Christmas Begins with Mary Kay Andrews

by Susan Roberts

Mary Kay Andrews is a well-known Southern author who writes fantastic books about life in the South.  I wasn't really aware of all of the Christmas books that she's written until I read her current newsletter that started out with the comment above.  So I ordered her new Christmas short story and started looking through her backlog of books for Christmas books.

If you need even more holiday reading recommendations, check out our 25 Days of Christmas Reading.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.

Holiday Hideaway

October 2024; Amazon Original Stories
audio, ebook; holiday romance

A charming holiday romance about a newly single thirtysomething whose unauthorized vacation rental turns into a hilarious game of hide-and-seek when the new owner unexpectedly shows up.

You can always depend on MKA to bring her readers a story with a great plot and fantastic characters that will bring a smile to your face.  This short story has now been added to my list of favorites by her.

Tilly isn't having a very good holiday.  She is recently divorced and out of money.  Her new apartment won't be ready until the first of the year and she has nowhere to stay.  So she decides to squat in a rental house handled by the company she works for.  Why not, the house is a wreck and no one has rented it in ages.  But Tilly's bad luck continues when the new owner shows up to start renovations on the house so he can sell it.

He just inherited the house and knows that it needs a lot of work plus he needed some alone time so he can try to figure out how to break up with his current and very demanding girlfriend.  When George first arrives at the house, he's surprised to find food in the kitchen.  Food that Tilly had just bought and abandoned in the kitchen when she ran to hide in the attic with her dog Smoosh (great name for a dog!).  As George continues to hear sounds in the house, he's convinced that someone is there and calls the rental agent (Tilly) to try to get her to the house.  Well, Tilly is hiding in the attic and can't set up a meeting with him.  When she finally comes out of hiding to rescue George from a fall, the sparks begin to fly.  

Will they get the Christmas happily ever after that they both desire or will he report her for trespassing? 

This was a fun look at two lonely people looking for love.  The texts that they sent each other were very funny as was a lot of their banter with each other.  Put yourself in a holiday mood and pick up this lighthearted book.  It will make you smile and maybe even laugh out loud.

Buy Holiday Hideaway at Amazon

Bright Lights, Big Christmas

October 2024; Griffin; 978-1250878380
audio, ebook, print (304 pages); romance

This is a fun-filled novel that is about family love, has a bit of romance, and some colorful characters.  But mostly it's a story about people being kind to other people - not just at Christmas but all year long.   This was another great book from MKA that left me smiling and happy at the end! Read my review. 

If you missed this book last year, it is now available in paperback.

Buy Bright Lights, Big City at Amazon

The Santa Suit

September 2021; St. Martin's Press; 978-1250279316
audio, ebook, print (224 pages); holiday fiction

A novella celebrating the magic of Christmas and second chances.  

This book has it all -- a bit of mystery, a bit of romance, and some great quirky characters all while celebrating the magic of Christmas.   The story made me smile and I am going to read it again when the upcoming holidays get crazy - just to calm myself down and remember the magic of Christmas. Read my review.

Buy The Santa Suit at Amazon

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is two hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.

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