Finding Christmas

Schaler (Christmas Camp) delights with this G-rated holiday-themed contemporary. Christmas-obsessed Seattle philanthropist Emmie Sanders is disappointed when her workaholic boyfriend, Grant, can’t get into the holiday spirit. Bestselling mystery author Sam Riley is suffering from writer’s block after the death of his sister, who loved Christmas. Then Sam gets the wrong present from the concierge in his building, a clue that sends him on a scavenger hunt to the appropriately named Christmas Point. He thinks his agent set up the game, but in fact Emmie devised it for Grant, and she’s the prize at the end. As Sam and Emmie delight in all of the activities in the charming small town—ice skating, snowman building, cookie baking—Sam’s heart begins to heal and Emmie learns that love often shows up in unexpected places. Schaler’s smart, appealing protagonists will keep readers turning the pages, and the plotting is pitch-perfect, leading to an inevitable but charming happily-ever-after. Sweet as a Hallmark Channel movie, but never saccharine, this innocent tale will satisfy fans of both romance and Christmas. Agent: Jessica Regel, Foundry Literary + Media. (Oct.)