hangman’s noose and he and Melody fall in love.
Sensing something amiss with their unusual houseguest (though not alarmed), Melody’s parents undertake their own rescue operations when Mona discover diaries from the Revolution that harbor clues about him while George – an inventor – continues working on an invention to harness energy and open a portal in their backyard. The right amount of humor, action and magic mixed in with just enough of the ‘what if’ permit readers to consider the possibilities.
With only 48 hours available to travel through the portal to his own time, Jake wrestles with his decision to do so. When Melody’s friend Mark shows up, the tension is ratcheted up as she must decide between Jake and Mark knowing Jake is determined to return to the 18th century even as their relationship progresses.
As the group works feverishly to unravel the time portal and clues about their Revolutionary War soldier, Jake’s sister Serena’s diaries reveal the story of her journey to New York in an attempt to free her brother with the last means available to her: rose petals, potions and ancient spells. But an ending has yet to be written. Precipitous action by Melody and Mark upend the time continuum sending each to ultimately understand and find their respective destinies.
Humor is littered throughout the book as Jake tries to make sense of the 21st century and the unconventional Tarleton family conspires to find a way to get everyone back where they belong. Melody’s brother Keith is a delightful foil to his family and Jake’s sense of duty and honor are palpable. This works thanks to a total suspension of reality and enchanting belief in magic and Christmas.
A light-hearted read that provides enough emotion with holiday flair adding up to a nice escape during the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Put this book on your list and don’t think twice!

[Kristi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heather Graham presents a story where a Revolutionary Patriot (Jake) is about to be hanged, when his sister performs some magic and he is transported into the 21st century. There he lands in the middle of a road and is almost hit by Melody, the heroine of our story.

The following story is entertaining, but a touch longer than it needed to be. I enjoyed the characters and I liked how Graham wrote them, for the most part. I found myself not at all sympathetic to Melody, and found her to be quite annoying. I didn't appreciate her waffling nature, nor her tendency to play ostrich while others around her tried to guess what her thoughts and feelings were. However, that's just my personal opinion, as I never appreciate a character who is too afraid to speak her mind, and live as she's meant to live.

I enjoyed Melody's family though. Her mother and father are quite something, and I think they were the personification of Christmas in this book: the acceptance of others, allowing others to follow their own paths, faith in each other and the people around them, and opening themselves up to giving to others who might be of need.

The historical fiction parts (about the Revolutionary War) were interspersed enough that they were educational and interesting without being too overwhelming.

I also enjoyed the take on how science, magic, and faith all have a link to one another. It takes faith in oneself to achieve new scientific inventions, even when it seems that magic is what's needed because the task seems impossible. I like how Graham shows that sometimes life takes a little bit of all 3 as well.

Overall, it was an easy read, but not thoroughly entertaining. I felt the book would have been better as a short story. I think quite a bit of the information, or even parts of the story itself, were included to help fill the pages in order to make it long enough to stand on its own.

[Highland-dreamer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed with this book. The premise sounded good, and I love time travel romances, so I thought this was a good bet. I am all for suspending reality a little, don't get me wrong, but one crucially important fact about the time period was SO OFF, I felt embarrassed for the author. For clarification, the US Constitution was written in 1787. The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776, followed by the Articles of Confederation (and the final draft of those came a few years later- can't remember exactly, but I know it was after 1776). Therefore, Jake could have NO KNOWLEDGE of the Constitution, since he left his time in 1776, and the Constitution was not written yet. Certainly, this should be something the editor would have caught, since it is brought up several times throughout the book. I may have been able to forgive this one error, if not for all the other errors! There were so many typos and editing mistakes, it was distracting. The writing wasn't very good either. If you still want to read this book, I recommend getting it from the library- don't spend the money!

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn't exactly like I expected. I thought it would be a quick, steamy, and romantic read, but I was wrong on the steamy part. There were no love scenes or even very much kissing. I've read young adult romances that were steamier than this. The plot of this book wasn't very believable but I guess the concept behind Christmas isn't very believable to some people. I found myself siding with Melody that people can't travel through time and that is just a ridiculous notion. But then I got to thinking I'm sure people think it's crazy that a child was born from a virgin mother too. This is a Christmas book after all and it did portray common Christmas themes such as belief and faith. It was a quick read that did get you thinking about all the technology and technological advances the 21st century has. I guess if we've come this far who knows what is possible in the future. I think that's the point of this book, maybe not to get people to believe in the plot-line of time travel but to see how far we've come and with a little faith to imagine what we can achieve.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the beginning: The concept of this book sounds great... I am excited to read where this book can go... Jake appears in the road that Melody is driving on to go home for Christmas. Where did he come from? 1776...

In the middle: I am having a hard time getting into this book... There is no chemistry yet with Melody and Jake... I have been reading this book for days and I am only half way through and finding it hard to pick up to keep reading... I hope it gets better soon!!!

The end: 2/3 of the way thru the book I decided to skip paragraphs... The book just never took off for me. Yes I did want to know how it ended but it was pretty easy to figure out what would happen. None of the characters meshed to me and since it was so obvious the ending just had no bang to it. I love Graham's books but this one I wish I had missed. (I gave it 2 stars because I did want to read the ending and I only give 1 star to books I can't stand to finish.)

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I probably can't very well sum up what I found wrong with this book, haha. The premise is cute and romantic, but the execution is, well, awkward, to say the least. The book was published in 2009, and yet the people talk as though they are in a holiday Lifetime movie from 1998 or something. It's awkward and unrealistic and it just doesn't flow well. Further, the storyline has promised, but that promise goes unfulfilled. It seems like a bunch of quickly-sketched plot points flimsily pieced together with some awkward dialogue, cheesy scenes, and bits of the author's own personal beliefs thinly disguised as character soliloquies. Yeah. It was a cute book, and I finished it because I was curious to see if my (accurately) predicted guess as to the outcome would come true. It's good for a quick Christmas read, but doesn't quite stand up on its own. Graham should probably stick to the horror/crime thriller writing she normally does.

[Stitchywoman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a great disappointment. I thought the premiss sounded interesting, and it seemed to start off alright but quickly became predictable and sappy. I found the inferences to christianity and paganism disturbing. The author seemed to be trying to convince the reader, or least it seemed the underlining message of the book, that all beliefs are created equal and can live very happily intertwined...magic and the belief in God are all good and can be worshiped together. I also question whether the author has ever been inside of a catholic church, at least I think that was what she was aiming for. It certainly wasn't a church or mass I would have recognized. I characters were just not believable and it was shear determination that allowed me to finish this book.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical of most Christmas stories, this book was corny and kind of cheesy. Unfortunately, there was no graphic sex scenes, which is one of my favorite things about this author's writing. So, that disappointed me.

The story was about time-travel. The hero, Jake Mallory, came to present times from 1776. We got to see what our society and technology would be like through his eyes. His reaction to cars, for example was one of wonderment and curiosity. Being a history buff, I found his story fascinating.

While I find the whole concept interesting, I did find the plot was predictable and could have been written better.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read!

[Brittain *Needs a Nap and a Drink* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Home in Time for Christmas is the story of a man who is pushed from his own time by his sister and ends up in the 21st century. The biggest problem is that he is from the Revolutionary War. Everything he encounters, from electricity to the woman who nearly hits him with her car, is new and exciting.

This was not a nail biter of a book. You know it is going to end well and there are really no huge dramatic events. It was a pleasant read though and I enjoyed it.

Charming is a good word for it. This book was charming and easy to finish. The characters were a bit one dimensional and crazy but it was fun to see brothers and sisters fight like we all do.

[ABookAddictHere · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book her mom has was written by Jake's sister and stops at the part where he is about to be hung- which is when melody finds Jake.

Her home is his old home and he wants to find out what happened to his sister. There's no mention of her death and they think she escaped also from the mob and found herself back safe at home. As a lot of Heathers books, she leaves you craving more and to finish the book fast, yet savor it!

Melody and Jake fall in love as she shows him around the new era of new york and she doesnt want him to go back.

In different twists of things someone stays and someone goes but you will have to read it to figure out what happens.

[Matambrn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute little story.

[Kristen Amen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A "meet cute" time travel Christmas romance that was enjoyable, yet forgettable.

[Fay Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

Popsugar 2016 (Dec 2015-Dec 2016). A book with a blue cover.

[Jessica Dudenhofer Beery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the concept of this book (Christmas, time travel, Revolutionary War, romance), but there was enough elements in it that I can only recommend it with great hesitation. The book does not have a faith-based storyline, so the entire story I was peppered with a few foul/disrespectful words and actions/decisions that I disagreed with (going night clubbing; spending the last hours together "getting to really know each other" in a private cabin in the woods with a lots of pillows and blankets...thankfully there wasn't much more than that; lots of name calling amongst family members; and witchcraft basically used as the explanation of the time travel). It honestly was a bit sad - the main characters had little hope/purpose...they all really struggled to find purpose in life/meaning of Christmas, and I just wanted to shout at them "YOU NEED THE LORD!" Of course, the book glazed over this hopelessness by "preaching" that we must be accepting of all faiths and beliefs because none of them are really right or wrong. *sigh*
So -- that said, I was close to giving up the book because of these elements, but, as I told my hubby, "I really wanted to know what was going to happen." I'm a total sucker for a good time-travel story.

[Thereadingbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of an American Revolutionary War hero, Jake Mallory, who is accused of treason by the British and is scheduled for execution. As he is dropped from the gallows, he is saved by his sister, who uses magic to transport him to the future. He appears in the middle of the road over 200 years later and is nearly hit by a car driven by Melody Tarleton. She brings him to her parents' home for Christmas. Her family is drawn to Jake's sincerity and goodness even though they think the bump on his head is what is causing his "delusions" of being from another time. Over time, they learn the truth and help to get him "home in time for Christmas.

I like the story it was a different type of Christmas story and i like that Jake and Melody hit it off even though Melody has a boyfriend. I like the character of Jake Mallory he seemed kind and sincere. He was soft spoken gentle kind of man. i like the growth between Jake who learns what the world looks like 200 years later and he seems to pick up and understand new technology. I know some people did not like this book but if you go in reading this as a cute romance novel told from a different way using time travel and of course Christmas is near.

[Reagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly this book started out so good. It's about a girl who finds a revolutionary war soldier. That's my dream!! But Melody totally doesn't deserve Jake literally at all. She's a whiny brat who is horribly ungrateful for everything she has and she's rude to everyone around her. She insists Jake is a liar and/or crazy until the last 100 pages when she just randomly decides she loves him. The historical inaccuracies are infuriating. All of Jake's manners are correct but there is no freaking way a devout Christian man from 1776 would ever be ok with witchcraft, whether they called it Wicca or not. Furthermore, these characters are supposedly Catholic but Heather Graham clearly skimped on the research because you can't be Catholic and Wiccan. This is coming from a staunch Catholic. Trust me. The two beliefs are diametrically opposed!!! Anyway, it had the potential to be such a good story but Melody was such a brat who did not in the least bit appreciate the absolute gold mine she found and then the whole thing went to pot when she introduced Wiccans and radio waves. She should have just stuck with "Christmas Magic," it would have made a lot more sense

[Paraphrodite · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This is a time-travel romance where the hero Jake was just about to hang for writing revolutionary pamphlets before the America Revolution. His adopted witch sister somehow managed to whisk him away in a shower of rose petals and he ended up in Present Day Massachusetts being hit by the heroine Melody's car.

So unlike what any sane heroine would do (like calling the police and reporting an accident), she takes this weirdly-dressed stranger home with him for Christmas. And of course, her father is an eccentric professor/inventor, her mother a seer/Wiccan and her brother a science nerd and together they tried to figure out what happened.

It's all quite light with just a bit of angst as the H/h fall in love but he wanted to go back to make sure his sister was ok.... I have to say, Mel's suitor Mark turned out to be most convenient!

All in all, if you want a time-travel romance for the Christmas season... this one is for you.