A Christmas Duet
A Novel
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A solo holiday trip inspires one woman to rediscover her passion—and remember that, sometimes, duets are more fun—in this romantic Christmas novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.
“A perfectly delicious Christmas bonbon of a novel.”—Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Santa Suit and Bright Lights, Big Christmas
Hailey Morgan’s life has always revolved around music. She once had big dreams of becoming a professional songwriter, but the reality of life has led her to working as an assistant high school band teacher in Portland. As the holidays approach, Hailey dreads the annual tradition of spending Christmas with her family and dodging her mother’s meddling questions about her love life.
When Hailey’s close friend offers her the use of her family’s empty cabin for a rejuvenating solo holiday retreat, Hailey finally decides to do something to make herself happy. However, her arrival in the small town of Podunk, Oregon, is anything but peaceful when she discovers the cabin has been invaded by several wild animals. Luckily, Jay, the son of the town’s main store proprietor—and an incredibly handsome and charming former musician to boot—is more than willing to help.
Soon Hailey and Jay are nearly inseparable, chopping down and decorating a Christmas tree, sipping hot cocoa in front of a cozy fire, and best of all, playing music together. Jay’s positive feedback and encouragement inspire Hailey to believe she might succeed as a songwriter after all. But even in her snow-dusted oasis, family holiday drama still finds Hailey, interrupting and threatening her newfound peace and confidence. Meanwhile revelations from Jay present complications of their own. Suddenly her Christmas paradise has become a winter storm and Hailey must weather through the challenges to stand up for herself and embrace the holiday spirit.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bestseller Macomber (The Christmas Spirit) is at the top of her game with this wholesome small-town story. Schoolteacher Hailey Morgan has always fantasized about writing music professionally, but her ex-fiancé, Zach, trampled her confidence. Now Zach wants to get back together, and her mother is helping him woo by inviting him for Christmas. When a friend offers her the use of a cabin in Podunk, Ore., for the holidays instead, Hailey leaps at the chance to both avoid her relentless ex and spend several weeks getting back into making music. She's not expecting to meet and fall for music producer Jethro "Jay" Cantor, son of the town's feisty mayor. They immediately click both personally and professionally—leading to YouTube fame after their performance at the town's annual Christmas festival goes viral. But when Zach and Hailey's family track her down and demand that she make some important decisions about her future, her budding relationship with Jay could be in jeopardy. Macomber's warm, folksy tale is the romance equivalent of comfort food, complete with small-town charm, down-to-earth characters, and an emotionally satisfying happily ever after. This is sure to get readers in a festive mood.
Customer Reviews
Slam Dunk Christmas Romance
For me, this book is a slam dunk winner in the Christmas romance genre! With characters that spoke (and sang) their ways into my heart, and a delightful story of a young woman who wants to pursue her dream of writing songs, this novel captured my heart from the beginning. Hailey is the quintessential people pleaser, having gone along with other people’s plans for her life until finally she just wants to be alone and write her songs. When she goes to a little town called Podunk, Oregon and settles into an isolated cabin, she figures she has found the perfect place to create. Little does she know that a swoonworthy hero is going to step into her life in the form of Jay, a man who comes to rescue her from varmints and worms his way into her heart. The book is carefully plotted with dual storylines. The secondary one is that of Hailey’s sister Daisy who is having her own issues with self-acceptance and love. Both stories are mesmerizing and a sweet portrayal of sisterly advice and love and the dynamics between the characters was amazingly well portrayed. The banter between Jay and Hailey is screen worthy and so satisfying as both characters are easy to cheer for. This is a delightful romance with a depth of emotion that had me reading long into the night, as I laughed and cried and celebrated with the characters who are so believable and refreshingly honest.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”