Susan Mallery, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fool’s Gold romances, proves there’s no place like Happily Inc for the holidays… independent woman who can’t help dreaming what-if about a man she barely knows. Until he needs her help…
Garrick’s pregnant daughter will be home for Christmas, and his house needs a woman’s touch. Garrick and his little girl were tight once and he’s hoping a small-town Christmas will bring her back to him. But thawing his daughter’s frosty attitude will take more than a few twinkle lights. Maybe sharing the holiday with Wynn and her son will remind her of the joy of family.
As the season works its magic on these wounded souls, Wynn realizes it’s time to stop punishing herself for a painful secret, while Garrick remains haunted by the ghosts of past mistakes. Will he allow Wynn to open the only gift she truly wants—his heart?
Don’t miss The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery where one woman discovers the beauty in chaos in a poignant and heartwarming story about the threads that hold family together.
Read more in the reader-favorite Happily Inc series:
Book 1: You Say It First
Book 2: Second Chance Girl
Book 3: Why Not Tonight
Book 4: Not Quite Over You
Book 5: Meant to Be Yours
Book 6: Happily This Christmas
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I enjoyed this romantic Christmas read. I wasn’t familiar with previous characters from the series, but the book easily stands alone.
I LOVE Susan Mallery romances, particularly her “Fool’s Gold” series. Happily This Christmas is the latest in her “Happily, INC” series. I really liked the hero and heroine, but the hero’s 21-year-old, pregnant daughter, whose military husband is deployed overseas, is such a whiny, selfish, mean character at first that it was difficult to enjoy the story. Of course, romances end happily, and Susan Mallery is a great writer, so I’m recommending this book.
HAPPILY THIS CHRISTMAS (Happily Inc Book #6) by Susan Mallery is the latest installment in the Happily Inc. contemporary romance series set in Happily Inc, a wedding destination themed town. I love when these books are set around the Christmas season and I get to visit all the characters again. This can be read as a standalone, but many of the characters overlap in this small town and I have enjoyed reading them in order.
Wynn Beauchene has a thriving graphic design business and a happy and responsible fourteen-year-old son. Starting out as a scared, single mother with a secret, she is now a strong independent woman who has a crush on her handsome next-door neighbor. She keeps trying to come up with a reason to say more than a passing “Hi”.
Garrick McCabe has returned to his hometown to take over the Happily Inc police department. When he gets a call that his pregnant daughter, Joylyne will be staying with him for the holidays until her Marine husband returns from deployment, he is excited because they have been estranged for many years. Garrick wants everything to perfect and asks Wynn if she can help him get his home ready.
Wynn becomes more and more attached to Garrick and his daughter, but Garrick has a long way to go to patch up misunderstandings with his daughter. Can Wynn and Garrick find time and forgiveness for themselves as they become closer?
I always enjoy going back to Happily Inc. Ms. Mallery’s characters are small town neighbors that anyone would love to meet. They care about each other are helpful when needed. I enjoyed Wynn and Garrick’s Christmas HEA and am looking forward to checking back in with them in future books. The story just flows with realistic dialogue, believable characters, family drama and reconciliation.
This is a feel good romance for the holiday season.
I read this book for NetGalley but would have read it anyway as I have read all of Susan Mallery’s books. I have so wished that there was a town like Happily Inc. that I could move to. One with a town, mountains, lakes and just good people around. This continues the story of Wynn in Happily and her son and what is next for them in their lives. We watched her in a relationship with Jasper but that never reached full fruition and he went off to marry another one of her friends. Glad that she was glad for them both and felt that they were a better mix.
We know that Garrett (Local Police Chief) moved in next door to her but with her work schedule and his except for a wave now and then and a window watching on Wynn’s part as he mowed his yard shirtless there has never been any interest between the neighbors.
Then comes the motto to be kind to your neighbor as Garrett asks Wynn for a favor. Wynn is a sweetheart and agrees and we spend the rest of the book learning if this was a colossal mistake or if it was a meant to be.
Pick this book up, it will make you smile, bring on a happy family feeling and give anyone out there hope for the holidays. Have a wonderful Holiday season and may 2021 truly be a better year for us all.
My first Christmas story of 2020, so happy it was a Susan Mallery story!! Love returning to Happily Inc for the heartwarming story of Wynn and Garrick. I have been waiting for Wynn’s story and did not disappoint. She is neighbors with Garrick, who is a police officer and she has had a secret crush on him. He has asked for her help in getting his bachelor pad ready for his married pregnant daughter’s arrival. They have been estranged and he wants everything perfect for her arrival. Both struggling with mistakes from the past but with this holiday season will the magic heal all.
What was best about the book was that it tied up loose threads. The emotional problems of the daughter were shallow, and not quite believeable, nor was her complete turnaround by the end. Predictable, but still a warm fuzzy.
It was a fun Christmas read. Cozy up with a warm blanket, your favorite drink and simply drift away from all that is going on.
Can a single mother help her neighbor turn his house inyo a home for his married daughter who is expecting and living with her mother while her marine husband is overseas. Can they find true love and want the same things? Makes for an interesting story and great characters
Still reading
I was happy to return to Happily Inc. I’ve read all the others from this town. Recognized the Weddings Out of the Box, the Gallery, Wynn’s ex, Jasper and the wildlife preserve…It was nice to see Wynn has moved forward on letting Hunter be involved or friendly with someone she is dating. I wanted to slap Joylyn –she’s such a pain. If you have read some of happily inc. books, you will enjoy this one.
I like the whole happily inc series; also the fool’s gold one. The books are a nice easy read; excellent characters and story lines
This was a cute book about Wynn & Garrick. I thought Garrick’s daughter was a petulant brat but she improved as the story progressed. The part of the story that hit my heart was the conversation between Wynn & Garrick about her son joining JROTC. My goodness, her thoughts of “I thought it would be somoene else’s kid” mirrored mine when mine expressed an interest in a service academy. My mind was changed for the better. I hope when we have a 10 year reuniton at Fools Gold that Wynn’s was too. God bless our kids for choosing to say “I’ll do it” for they are the ones who let the rest of us live our lives. God bless the moms and dads and siblings of those kids because without their unwavering support, that kid would not be doing what he’s doing.
You can’t really go wrong with a romance by Susan Mallery. This is Book 6 in the HAPPILY INC series, and the second that I’ve read. Each book in the series stands alone, but it’s nice to return to a familiar setting and see cameos from familiar characters.u2060
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Wynn and Garrick are next-door neighbors, both single parents in their thirties. They haven’t interacted much since he moved in to his house a year earlier. While she’s working up the courage to ask him out, he asks her to help make his home welcoming for his grown, pregnant daughter who’s coming to stay with him while her husband is deployed. u2060
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This mix of romantic comedy and family drama is a great choice for the holiday season. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received of this book. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Susan Mallery is a new author to me. When I agreed to read this book I did not realize it was the 6th in a series. Even though it was ok on its own I would have loved to have read the series from the beginning as some characters do overlap it seemed like.
That said I loved that this book is set in a town that is a wedding destination and it had a holiday theme. There is something magical about a holiday story.
I loved the characters of Wynn and Garrick. It was nice seeing two single parents bond. It was fun watching Wynn try to find ways to say HI to Garrick the policeman she has a crush on.
I enjoyed seeing these two characters grow close and heal each other.
I admit Garrick’s daughter made me want to put her in time out with her whining but I soon got over that. Wynn’s son I liked he reminded me a bit of my son by how responsible he was at 14.
Overall a lovely read and one I enjoy reading again but this time in the proper order.
Garrick is Winn’s neighbor and she has a crush on the kind policeman but she never had the courage to approach so imagine her surprise when he shows up at her door asking for a big favor! He’s the type of guy for every woman’s dream but he has a complicated past with his only daughter. When he asks his sweeet neighbor Winn for help, he never imagined that he would fall in love.
Winn is a struggling single mother who lives for her amusing son Hunter. He is a 14 year old boy who does everything to make his mother’s life simpler. Together they form a beautiful family that may be growing soon.
At first, it was very difficult for me to accept the arrogant and rude behavior of Garrick’s daughter, Joylin, and it stopped me a bit for the story. It was only when father and daughter started to pour out their feelings and frustrations that I started to really like the story.
Susan developed the plot relationships very well and it was beautiful to follow the characters’ journey of forgiveness. From the middle to the end of the book, I just couldn’t put it down and at the same time didn’t want it to end.
The ending was very beautiful with all the points of conflict resolving and making me sigh.
I love the story line and love story!
This was a fun holiday read and it was nice to already know many of the characters. This story focused on Wynn and Garrick living next door to each other and dealing with their kids. There were some predictable moments but it was nice to read a happily ever after story. I love that I can always count on Susan Mallery to always provide a nice little escape!
I wanted to love the story, but I was a little bit disappointed.
Wynn is single, by choice. She has a son, a business, and a huge crush on a cop next door, but is too afraid to do anything about it.
Garrick has a pregnant daughter, who has to move in with him. They use to be tight, but she pushed him off the last few years. He is excited about a new chance to reconnect and asks Wynn to help him decorate the house before she arrives.
The more time they spend together, the more they grow closer until they fall helpless in love.
But the romance is not the focal point, it’s more about them coming to terms with their past and for Garrick to reconnect with his daughter.
I like the storyline, but the writing wasn’t my cup of tea especially the dialogs, they didn’t seem real somehow. I wanted a bit more tension, but it was all too perfect for me to love.
received from NetGalley
Loved this Christmas story! It’s got laughter, betrayal, perceived abandonment, sex, a wedding and a baby! But so much family and community…made you feel as if you were part of the story.
Neighbors, Wynn and Garrick don’t know each other very well. But Garrick finds out his pregnant daughter is coming to stay with him for a while he knows he needs more than a couch and a huge tv to make her feel comfortable, and enlists Wynn’s help to make his house a home. Add some drama with Garrick’s daughters ‘frosty’ attitude, small town charm, great friendships, romance, a little steam, and some Christmas cheer, and you have a great heartwarming book perfect for the season. I had no idea until after I got the book from the library, that this was book 6 in a series and it didn’t affect my enjoyment of it at all.