A Christmas Eve Love Story

Baird (Right Girl, Wrong Side) enchants with a Groundhog Day–style Christmas tale. Orphaned at nine, Annie Jones is accustomed to spending holidays alone, but she hopes this year she’ll have something to truly celebrate. She comes into her work as an assistant window designer at Lawson’s Finest department store on Christmas Eve expecting to get a promotion, bumping into hunky security guard Braden Tate along the way. She’s in for a shock, however, as the bosses instead announce staff cuts in the new year. Disappointed, she heads home, where her cat, Leo, has destroyed the toilet paper once again. It’s a frustrating end to a depressing day—and when she wakes up the next morning, she finds she must live it all over again. This time loop repeats 12 times, each Christmas Eve with a slightly different twist depending on the choices Annie makes—but all involving increasingly lengthy encounters with Braden. Baird makes it easy to buy into this familiar premise, winning readers over with the seemingly fated connection between Annie and Braden, a charming supporting cast, and plenty of genuine humor. This clean, heartwarming romance is a keeper. (Oct.)