The Christmas Room

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Mystic Creek series comes a standalone contemporary romance novel full of homespun holiday cheer--now in mass market! Maddie McLendon hasn't had a new relationship since the loss of her beloved husband two years ago. Broken by grief and desperate for a new start, Maddie moves to Bitterroot Valley, Montana, with her adult son and her grandson. But despite the natural beauty of her new town, not every change in her life is a welcome one. Maddie's new next-door neighbor, Sam Conacher, used to be a pillar of the community, but he has driven old friends and new acquaintances away due to a recent heartbreak of his own. He seems to intrude on her life at every turn. As Christmas draws closer, Sam's and Maddie's grown children begin to fall in love, but Maddie and Sam's interactions are punctuated by an increasingly bitter attitude. Under unexpected circumstances, the other townsfolk of Bitterroot Valley band together to show both Maddie and Sam that moving past their grief is possible, and burdens are lightened when you have someone else to depend on.

*Praise for *The Christmas Room

“Catherine Anderson doesn’t shy away from characters who face life’s toughest challenges–but she also gifts readers with a romantic tale that celebrates the hope and resilience of the human spirit.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs

“Catherine Anderson writes with great emotional depth and understanding of complex relationships and family dynamics. The Christmas Room is yet another compelling example of that. Happy holiday reading!”—Sherryl Woods, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Lane

“Catherine Anderson weaves beautiful stories overflowing with emotion and heart. The Christmas Room is an absolute keeper, destined to be read again and again.”—New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne

“The incredibly talented Anderson has created another tale with multidimensional characters so real they seem to pop off the pages as they cope with complicated issues and conflicts. As is the case with so many of her books, Anderson leaves the reader wishing the story would never end.”—Booklist (starred review)

Praise for New York Times bestselling author Catherine Anderson and the Mystic Creek Novels
 
“The minute you open an Anderson novel, you can immediately feel the vision of humanity and warmth that runs through all her books. No one does heartfelt romance better!”—RT Book Reviews
 
“[Anderson] does know how to tug the heartstrings.”—Publishers Weekly
 
“Heartwarming and heart-wrenching.”—Open Book Society
 
“Sweet and inspirational.”—Smitten by Books
 
“A tender, feel-good read that's perfect for every romance lover.”—BookPage

Auteur
Catherine Anderson is the author of more than thirty New York Times bestselling and award-winning historical and contemporary romances, including Mulberry Moon, New Leaf, Silver Thaw, Walking on Air, and Cheyenne Amber, among others.

Texte du rabat

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Mystic Creek series comes a standalone contemporary romance novel full of homespun holiday cheer--now in mass market!

Maddie McLendon hasn't had a new relationship since the loss of her beloved husband two years ago. Broken by grief and desperate for a new start, Maddie moves to Bitterroot Valley, Montana, with her adult son and her grandson. But despite the natural beauty of her new town, not every change in her life is a welcome one. Maddie's new next-door neighbor, Sam Conacher, used to be a pillar of the community, but he has driven old friends and new acquaintances away due to a recent heartbreak of his own. He seems to intrude on her life at every turn.

As Christmas draws closer, Sam's and Maddie's grown children begin to fall in love, but Maddie and Sam's interactions are punctuated by an increasingly bitter attitude. Under unexpected circumstances, the other townsfolk of Bitterroot Valley band together to show both Maddie and Sam that moving past their grief is possible, and burdens are lightened when you have someone else to depend on.

Résumé
The beloved author of the Mystic Creek series gifts readers with a novel of homespun holiday cheer, as two families discover the joy of hope and redemption....
 
Widow Maddie McLendon has uprooted her life to move to Rustlers Gulch with her son and grandson. But as a brutal Montana winter looms on the horizon, contractors have yet to break ground on their new house, leaving them to live in a makeshift camp of trailers, tents, and sheds....

Since his wife died six years ago, millionaire rancher Sam Conacher has been content to wallow in his grief alone while keeping a tight rein on his twenty-six-year-old daughter. But now the girl has gone and fallen in love with his foolish new neighbor’s no-good son....

Maddie and Sam will never see eye to eye on anything, until a near-tragedy gives them a true glimpse into each other’s souls. And as the first snowflakes begin to fall, they’ll discover that an open heart is the biggest gift of all....

Échantillon de lecture
Chapter One

Warm August sunlight slanted across the dusty windshield of Cameron McLendon's blue Ford pickup as he drove south on Highway 93. It was such a beautiful day in Montana's gorgeous Bitterroot Valley that he rolled down the front windows to enjoy the afternoon breeze, redolent with the scent of pine. He released a deep breath and tried to toss aside his worries.

West of the four-lane thoroughfare, the Bitterroot Mountains rose with splendid majesty to the clear blue sky, their glacier-chiseled canyons inviting the eye to delve deeper into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Cam, with a professional background in both fish and game biology, knew a totally different world existed in that remote area, a place so rugged and wild that some people couldn't comprehend it. He kept a close eye on the traffic as he took in the magnificent scenery with quick glances. Someday soon he hoped to have the time to take his son on a hike into those canyons.

His tight grip on the steering wheel relaxed. The tension eased from his neck and shoulders. Then he noticed that a light dusting of snow capped the mountain peaks. Only a little, he reassured himself. Only a freak dusting. But it was still a warning that those locals who were predicting an early winter might be right. Damn. Isn't it just my luck? If winter strikes sooner than anticipated, my mother will have difficulty navigating our camp.

Upset, tired, and hungry, Cam bypassed the turn that led to his new hometown, Rustlers' Gulch, and drove farther south to a place called the Cowboy Tree. A bar-and-eatery combo with rustic decor, it offered only limited menu choices, but the food was tasty and easy on the wallet. After parking in the long rectangular lot, Cam checked his reflection in the rearview mirror to fingercomb his hair. Tiny lines had appeared at the corners of his blue eyes. He was only thirty-five, but it had been a stressful summer, and all the worry had taken its toll.

As he pushed through the double doors of the establishment, he felt the casual, welcoming atmosphere surround him. The walls had been papered here and there with dollar bills autographed by customers. Bistro-height tables, handmade from knotty pine and rectangular in shape, flanked the front windows, while regular tables out of the same wood peppered the inner section of the dining room. A bank of poker machines cozied up to a jukebox at one side. Lighted beer signs offset the darkness of ag…