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 … 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
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As always Debbie Macomber doesn’t disappoint. I finished this book in less than a week. Great story! Enjoy!!
Macomber, Debbie
ALASKAN HOLIDAY
This was a sweet interlude. I read it on Voting Day, and it was the perfect antidote, as well as a reminder of one of the best trips ever, the storytellers’ cruise to Alaska. I was told how many businesses close up when tourist season ends and how the population drops, but ALASKAN HOLIDAY let me feel how that would be. How can Josie be happy in the tiny community of Ponder? . . . but how can she leave Palmer? Oh, the pain of a summer romance . . . or is it more? I love them both, and Jack, crusty and food-obsessed Jack, with his historic sourdough starter. A friend learned to make sourdough bread as one of her final “must do” items in this life. It’s magical . . . as is a book that can help me escape from the serious world and regenerate. Brava!
Great book
Easy to read, predictable, very clean romance. If you like that sort of thing, it’s for you.
all the above!
Josie Avery was from Seattle and had gone to Ponder, Alaska for the summer to work as a chef in a lodge there before starting her big internship as a sous chef for a famous chef in Seattle. She had her life all planned out and then she met Palmer Saxon who lived in Ponder and had no intention of moving to the city, EVER. Palmer fell in love with Josie and wanted her to be his wife but when he waited until the day before she was to leave for Seattle to ask her to marry him, he upset the apple cart. Josie didn’t want to live in Ponder. It was isolated and had few amenities and comforts of a less remote location. She did have feelings for Palmer but they just weren’t enough to want to give up her plans. Right?
This story was beautifully woven. You began to see that some times love wins and the things you think you can’t give up are the things that don’t matter so much when the one you love is the most important thing in your life. This was a clean romantic story about patience and romance and understanding and love. I cheered for Palmer and Josie. Palmer was such a good man who just wanted Josie to be happy, while silently hoping and praying that she would choose him.
I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my review.
Liked reading this book.
Every year it’s a tradition for me to read Debbie Macomber’s newest Christmas release. Her Christmas novels are always filled with humor and romance. Her stories are warm hearted and filled with the holiday spirit. Alaskan Holiday was one of the best of her Christmas books that I’ve had the privilege of reading. It was very hard to put the book down once I started reading it. I found myself glued to the pages.
There’s something just magical about an Alaskan romance. This story takes place in the remote town of Ponder where Josie Avery has been working as a chef at the lake side lodge for the Summer. She enjoys her job once she gets used to living so far up north. She loves to explore the Alaskan wilderness and loves watching the Northern Lights.
Josie has been spending a lot of time with a handsome bachelor , Palmer Saxon, over the Summer months. When the lodge closes in the fall Josie plans to return to Seattle where she will be starting her new job as a sous-chef for the renowned Douglas Anton. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for her and she is eager to get back to Seattle to start her new career.
Palmer has become smitten with the beautiful Josie. Actually as time draws closer to her leaving Ponder he realizes that he has fallen in love with her. He wants to propose marriage to Josie but is very nervous since he hasn’t dated much until she came to the lodge to work. He hopes she will change her mind about going home to Seattle and become his wife. Unfortunately she doesn’t except his offer .
Josie hated to hurt Palmer by rejecting his proposal but what else could she do. She cries herself to sleep that night. Unfortunately she over sleeps and misses the last ferry of the season heading out of Ponder for Fairbanks. Josie is stranded in remote deserted Ponder for the winter losing all chances of reporting for work at her new job in Seattle. That is unless she can find another way out of town other than that ferry.
Will things work out for Josie to get back to Seattle in time for her first day of work on her new job? Will Palmer be able to change her mind about leaving Ponder and is there yet any hope she might agree to become his wife?
If you like contemporary romance or are a fan of Debbie Macomber you will enjoy this Christmas Romance novel. I highly recommend it . It’s a good clean Romance you won’t be disappointed with.
Josie has spent the past six months in Ponder, Alaska cooking at the town’s lodge while waiting for her dream job to begin in Seattle with Chef Anton. A position others in her culinary school class would have loved to had. What Josie did not expect was to fall in love with the town and a particular young bachelor, Palmer, the local swordsmith. The night before she is to leave, Palmer tries to propose. Even if Palmer had been more romantic with his proposal Josie was still not going to stay. She has worked too hard to get her dream position. After missing the last ferry leaving Ponder for the season, Josie blames Palmer for her situation. In order to save what is left of their relationship Palmer finds a sea-tac plane leaving in a couple of weeks. When Josie gets to Seattle she realizes she left her heart in Ponder. Can Josie and Palmer find a way to both be happy and be together?
I can’t start celebrating Christmas reading until I have read a Debbie Macomber Christmas story. Macomber has a knack for making one believe in love and happily ever afters especially around Christmas. I appreciate she can show love at its finest in a clean way. She doesn’t feel the need to have sex scenes sully the beauty of true love.
This is the perfect book to grab on a cold, blustery Sunday afternoon while sitting in front of the Christmas tree sipping peppermint cocoa. It is the perfect length to read in one sitting.
I received a complimentary copy from Randon House Publishing through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
Boring. Absolutely not up to Macomber standard.
enjoyed it very much. hated to put it down!
I really enjoy stories written in such a way that one can sit and relax and enjoy. I don’t always have to have the suspense turn the page novel in my hands. Alaskan Holiday was just this type of book. I really enjoyed reading about the Alaska wilderness. In the winter months, some of the communities really have very little ties with the outside world. They are very remote. I found Alaskan Holiday to be a quick but enjoyable read. The characters were fun to discover. The storyline was easy to follow. I received a copy from Netgalley. .A review was not required.
Good reading for Christmas
Loved it
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
I absolutely love Debbie Macomber and her books. Alaskan Holiday is another great “feel good” read. Josi works as a summer chef in a fishing lodge in Ponder, Alaska. This is a temporary assignment for her after finishing culinary school. Palmer is a full-time resident in Ponder. He is taken with Josi and the more time he spends with her, the more he likes her. Ponder closes down for the winter and many of the residents leave for a warmer climate. When Palmer realizes that Josi will be leaving to work for a famous chef, he asks her marry him. Josi wants to stay but she also wants to fulfill her dream and using her culinary degree, so she leaves. Both Josi and Palmer are struggling with the decision but Palmer needs to find a way to get her back. Will Josi want to come back? Loved the clean romance. Wonder what it would be like to live in a town that shuts down and goes on holiday? That would be interesting in itself. Thank you to Mrs. Macomber, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the ARC. Loved it!
Crackling Northern Lights
For those of us from the lower 48 and Hawaii (and possibly for much of the rest of the world), Alaska holds a mystique of cold, frozen tundra, mythic snowfalls, rugged trappers, and gold. Sorry, but gold isn’t mentioned once in this delightful, dual POV (point-of-view), romance, although the midnight sun does play a role. The question here is whether a city girl, used to hustle and bustle, crowds, and on-demand just about anything, learn to love relative isolation and temperature extremes if they come with a handsome hunk of self-containment. A thoroughly enjoyable novel; plus there is a dog!
Alaskan Nights was a disappointment. It read like a much older Debbie Macomber classic. There were several plot stereotypes like the head chef in the restaurant taking advantage of kitchen staff. While I am a fan of Debbie Macomber novels and always enjoy her books, this one held lots of promise, but didn’t deliver.
This is a wonderful holiday romance that illustrates if love takes root it can change your life forever no matter what your plans are.