The Most
Wonderful Time of the Year
by Marie Landry
Release Date:
11/05/13
Summary from
Goodreads:
Christmas is
the most wonderful time of the year, right? At least that’s what
twenty-year-old Ginny Bailey’s grandmother always told her, and Ginny believed
it until Grama died. She even put on a brave face the following two
Christmases, carrying on Grama’s traditions and decorating her house and café
with Grama’s favorite decorations.
But Ginny can’t pretend any longer. When she finds out she’s going to be alone for the holidays this year, her Christmas spirit goes out the window, along with her luck. Everything that can go wrong does, and Ginny just wants to spend the holidays hiding under the covers...until Dean Riley comes back into her life. With their shared past, old feelings begin to resurface almost immediately, and Ginny thinks Dean might just be the Christmas miracle she’s been waiting for to help her remember why Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year.
But Ginny can’t pretend any longer. When she finds out she’s going to be alone for the holidays this year, her Christmas spirit goes out the window, along with her luck. Everything that can go wrong does, and Ginny just wants to spend the holidays hiding under the covers...until Dean Riley comes back into her life. With their shared past, old feelings begin to resurface almost immediately, and Ginny thinks Dean might just be the Christmas miracle she’s been waiting for to help her remember why Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year.
Available from:
Excerpt:
Full first chapter
‘Rockin’
Around the Christmas Tree’ came over the speakers in the café, and I smiled, humming
along to the jazzy song. It was one of my favourites, but then again I had a
lot of favourite holiday songs.
I added a
dollop of whipped cream and shook some red and green sprinkles onto the
peppermint mocha latté I’d just made. I carefully pressed a lid into place
before setting the hot drink on the counter. “Here you go, Mrs. Sanders.”
“Thank
you, dear.” Mrs. Sanders tucked a loose white curl under her crocheted hat. She
was in her seventies, and had a sweet tooth like I’d never seen. She
volunteered at the used clothing store down the street, and on any given day
would pop into the café two or three times for a sugary drink or a freshly
baked goodie.
Mrs.
Sanders’ gaze swept over the café. “The place is looking wonderful, Ginny,” she
told me, a warm smile lighting her grey eyes. “Looks just like it did when your
grandma owned the place and decorated for the holidays.”
I
swallowed the lump that always formed in my throat when someone mentioned
Grama. “I’m really happy to hear you say that,” I replied, managing a small
smile. “Christmas was always her favourite time of year.”
“Don’t I
know it.” Mrs. Sanders chuckled and shook her head. “She’d be up in that attic
of yours fishing around for Christmas decorations as soon as Halloween was
over.” Her smile dimmed slightly, turning wistful. “I’m glad she passed her
love for the holidays on to you. It’s nice to have someone to keep up those
traditions and add in some new life.”
I nodded,
swallowing compulsively around that stupid growing lump in my throat. It had
been three years since Grama passed away, but I still felt her loss as if it
were yesterday. She’d been so much more than my guardian—she was my best friend
and confidant, the one person who loved me unconditionally and supported me no
matter what. She’d also been a huge part of the community; she had a seat on
town council, and had owned what was once the only café in town until a Tim
Horton’s moved in near the mall.
“I do it
for her.” I knew Mrs. Sanders would understand the slight tremor in my voice
that I couldn’t control. “Because of her, I’ve believed in the magic of
Christmas for as long as I can remember. It was always the best time of year
growing up. Everything just seems different around Christmas. Like anything
could happen, you know?”
Mrs.
Sanders still wore that soft, wistful smile. “Now you sound just like her. She
was always talking about the magic of Christmas. She’d be really proud of you,
Ginny.”
This time
my smile was genuine. I knew Mrs. Sanders missed Grama too. They had been
friends most of their lives, and Mrs. Sanders was one of the few people who
freely talked about Grama around me. Most of the other people in town seemed to
think I’d shatter into a million pieces at the mere mention of her. “Thank
you.”
The older
woman nodded and reached for her wallet, but I waved her away. “It’s on me
today. Enjoy.”
Mrs.
Sanders patted my hand where it rested on the counter, then pulled on her
leather gloves and tugged the collar of her coat up around her neck. “I’ll see
you tomorrow, dear.”
I watched
her go, then glanced around the café as Mrs. Sanders had done a few moments
earlier. Most of the decorations were Grama’s, but I’d added a few over the
years. There was a small artificial tree in every corner, decorated with lights
and the mismatched ornaments Grama and I had been collecting or making since I
was a child. Star-shaped lights hung in the big windows on either side of the
door, and the fireplace was adorned with stockings that were almost filled with
donated toys for the local yearly toy drive.
I made my
way around the counter, smiling at the people scattered at tables and on
couches around the café. It was one of the quietest times of day; the after
work rush had finished and most people were home having dinner. Things would
pick up again around seven, when a lot of folks liked to drop in for coffee or
dessert, or grab a snack on their way to the movies.
I
collected dirty mugs and plates before wiping down tables, all the while
humming along to the carols playing on the stereo. I was surprised to find
almost every empty table held a tip. People didn’t often leave tips, and if
they did it was in the fancy jar by the cash register. I scooped the money into
the pocket of my Christmassy apron, enjoying the musical jingling sound as the
change and bills accumulated.
I was
heading back to the counter when the front door flew open, sending the bells
overhead into a tinkling frenzy and a gust of wintry air into the café. I
turned and smiled when I saw my best friend, Clara, sweep inside, stamping her
booted feet and shaking the hood of her coat.
“Is that snow?”
I rushed through the café to the window. I nearly pressed my face against the
cool pane when I saw that it was, indeed, snowing softly. We’d hardly had any
snow yet this winter, and as Christmas drew nearer I was afraid we weren’t
going to get any. Christmas wasn’t Christmas without snow.
“I’ll be
right back, everyone,” I called to no one in particular as I grabbed Clara’s
hand and pulled her back outside.
“What are
you doing?” Clara asked. “Where’s your coat? You’re going to freeze!”
Ignoring
her, I stood on the sidewalk and turned my face toward the sky. Fat snowflakes
fell, melting instantly as they touched my skin, which was overheated from
being close to the fire while bussing tables. An uncontrollable smile spread
over my face, and I closed my eyes, letting the flakes cool my eyelids, cheeks,
and forehead.
“You’re a
loon, you know that?” Something warm settled over my shoulders, and I opened my
eyes to see that Clara had taken off her coat and draped it over both of us.
She looped her arm through mine and pressed against me, pulling her half of the
coat around her as much as she could.
“I know,”
I answered easily. “But you know how much I love snow.”
“I do,
which is why I stopped in. I figured you’d be busy and might not have seen it
yet.”
“That’s
why you came by?” I asked, surprised and touched.
“Well,
yeah.” Clara shrugged. “I was leaving the library when it started, so I figured
rather than call I’d just come up the street and see you. I know I haven’t been
around much lately.”
It was
true. Clara had been dating a guy named Bobby since summer, and they were
nearly inseparable. I’d gone from seeing my best friend all the time to
practically having to make an appointment just to have a conversation with her.
It had been hard on me, and at times it felt like our friendship was scarcely
bearing the weight of the strain. None of that seemed to matter right now,
though. She was here, it was snowing, and everything seemed right with the
world, even if it was only for a few minutes.
“Thanks
for coming.” I turned my face back to the sky. I didn’t want to talk about
Clara’s absence lately.
“Well, I
knew…” Clara’s voice trailed off and she shifted closer to me. I glanced at her
and saw she was staring resolutely at the sky, her jaw tight, and tears
glistening in her eyes.
“Don’t,” I
pleaded. “Please don’t.”
She jerked
her head back and forth, and one lone tear slipped down her cheek. “I’m sorry,”
she said quickly. “I swore I wouldn’t. I told myself all the way over here that
if I started to cry, I’d never forgive myself, but I just can’t help it.”
I let out
a quiet groan as I felt the lump return to my throat. Clara and I had grown up
together, so she’d known Grama forever, and felt her loss almost as acutely as
I did. She’d been the one who had mourned with me, held my hand when I needed
comfort, cried with me, and shared stories from our childhood.
Clara took
a deep breath and slid her hand down my arm to grip my hand tightly. “She was
like a little kid when it snowed,” she said quietly. I couldn’t look at her for
fear I’d start crying, but I could hear the smile in her voice now, and it
calmed me a bit.
“I
remember you telling me about how she’d drag you outside during the first snow,
no matter where you were, what you were doing, or what time it was,” she
continued. “Like that time when you were six and it started snowing in the
middle of the night and she dragged you out of bed to see it. I don’t think I
really believed you until the next year when I was sleeping over and she woke
us up at 3 a.m., bundled us into our coats, and took us outside.”
I laughed
shakily at the memory. It was one of my favourites. I could still remember us
throwing our coats, hats, mittens, and boots on over our pajamas and following
Grama outside. The three of us stood on the huge front lawn, holding hands, and
staring up at the sky as fat snowflakes fell around us.
Clara
squeezed my hand, drawing me back to the present. “I think someone wants a
refill.” She pointed over her shoulder at the woman waiting patiently near the
counter with an empty mug.
“Shoot.” I
started to slip Clara’s coat off, but she swung it off her shoulders instead
and wrapped it around me.
“I’ll go.
You enjoy the snow for another few minutes.” She paused with her hand on the
doorknob and gave me a small, sad smile. “I swear I feel her out here, Gin.”
She
hurried inside before I could reply—or before either of us could burst into
tears and spend the next half hour blubbering on the sidewalk in the snow. I
watched her for a second as she spoke to the woman at the counter, smiling
brightly and tossing her golden hair over her shoulder. I felt a swell of
affection for her that nearly took my breath away, and I turned away quickly
before I really did start to cry.
While
there were a few people who understood that I was still mourning the loss of my
grandmother even after all this time, Clara was the only person who I felt
really got it. She’d been like a sister to me growing up, and I’d
happily shared Grama with her.
Christmas
was the hardest time of year for me since it had been Grama’s favourite, but
I’d promised myself I would celebrate it just like we always had. I swore I
would hold on to the magic of the season, the way she’d taught me. I turned my
face to the sky once again and closed my eyes. The snowflakes slowed, touching
my cheeks gently like angel kisses. Clara was right; I could feel Grama here
too.
What people are saying about The Most Wonderful
Time of the Year:
“While The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is
a quick read, it is an adorable one. This story shows the value of friends and
family and the importance they have in our lives, no matter what time of the
year it is…If you're looking for a well-written, heartwarming story for those
cold days, pick this up.”
~ Jessica Sankiewicz, author of If Only
We
“Marie Landry delivered the perfect little holiday
novella with The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. It has a small-town
coffee shop, memories of Christmas with Grandma, snowballs, hot cocoa and a
yummy man from our heroine’s past. Mini review: romantic, sweet and filled with
holiday spirit.”
Kimberly from Caffeinated
Book Reviewer
“The Most Wonderful Time of Year was quick
and sweet, just how I like my holiday reads.”
~ Christy from Love
of Books
About the
Author
Marie Landry
is the author of BLUE SKY DAYS (contemporary YA—January 2012), THE GAME CHANGER
(women's fiction—November 2012), WAITING FOR THE STORM (contemporary YA—April
2013), and THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR (a new adult holiday
novella-November 2013). Marie has always been a daydreamer; since early
childhood, she's had a passion for words and a desire to create imaginary
worlds, so it only seemed natural for her to become a writer. She resides in
Ontario, Canada, and most days you can find her writing, reading, blogging
about writing and reading, listening to U2, wandering around with a camera in
her hand, watching copious amounts of TV on DVD, or having grand adventures
with her nephews and niece.
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Thank you for the giveaway. So very timely!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure I see this book all over the place. On goodreads it is in only one version, which I'm pretty sure is kindle. I wish all books were in paperback or at least came out in the same week as kindle edition.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway. :D
Looks like a nice holiday read. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a good book. Just added it to my to read list.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read it, but want to! I really enjoyed the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteI like that little teaser!
ReplyDelete