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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Sweet and Sedate – 2.5 stars
I enjoyed the setting and the likable characters. The story was steady and slow. Josie’s and Palmer’s relationship had already progressed to the level of love at the beginning of the book. I wish I could have seen it develop.
wonderful read to inspire the spirit of holiday
Good it help me think much better and keep my eyes of of people
Good read
Pretty classic Debbie Macomber –a swoon-worthy hero (even if he isn’t the most romantic) and independent yet vulnerable heroine. This story, however, starts after Palmer and Josie have already started dating and the conflict really isn’t whether or not they’ll get together, it’s really about what the characters are willing to sacrifice for each other and for their relationship. I would have enjoyed a little more action and less introspection, but the story is very much what you expect from Macomber — sweetness, some struggles, and a happily ever after.
NOTE: I listened to this on audio and I could NOT stand the male narrator. It sounded more like Fargo than Alaska, and he made Jack sound like some uncivilized 80-year-old hillbilly. The female narrator did a better job (in my opinion) of making him sound like the 50-something hunting guide he’s described as. If I hadn’t been traveling, I would have tried to find the written book so as not to have to listen to the rest of it, but I wanted to know how the story ended so I was stuck.
My favorite author and she does it again.
I received this book as part of a holiday contest basket from Donna Kauffman. I don’t usually care for books written in the first person, but this one had alternating chapters for the points of view of Josie Avery and Palmer Saxon who met in Ponder, Alaska, a remote village. Ponder comes alive during the hunting and nature season which is how Josie came to be there. She was the seasonal chef for the lodge and planned to return to Seattle in the fall to take a full time position at a well-known chef’s restaurant. However, she misses her flight after Palmer’s awkward declaration of love and proposal. Love does not run smoothly for this couple.
O.k. Read, but predictable.
An easy read. Great characters and interesting Alaskan environment.
Great book! Easy read! Debbie Macomber makes you feel like you are a part of the storyline. Great characters and storyline. Another great Debbie Macomber book!!
Pleasant way to engage in a new locale. Characters were all great.
I’ve never thought about those that actually brave the bitter cold and make Alaska their home. Though fictitious, Alaskan Holiday gives you a glimpse into what Alaskan life can be like for some, and while I enjoy reading about the circumstances of others, there is no way I could trade my southern sun for all that snow.
Palmer, the hunky Alaskan that cares for the simple things in life, has fallen for Josie, the career-focused Seattleite chef, that was only supposed to be in Ponder temporarily, but has extended her stay longer than expected due to extenuating circumstances. It is during this brief trip to Alaska that Palmer and Josie have developed a connection but, as is real life, it’s complicated than that, and becomes even more so when Palmer asks Josie to marry him the night before she’s supposed to head back to Seattle, where she has her dream job waiting.
What follows is a tug of war of emotions between Palmer and Josie that is utterly charming, making it hard for us as the reader to not fall in love ourselves! The snowy setting is vivid and bright, coming alive for the reader as a true beauty to behold, and renewing my craving to one day travel to both Alaska and Seattle.
Alaskan Holiday is a fun read, even though the holidays are over. The progression of the story is wonderful, the book being well written, and since I was able to read it while traveling during the holidays it made the story that much sweeter! You really do want to see these crazy kids figure out their prospective situations and find a way to be together. Shouldn’t love always find a way??
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House-Ballantine through NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed following the characters on their adventure.
I loved this book!!!!
Not one of her better books. Could have been cut by a third of the pages. As I was reading it and I did finish it, I felt like I had read it before and this was a brand new book. I got it on the day it came out!
Enjoyed it.
Debbie is one of my altime favorite authors. This book is an easy read that wil entertain and inspire you and put you in a holiday mood!
I always enjoy Debbie Macomber books. They leave you with a good feeling. In this one, Josie dreams of being a chef. While she waits for her dream job to start as a sous chef in Seattle, she works at a lodge in the remote Alaskan community of Ponder. She gets to create the menu, don’t they ever eat beef? While there, she and Palmer become friends which leads to them falling in love. However, Josie thinks she won’t be happy in Ponder for the rest of her life, even as Palmer pops the question.
There is some miscommunication, shyness, and jealousies that happen to get in the way of true love. Eventually things smooth out, but it is a bit bumpy and lonely while the two main characters figure things out.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Dragged a bit
This was a fun story. Josie has spent the summer cooking at a lodge in a small town in Alaska, earning money so that she has a buffer before starting as a sous chef in Seattle. Once she’d gotten over the fact that there wasn’t a Starbucks on every corner or easy access to fresh fruits and veggies, she learned to love the small community and the tourists that make up the summertime population. She’d also fallen in love! Palmer, a master sword-maker, knows she is going back to Seattle but proposes anyway, only to be turned down. However, a missed ferry out as the lake is starting to freeze over puts a different spin on things; she eventually is able to leave only to discover the job in Seattle is not what she’d hoped…and then Christmas magic happens.
A great, quick read, just right for this time of the year.
I received an advance copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review.