We'll Always Have Christmas: A gorgeously uplifting Christmas romance

by Jenny Hale

  “Thank you so much for having me with your family,” Elizabeth said, from the chair by the Christmas tree. She was smiling, happy. For the last three years, Alex had gone to get her, so she could spend Christmas Day with all of them. Sometimes she remembered things, and she’d tear up or take William’s hand. Other times, she seemed as though she were with a roomful of strangers. But either way, she was happy and she got to spend Christmas with her family. That was all Alex cared about. He gave her a cup of hot chocolate, made only lukewarm because sometimes she’d tip it a little, and her favorite quilt. She sipped her hot chocolate and looked on as the rest of them assembled.

  “Helloooo,” Noelle’s mother said, coming into the kitchen with Pop-pop and Gus. Muffy tore through the room, finding Henry immediately, the two of them wrestling, unstoppable, on the floor. They would play together until they were exhausted, delighting Elizabeth, then they’d flop down beside her chair and sleep.

  Jim helped Noelle’s mother take off her coat, and the two men removed theirs. “Where’s that gorgeous husband of yours, Noelle?” she asked.

  “He and William are just getting Lucas ready.” Noelle and Alex had gotten married last year under the stars in a glass dome of a greenhouse at the botanical gardens. She’d wanted to be surrounded by flowers just like she had been their first Christmas together. They’d had Elizabeth come to visit in the days leading up to the wedding, and before Noelle got married, she insisted that she and Elizabeth write their names together with the Harrington diamond on the window in William’s suite. She’d slipped it onto Elizabeth’s finger and told her what to do. Elizabeth had seemed happy that night, peering down at the ring all evening—they’d let her wear it. Before William helped her into bed, she’d slipped the Harrington diamond off her finger and said, “I think this is yours now,” as she handed it to Noelle. They never knew if she was remembering or if it had been a lucky guess that it had been Noelle’s.

  Every night, William looked at Elizabeth’s name beside Noelle’s on the window before he turned in. He told them that he’d always wished her name could’ve been there in its place, and now it was, just like all her wonderful memories. Elizabeth continued to make memories with them, visiting every holiday and a few days in between.

  Noelle handed her mother a glass of wine and then offered her father and Pop-pop one. Jo kissed Noelle’s mother on the cheek before pulling back and laughing as she pointed to the corner of the room.

  “Oh my gawd,” she said dramatically. “Casa Grande?”

  Noelle smiled. “Every year.”

  “I made it!” Phoebe sang as she came clacking in on heels that were so tall Noelle wondered how she could balance. She’d long given up her Snow Queen get-up for a more stylish ensemble. Noelle couldn’t even keep up with the designers Phoebe had met. But like she always did, she thrust a bottle into Noelle’s arms as she threw a kiss on both her and Jo’s cheeks.

  Noelle peered down at the selection. “Screw cap?” she said with a laugh.

  “The fizzy kind!” Phoebe did jazz hands by her face while wearing an excited smile. “You can spill some on Alex later.” Then she winked at her and they all cracked up.

  Everyone took their wine and went to the grand living room where they met William, Lucas, and Alex. Noelle’s mother held Muffy, and Lucas stood next to Henry. Jim had helped Lucas train him as a puppy and now Lucas was the only one Henry would listen to. Noelle handed the men each a glass of wine. They were all three wearing sweaters and jeans, Lucas’s hair parted on the side and combed over meticulously, making Noelle smile. Gently, Noelle helped Elizabeth to find a spot among the group.

  “Family tradition!” Alex said, setting up the tripod Noelle had bought him their first Christmas together and facing toward the stunning Christmas tree that had been erected in the center of the room—this one had a silver and light blue color scheme, long streamers of ribbon bursting from the top and cascading to the shiny marble below.

  They all gathered together as Alex set the timer on the camera and jogged over to take his place next to Noelle.

  With an air of Christmas merriment, they held up their wine with one hand, their other arm around the person beside them, and called out, “Cheers!”

  The photo snapped and Alex took a look at it on the digital screen. “Perfect,” he said, turning it around to Noelle as she came up beside him. With his arm around her, she saw everyone together and happy, and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that all those stops along the way had led to this: the place where she belonged.

  If you enjoyed We’ll Always Have Christmas, then you’ll adore A Christmas to Remember – the perfect festive read to fall in love with. Out now!

  A Christmas to Remember

  Out now!

  A beautiful story about the magic of childhood Christmas memories, the strength of family and falling in love when you least expect it.

  Everyone loves Christmas – don’t they?

  Carrie Blake loves her job as a nanny but, while her friends are settling down, all of Carrie’s spare time is spent with other people’s families. Though it breaks her heart, her New Year’s resolution is to embark on a new career and fix her love life.

  As Carrie starts her last job, she’s sure she’ll be going out on a high – the house is amazing, the kids are adorable, and she’s in charge of decorating the tree!

  The only problem could be her boss… single-dad, Adam Fletcher might be both handsome and successful, but he’s always working. Doesn’t he realise he’s missing out on precious moments with his son and daughter?

  As Adam’s family arrive for Christmas including his sensitive sister, Sharon, and his fun-loving, elderly Grandpa, Walter, Carrie realises that she might just have found the perfect allies in her quest to persuade Adam to loosen up. There’s still time for Carrie to make this the best Christmas ever… after all, Christmas is the time for miracles, isn’t it? Let the festivities begin!

  Fans of Carole Matthews, Susan Wiggs and Scarlett Bailey – and anyone who loves the sound of Christmas songs and the sparkle of decorations on the tree – will adore this festive holiday treat!

  Buy it here!

  Jenny’s email sign up

  If you can’t wait to read more from Jenny Hale, you can sign up here to be the first to know about her new releases. We promise not to share your email with anyone else, and we’ll only contact you when there’s a new book out.

  Also by Jenny Hale

  We’ll Always Have Christmas

  All I Want for Christmas

  Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses

  A Christmas to Remember

  Coming Home for Christmas

  The Summer House

  Summer at Oyster Bay

  Summer by the Sea

  A Barefoot Summer

  A Letter from Jenny Hale

  I hope you felt so warm and cozy after reading We’ll Always Have Christmas that you made a mad dash for the mistletoe and fuzzy Christmas socks!

  If this was your first Christmas book of mine, there are plenty more where that came from! Have a look at my other titles to carry the Christmas spirit throughout the entire season: Coming Home for Christmas, A Christmas to Remember, Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses, and All I Want for Christmas.

  If you enjoyed any of my novels, I’d love it if you’d write a review. Getting feedback from readers makes me all giddy and smiley. And it also helps to persuade other readers to pick up one of my books for the first time.

  If you’d like me to drop you an email, telling you when my next book is out, you can sign up here.

  I won’t share your email with anyone else, and I’ll only email you when a new book is released.

  Until next time!

  Jenny

  Find me on: Goodreads

  www.itsjennyhale.com

  All I Want for Christmas

  A feel good Christmas romance to warm your heart

  All I Want for Christmas is a big, cozy Christmas story about the
importance of family, the strength of childhood friendships, and learning to trust your heart.

  Fans of Carole Matthews, Susan Wiggs and Susan Mallery – and anyone who likes the glow of Christmas lights and the rustle of wrapping paper – will fall in love with this feel-good Christmas treat.

  Christmas comes once a year . . . But true love comes once in a lifetime.

  Snowflakes are falling, there’s carol singing on every corner, and Leah Evansis preparing for a family Christmas at her grandmother’s majestic plantation house in Virginia. It won’t be the same now that her beloved Nan is gone, but when Leah discovers she has inherited the mansion, she knows she can give her daughter Sadie the childhood of her dreams.

  But there’s a catch. Leah must split the house with a man called David Forester. Leah hasn’t heard that name in a long time. Not since they were kids, when Davey was always there to catch her.

  Now David is all grown up. He’s gorgeous, successful, and certain of one thing: Leah should sell him her half of the house.

  They can’t agree, but as they share memories over wine by the log fire, Leah notices a fluttering in her stomach. And by the look in his eyes, he’s starting to feel it too.

  Will it be Leah or David who must give up their dreams? Or, with a little bit of Christmas magic, will they finally understand Nan’s advice to them both about living life without regrets … and take a chance on true love?

  Buy it here!

  Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses

  Out now!

  An uplifting, beautiful story about never letting go of your dreams, the special magic of a family Christmas… and the rush of falling in love under the mistletoe.

  Single mother Abbey Fuller loves her family more than anything, and doesn’t regret for a moment having had to put her dreams of being an interior designer on hold. But with her son, Max, growing up, when a friend recommends her for a small design job she jumps at the chance. How hard can it be?

  Nick Sinclair needs his house decorated in time for his family’s festive visit – and money is no object. What he doesn’t need is to be distracted from his multi-million dollar business – even if it is Christmas.

  When Abbey pulls up to the huge Sinclair mansion, she has a feeling she might be out of her depth. And when she meets the gorgeous, brooding Nicholas Sinclair, she knows that she’s in real trouble…

  With the snow falling all around, can Abbey take the chance to make her dreams of being a designer come true? And can she help Nick to finally enjoy the magic of Christmas?

  Buy it here.

  ‘I absolutely loved this book! … A beautifully written story you won’t be able to put down and one of the best festive reads I’ve ever read.’ 10/10 This Chick Reads

  ‘This was such a wonderful, heart-warming Christmas romance and I loved every minute spent within the pages! . . . Christmas Wishes And Mistletoe Kisses is sure to warm your heart this holiday season! FIVE stars.’ Novels of the Heart

  Coming Home for Christmas

  Coming Home for Christmas is a beautifully observed story about the importance of family, the magic of Christmas, and falling in love one snowflake at a time.

  Available now!

  Fans of Trisha Ashley, Susan Wiggs, Carole Matthews and Susan Mallery – and anyone who loves the sound of carols and the twinkling of lights on the Christmas tree – will adore Jenny Hale's feel-good debut.

  Christmas is a time for family... isn't it?

  Allie Richfield loves Christmas, so when she lands a job as House Manager for the amazing Ashford Estate—which includes organizing the Marley family festivities—she is in her element. With a budget bigger than her life savings and a team of staff, how hard can it be?

  As one-by-one she meets the Marleys, she’s about to find out...

  Allie’s new boss, Robert, might be gorgeous, but he’s also colder than the snow outside and refuses to come home for Christmas. Robert’s playboy brother, Kip, flirts with her relentlessly; and his sister, Sloane, arrives home with baggage—both the divorce-kind and the Louis Vuitton kind. Their ninety-two year old grandmother, Pippa, spends her day grumbling at them all from her mobility scooter.

  With Robert intending to sell Ashford, it’s the Marley’s last chance to create some happy memories in their family home—and Allie is determined to make it happen... even if it takes a little Christmas magic! With the festive spirit in full swing, she might even discover a little happiness of her own...

  Get it here!

  The Summer House

  A gorgeous feel-good romance that will have you hooked.

  Some summers will stay with you forever...

  Callie Weaver and best friend Olivia Dixon have finally done it: put their life savings into the beach house they admired through childhood summers, on the dazzling white sand of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. They’re going to buff the salt from its windows, paint its sun-bleached sidings, and open it as a bed and breakfast.

  Callie’s too busy to think about her love life, but when she catches the attention of local heartthrob Luke Sullivan, his blue eyes and easy smile make it hard to say no. He’s heir to his father’s property empire, and the papers say he’s just another playboy, but as they laugh in the ocean waves, Callie realizes there’s more to this man than money and good looks.

  Just when true happiness seems within reach, Callie and Olivia find a diary full of secrets... secrets that stretch across the island, and have the power to turn lives upside down. As Callie reads, she unravels a mystery that makes her heart drop through the floor.

  Will Callie and Luke be pulled apart by the storm it unleashes, or can true love save them?

  The Summer House is an absolutely gorgeous, heart-warming summer romance, about the importance of family, not keeping secrets, and learning how to open your heart.

  Get it here!

  Acknowledgements

  I’d like to thank my husband, Justin. He has listened to my rambling about storylines and deadlines and my incessant clicking of keys at all hours. I could not have made it without his support and encouragement. He has been there every single step of the way.

  A giant thank you to Oliver Rhodes for his unwavering support. I’m so grateful for his guidance and listening ear throughout this process.

  The Bookouture team is an amazing group of people and I thank my lucky stars every day to be one of their authors.

  Natasha Harding, editor extraordinaire—I am so blessed to have her in my corner. She is such a delight and my organizational hero.

  My gratitude goes out to my friends and family who have cheered me on and read my books in record time just to support me. Alaina DeHaven, I am so thankful for her editing eye—she is always up to the task of checking things over for me in a pinch. I am thankful for her time and effort. To Patty Larson and Tia Field, I thank them both for reading my random texts about whatever’s going on in my writing world and chatting away with me about it all.

  To the reviewers and bloggers who promote and support me and my stories, I am so very appreciative.

  Published by Bookouture

  An imprint of StoryFire Ltd.

  Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ

  www.bookouture.com

  Copyright © Jennifer Hale 2017

  Jennifer Hale has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events other than those clearly in the public domain, are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN: 978-1-78681-263-6

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  Jenny Hale, We'll Always Have Christmas: A gorgeously uplifting Christmas romance