Celebrate Christmas in Romance

 

Welcome to Romance — an Oregon town where love lingers around every corner and residents pull out all the stops for Christmas in Romance.

Between odd animals, lost loves, second chances, hidden identities, a secret Santa, and bickering senior citizens, it might just take a miracle to bring everyone a happily-ever-after for the holidays.

Settle in a chair by the fire, sip a cup of hot cocoa, and immerse yourself in the friendly town of Romance with this series of six sweet Christmas novellas from bestselling and award-winning authors.

in Romance by Shanna Hatfield - A determined widow and a persistent rancher need a nudge toward love.

in Romance by Melanie D. Snitker - It’ll take a Christmas miracle to turn a grudging friendship into true love. 

in Romance by Liwen Y. Ho - A small town inn owner and a big time pop star need a reason to keep holding onto love.

in Romance by J. J. DiBenedetto - Unwittingly engaged in the plot of a classic Hollywood romance, can two email pen-pals find their way to a happy ending?

in Romance by Franky A. Brown - A bitter-on-love radio DJ and his girlfriend of romance past need a second chance.

in Romance by Jessica L. Elliott - Santa's got his work cut out for him to help a reluctant couple find love during the holidays.

 

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Read on for a preview of
Holding Onto Love
by Liwen Y. Ho

 

Gulp! Husband—that one word sent tingles down her back in a good way. She felt like pinching herself. The idea that someone as kind and charming as Chase Lockhart would want her was beyond her wildest dreams. She only hoped she would make Chase as happy as he made her.

But what if she wasn’t enough for him? What if he hated being stuck in a small town when he could be traveling the world? These questions niggled at the back of her mind, planting seeds of doubt.

Gracie must have noticed her hesitation. She tugged at Izzy’s hand. “You’ve got a future with Chase to build. You guys are going to have so many adventures together. Writing songs, going to music award shows, meeting famous people—I can’t wait to hear all about it. I’ll be busy with classes and Brady—” she blushed at the mention of her boyfriend’s name “—so, you don’t have to worry about me, or at least not as much as you usually do.”

The earnestness in her daughter’s voice warmed her heart. Other than Chase, Gracie was the one person who could brighten her day with a smile, just like she was doing now. “How did I end up with such an amazing daughter?” She reached down to pull Gracie into a tight embrace, resting her chin on her blonde head.

A loud bark made them both jump. They watched as Thor ran toward a tall figure clad in black jeans and a jacket hurrying up the front steps. The handsome face of America’s hottest pop sensation, hidden behind dark shades, greeted them.

Izzy’s breath hitched to see Chase. He shook his head free of rain, causing a lock of dark hair to fall into his eyes. The smile that made every teenage girl in the nation swoon was aimed at her, bringing with it a ray of sunshine on this dreary winter day. No wonder she had fallen for him.

“You guys started decorating without me?” Chase took off his sunglasses and hung them on the front of his shirt. He pretended to pout as he reached them. “If you had waited, you wouldn’t have needed this ladder. I would’ve carried you on my shoulders,” he added with a wink in Izzy’s direction.

“So I could experience what it’s like to be a giant?” she teased him back. Thanks to the ladder, they were eye to eye for once.

“Hey, the view’s great up here. I can easily spot things in a crowd. Just like how I spotted you.” He leaned in close and tipped Izzy’s chin up with one hand.

Behind him, Gracie cleared her throat not-so-subtly. “I’ll let you two finish up here. I’m gonna make some apple cider for when you guys are done.” She patted her leg and called out to Thor as she walked off. “Come on, boy!”

The dog barked again and ran after Gracie, only to return after a second. He raced toward the ladder and stood up on his front paws to give Izzy a parting kiss. In his enthusiasm, he knocked her completely off balance. Izzy yelped and scrambled to hold onto the ladder to keep from falling. Her feet slipped off the rung just as a pair of large hands caught her.

“I’ve got you,” Chase exclaimed.

He certainly did, in more ways than one. Her heart fluttered in her chest as Chase held her gaze. He pulled her close until their foreheads touched. With nary an inch between them, Izzy relaxed in his strong arms. “You were saying? You spotted me …”

“Across a crowded supermarket. Over a bin of potatoes, if I remember correctly,” he added with a chuckle. “That’s when I knew you were the one for me.”

She licked her lips. “Because I was picking out potatoes?” she asked with a teasing lilt.

“Exactly.” Chase’s blue eyes twinkled. “You know how much I love to eat.”

Izzy rolled her eyes. Chase was over six feet tall and all muscle. It seemed he could eat his weight in food, yet not gain a single pound. His quick metabolism was just one way in which they differed. It wasn’t the most extreme way though. The difference that worried her the most was their opposing lifestyles.

He was a big-time pop star with upward of ten million followers. She was a small-town girl who loved staying behind the scenes. Why he had fallen for her was still a mystery.

He had summed it up with one line when he’d proposed on Valentine’s Day ten months ago: I knew you were special the first time I saw you. She had chalked it up to puppy love or an infatuation with older women, but he said it was more than that. With the same passion he embodied to sing his songs, he’d vowed to love her for the rest of his life. And because she had never experienced a purer love, she had said yes.

Now as she stared into his eyes, she saw his affection for her. A peace settled in her heart as his mouth found hers. Her stomach dropped as his warm lips kissed away the cold.

When they pulled apart, he gave her what could only be described as a goofy grin. “I think there might be something I like more than eating.”

“What?”

“Kissing you.”

Even as her body warmed to hear those words, her mind fell down a spiral of doubt. Chase had the best of intentions, but he was only twenty-six. What if he got tired of being tied down? What would become of their marriage then? These were the questions she needed answers to before their wedding day.