Christmas at Reedy Falls: A Romance

by Elizabeth Sumner Wafler

Overview

Perfect for fans of A Winter in New York by Josie Silver and Always in December by Emily Stone, Christmas at Reedy Falls is an opposites-attract, wholesome Christmas romance that will leave readers believing in the magic of the holiday—and how it brings people together.

When Mamie Morrow, a fledgling Charleston journalist, is offered an assignment covering the Grand Bohemian Lodge in Greenville, South Carolina, at Christmastime, she jumps at the chance. Her grandfather recently passed away and left her a mysterious box of objects from the time she spent with him in New Mexico when she was three. Mamie has zero recollection of her time with her grandfather, but she now knows that he was Navajo—and as the majestic Grand Bohemian is filled with Native American art, she hopes being there will help her regain those memories.

Robert Fitzpatrick is an upstart photographer from South Boston. Through equal parts inspiration and perspiration, he’s managed to compile a stunning portfolio, and he’s just relocated to slower-paced Charleston for its lush beauty and creative community. He’s also looking for the one—a girl to whom he can give his whole heart forever. But he harbors family secrets of his own.

Rob is smitten with Mamie’s energy and pluck, but to Mamie, career comes first. As Christmas Day approaches, the two grapple with the complications that arise when dreams confront reality—and witness the Christmas magic that can happen when you put your faith in love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647428075
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	10/29/2024
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256

About the Author

Elizabeth Sumner Wafler writes evocative women’s fiction and romance. The author of five novels, she is an active member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association and a former Director of Craft Education for the organization. Elizabeth enjoys working with other writers through her side hustle, Four Eyes Editorial. She can be found working at her blue desk, at a farmers market, poking through a book or vintage furniture store, or enjoying a great read on her back porch. Elizabeth lives with her husband in Greenville, South Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

. . . much like a Hallmark Christmas movie, complete with a meet-cute, a workplace romance, and love at first sight, which will appeal to genre fans.” —Kirkus Reviews

“In Christmas at Reedy Falls, Elizabeth Sumner Wafler skillfully places the reader smack into the heart of a story brimming with Southern charm and holiday atmosphere. The novel will have you falling head over heels for Mamie and Rob as they fall for each other. Equal parts funny and intriguing, this heartwarming story—about finding love where you least expect it—is truly a gift that keeps on giving!” —Christina Consolino, author of Rewrite the Stars and The Weight We Carry

From the Publisher

2024-07-24
Wafler presents a holiday romance novel, set in South Carolina, in which characters struggle with familial complexities.

Mamie Morrow, a journalist in Charleston, is assigned to cover a new hotel in the north of the state called the Grand Bohemian Lodge. As she works alongside photographer Rob Fitzpatrick, who hails from South Boston, the two quickly find themselves smitten with each other. Mamie’s skepticism about dating, given her career aspirations (“Romance could make me take my eye off the ball”), is not nearly as convincing as her immediate attraction to Rob; indeed, their relationship blossoms with little drama or complication. However, Mamie’s past—riddled with secrets, grief, and estrangement—colors the narrative, as do Rob’s hidden financial struggles and humble beginnings. Overall, Wafler delivers a fun, sweet romance with little in the way of conflict, which makes for an easy read, although readers may find some details distracting. Even though Mamie is a Southerner and Rob is from New England, their dialogue is nearly indistinguishable, aside from a few stereotypical phrases her and there (“struck a trot”; “wicked good”). Also, Mamie’s family history is tied to the Navajo nation from the American Southwest; the Catawba or Cherokee nations historically inhabited the Greenville area, where the Grand Bohemian Lodge is located, so it’s unlikely that Mamie would find relics that remind her of her ancestry there. The fact that it’s the holiday season seems peripheral to the story; it even works against it at times, as when Mamie and Rob are still working on their article on Christmas Eve. Still, the novel does read very much like a Hallmark Christmas movie, complete with a meet-cute, a workplace romance, and love at first sight, which will appeal to genre fans.

An easygoing if sometimes uneven love story with a Southern flair.

Kirkus Reviews