A Rose Gardner Christmas novella taking place the December after It All Falls Down

Rose Gardner and her best friend Neely Kate have one wish this Christmas: to celebrate their first holiday season with their babies, surrounded by love and joy. But life, as always, has other plans.

For Rose, sharing custody of her niece and nephew with her brother-in-law Mike’s parents proves to be more challenging than she ever imagined. The tension escalates, threatening to overshadow the festive season. Meanwhile, her husband Joe faces a surprise visitor who brings unexpected complications to their already chaotic lives.

Neely Kate, determined to make this Christmas her best yet after years of heartache, is blindsided when Carter Hale, former attorney to the Fenton County crime lord, delivers devastating news. It’s a revelation that could unravel not just her perfect Christmas but the life she’s built with her husband, Jed.

Told from the perspectives of Rose, Neely Kate, Joe, and James “Skeeter” Malcolm, All I Want for Christmas weaves a story of love, resilience, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship. Will these beloved characters find their holiday miracles, or will this Christmas become yet another battle to overcome?

Three rom-com Christmas books to brighten your holiday spirit!

Matchmaking a Scrooge

He wants to destroy her show. She wants to get on Santa’s naughty list with him.

Rowans narcissistic grandmother just sold a reality dating show to network television.

Her show needs to be stopped, and hes exactly the man to do it. Cupid, reporting for duty.

Kennedy is supposed to be dating eight men, and they all suck. But shes not here to fall in love—shes trying to save a non-profit with the publicity from the show—but shes hoping for a Christmas miracle. She loves Christmas, and there’s only one thing she wants more than Christmas cheer: the ornery grump who keeps hanging out around the set.

Jingle Bell Hell

She’s a buttoned-up control freak. He’s a muscular ex-con with heavier baggage than Santa’s toy bag. They’re everything each other never wanted.

Control freak Mary has lost her Christmas spirit after her husband leaves her and her six-year-old autistic son, Aidan, whos struggling to adjust to their new life. She lets him join Butterfly Buddies, a group that matches kids with adult mentors; only his mentor is Jace, a gorgeous tattooed hunk.

Jace is an ex-con, and he knows that if Mary finds out, she wont approve of him mentoring her son. The last thing he should do is get attached to Marys sonor her, but he hasnt been known to always make good decisions.

Getting Lucky

One night. Just one night.

At least thats what Maisie tells herself because even though Jacks arms are things of beauty and he can charm wild animals (a huge turn-on for an animal lover like her), she’s in no position to start anything with anyone. So she pretends she’s just scratching an itch.

Jacks pretending too, telling himself he doesnt have time for a romantic life with his family turmoil. Only his best friend announces his engagement, and surprise, Maisies in the wedding.

Fate keeps bringing Jack and Maisie together, reminding them of how good they are together—if only they can get past their issues.

Rose is BACK!

It's been nearly three years since the fall of the Hardshaw Group, and Rose is living a low-key life in Fenton County. She's happily married to Joe Simmons, raising her own two children along with her niece and nephew, and running her landscape business. Everything is coming up…well…roses! And still, when she and her best friend Neely Kate unearth a peculiar wooden box in a client's yard, she finds herself yearning for the good old days of solving mysteries.

Be careful what you wish for.

Before she can even fight that particular urge though, a teenage boy shows up asking for protection from “The Lady in Black”. There's no denying it. Trouble seems to be landing right on Rose's doorstep just like it used to. And no one knows better than her; trouble always comes in threes…

The past is better left behind, but is it ever really gone?