A December to Remember is just as cozy as its cover. (So, nothing like those Lexus commercials. Who buys a car at Christmas, let alone a Lexus?!). Three estranged sisters reconvene in the idyllic English countryside of Rowan Thorp to carry out the terms of their late father's will. A wanderlust-struck eccentric, Augustus North sends salt-of-the-earth Maggie, sophisticated Simone, and free-spirited Star scrambling on a scavenger hunt to claim the money that he cached for them to resurrect Rowan Thorp's famed winter solstice celebration. In working together, they squabble but ultimately reconnect, which is perhaps (insert heart emojis) the biggest prize of all. A December to Remember is on brand for Bayliss and is just the kind of quirky, hipster fairy tale that warms my heart at this time of year.
Similarly, The Santa Suit sparkles with poignant nostalgia. City girl Ivy Perkins moves to a North Carolina farmhouse to heal from her divorce. Yet Four Roses Farm turns out to need more love than Ivy anticipated. Luckily, her realtor Ezra Wheeler is only too happy to help her with her busted hot water heater and drafty windows. What's more, Ivy finds a beautiful Santa suit in a closet with a note tucked inside. All Carlette wants for Christmas is for her father to return from Vietnam. Touched, Ivy sets out to uncover what happened to Carlette and her family. Along the way, she makes two life-changing friends and finds the home she always wanted. Andrews weaves small-town charm, seasonal suspense, and old-fashioned romance with all the Christmas magic of a ribbon glittering through evergreen. Short but sweet, The Santa Suit is a joy to read, making you believe that, in December, all things are possible.
Hopefully, that extends to me getting that tree up.
