Alaskan Holiday: A Novel

Debbie Macomber

Oct 2018 · Sold by Ballantine Books

About this ebook

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Debbie Macomber brings us to the Alaskan wilderness for a magical Christmas tale about finding love where it’s least expected.

“Picture-perfect . . . this charmer will please Macomber fans and newcomers alike.”—Publishers Weekly

Before beginning her dream job as sous chef in one of Seattle’s hottest new restaurants, Josie Avery takes a summer position cooking at a lakeside lodge in the remote Alaskan town of Ponder. Josie falls for the rustic charms of the local community—including Jack Corcoran, the crotchety keeper of Ponder’s famed sourdough starter, and, in particular, the quiet and intense Palmer Saxon, a famed master swordsmith.

Josie and Palmer become close during the long Alaskan summer days, but Josie knows that, come fall, she’ll be returning to reality and the career she’s worked so hard for. Palmer, on the other hand, would like nothing better than to make Josie his wife and to keep her in Ponder. But Josie can’t imagine abandoning her mother back in the Emerald City and sacrificing her career to stay in this isolated town—not even for a man she’s quickly coming to love.

Fate has other plans. Josie misses the last boat out of town before winter sets in, stranding her in Ponder and putting her dream job at risk. As the holidays approach, Josie and Palmer must grapple with the complications that arise when dreams confront reality, and the Christmas magic that can happen when they put their faith in love.

Debbie Macomber is at her best in this beautiful holiday story about the far journeys we travel to find a place to call home.

Praise for Alaskan Holiday
 
“[A] tender romance lightly brushed with holiday magic.”—Library Journal
 
“[A] thoroughly charming holiday romance.”—Booklist

Ratings and reviews

This is an enjoyable sweet read that is perfect for the holiday season. It's a short quick read and easy to fit in and relax to during this hectic time of year. Palmer, Josie, and and most definitely Jack will leave you with a smile. Josie has spent the last six months working in Alaska and spending a lot of her time with Palmer Saxon. If things were different she could definitely fall for Palmer but she has her dream job waiting for her in Seattle and Palmer would never leave Alaska to live in the city. Sometimes though what you think you want isn't really what will make you happy. I would recommend this one.

Engaging modern holiday romance. Interesting spin with an Alaskan backdrop. The start of her career and meeting Palmer were pleasant surprises for Josie. The prospect of her new job with the famous chef, however, filled her with joy; until Palmer's last minute bombshell! Enjoyed the premise and the characters, especially Jack. Voluntarily read ARC for honest review

Classic Debbie Macomber, sweet with an HEA. Fans of Debbie Macomber's sweet Christmas stories will not be disappointed by Alaskan Holiday. I've read many of her books over the years and her recent stories seem to be bucking the trend towards more and more explicit sex and language. In my opinion her earlier works were at lot more on the spicy side. While my tastes these days lend towards the spicier reads I don't mind a sweeter one now and then. Don't look for any on-page, or even off-page, sexy time in this book – there is none – at all, not even a hint of it. It is still a pretty good story, though. The blurb really tells you everything about the story, I don't think I can add one thing. It was a pretty quick read for me, especially for it being 256 pages long. The characters in the story are nice and I especially liked Jack, who is a friend of Palmer's. I also enjoyed reading about Alaska and the Seattle areas as I had the pleasure of visiting those two places last May. One thing that caught my attention is that the scenes from Seattle do nothing to convey how large that city it. The references to the hotel where Jack and Palmer stay, and the tourist areas they visit, make it sound like everything is very close together. There is also no mention of the sky-high price of hotel rooms in the city or the incredible hills in the downtown area that must be navigated to get from place to place. A quick mention of either thing would have increased the realism factor for me a bit. While this isn't a book that I ever see myself reading again, I'm still giving it 4 stars because the writing was good and flowed a lot more smoothly than the last book I read of hers, Cottage by the Sea. A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book. ***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com*** (posting on 10/2/18)

About the author

Debbie Macomber, the author of It's Better This Way, A Walk Along the Beach, Window on the Bay, Cottage by the Sea, Any Dream Will Do, If Not for You, and the Rose Harbor Inn series, is a leading voice in women's fiction. Thirteen of her novels have reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and five of her beloved Christmas novels have been hit movies on the Hallmark Channel, including Mrs. Miracle and Mr. Miracle. Hallmark Channel also produced the original series Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove, based on Macomber’s Cedar Cove books. She is, as well, the author of the cookbook Debbie Macomber’s Table. There are more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide.