All I Want for Christmas Is You

Liasson concludes her Angel Falls small-town contemporary series (after The Way You Love Me) on a high note, without relying on clichéd Christmas miracles to deliver the happily ever after. Coffee shop owner and baker Kaitlyn Barnes has been like a bonus daughter to the Langdon family since childhood. But for a long time, her feelings for fireman Rafe Langdon haven’t felt like friendship or brotherly love. After a tipsy evening leads to hot sex, Kaitlyn hopes a romance will develop, but Rafe keeps distance between them. When Kaitlyn discovers she is pregnant (despite using contraception), she decides to have the baby, asking Rafe to opt in or out of fatherhood. Still pained by the decade-earlier death of his fiancé and their unborn child, Rafe takes a minute to get on board, but it’s not long before he and Kaitlyn are together, ensuring a happy Christmas season. The other fruitful Langdons, a meddling grandma, and a mischievous new puppy round out the story. Nodding to the secondary plot involving a recipe contest, Liaisson also gives readers a tempting chocolate cookie recipe at the end. This is a scrumptious holiday treat. This edition contains a separate novel by Annie Rains not seen by PW. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Nov.)