December 2025 list by A. Mortensen |
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At Morning's Light
by Lauraine Snelling
In 1890 Norway, newlywed Maya's dreams are crushed when a fierce winter storm steals her husband away before their voyage to America. Though anguish and grief engulf her, she travels to Iowa, where her new neighbor, Eben Miller, seeks to help mend her broken heart. Can they weather these trials together and overcome the difficulties this land holds?
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The Christmas Stranger
by Richard Paul Evans
Three years after losing his family in a Christmas Eve accident, grief-stricken Paul Wanlass hasn't just given up on Christmas, he's given up on life. He can't imagine anything to keep him here, not his work as a computer repairman, not the residents in his Salt Lake City neighborhood, and certainly not the idea of connecting with someone new. When a stranger knocks on his door, claiming to be picking up a laptop, Paul allows him in but discovers the man has a very different mission in mind. Paul wakes the next morning unsure if his encounter with the stranger really happened or was just a dream, but when the stranger shows up again, Paul challenges him to give him just one reason to live. The stranger agrees to the challenge but warns Paul not to expect a path he would have guessed or chosen.
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The Fault Between Us
by Stephanie Landsem
Three sisters fight for their lives and for each other amid the danger of a cataclysmic earthquake that rips Yellowstone National Park asunder in1959. Claire, Bridget, and Frannie Reilly were once as close as sisters can be. Though their mother left when they were young, their loving father raised them with everything they could want. When Claire marries a handsome cowboy and settles out west, a thousand miles away, the sisters' strong bond begins to unravel.Claire struggles to adjust to a life utterly unlike her upbringing, and surprising revelations about her husband's past make her wonder if she's made a terrible mistake. With a new baby and a shoestring budget, the last thing she needs is her family's interference.Sensing something isn't right, Bridget takes a temporary nursing assignment in Yellowstone, promising her father she'll bring Claire home--with or without her husband. When Frannie, the rebellious youngest sister, is sent along in hopes it will corral her behavior, the Reilly sisters reunite on the eve of a seismic event that rips Yellowstone apart, tests their survival, and exposes the ever-widening rift in their relationship.
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Hearts in Circulation
by Sarah Monzon
Little Creek's circulation librarian Hayley Holt's fears come true when her bookmobile breaks down and a rockslide traps her in the small hollow of Turkey Grove. Mechanic Levi Redding's gruff demeanor clashes with the vibrant librarian, now also his temporary houseguest, but their forced proximity sparks a connection, and an exchange of letters awakens love.
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Her Surprise Neighbor
by Lee Tobin McClain
Though teacher Gabby Dunn loves nothing more than helping her students to read with the support of her trusty therapy dog, Caramel, her newest student, Sloane, is her trickiest by far. Not only are she and her father, author Noah Barnes, Gabby's new neighbors, but Sloane is also the daughter Gabby placed for adoption seven years ago. Desperate to help his troubled child, Noah hopes reconnecting her with her biological mother could be the solution Sloane needs. When the past threatens their newly formed family, Noah and Gabby must decide if this is a love worth fighting for.
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Once Upon a Christmas Carol
by Melody Carlson
Carol Langstrom hates Christmas. Being born on December 25th and growing up in a dysfunctional home has turned her into a modern-day Scrooge. Her plan, to escape this holiday in the Bahamas, but storms reroute her flight to Michigan. Amid the snowy landscape, she gets stuck on her aunt's farm and rediscovers a different kind of Christmas.
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Prowl: A Small-Town, Second-Chance Romantic Suspense
by Colleen Coble
Prowl, the second book in USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble's Sanctuary series (following Ambush), delivers exactly what her fans want: the ideal blend of suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat with just the right amount of romance. Perfect for fans of Laura Dave, Allison Brennan, or Dani Pettrey.
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The Royal Artisan
by Tessa Afshar
In ancient Persia, Sazana creates exquisite pottery as Queen Esther's artisan but keeps her Jewish identity hidden from her tyrannical master, Haman, and his ten vengeful sons. When tragedy strikes, Sazana must join forces with Jadon, the man who broke her heart, to locate an ancient artifact and thwart the impending threat to their people.
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Through Each Tomorrow
by Gabrielle Meyer
In 1883, time-crosser Charles Hollingsworth enters elite circles entwined with intrigue, unsure which path he will choose on his twenty-fifth birthday. In 1563, Lady Cecily Pembrooke serves Queen Elizabeth while her stepbrother Charles seeks to save the ailing monarch. As their futures hang by a thread and secrets unravel, are their destinies inescapable?
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Whispers at Painswick Court
by Julie Klassen
Surgeon's daughter Anne Loveday serves as sickroom nurse to a lady at a Cotswolds manor. While navigating the other residents--including potential suitors--a series of mishaps befalls her patient, and Anne realizes there may be a murderer in their midst. With her reputation and heart on the line, can she discover who's guilty before it's too late?
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