26 WAYS TO COME HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

A historical romance novella focuses on two coworkers in New York City during World War II.

Stella West is “Head of Holidays” for Hanover’s Department Store. This means she’s in charge of making the store as cheerful as possible for the upcoming Christmas holiday as well as ensuring that Hanover’s remains one of the top places to go for family fun and shopping. As if that weren’t a big enough job, Stella and Hector Donovan, the store’s press agent, just got word that the famous decorator who was hired to design and execute all 26 of Hanover’s beloved window displays has quit—just two days before the public unveiling. This year’s theme, “Home for the Holidays,” is especially poignant, as it’s 1942 and so many sons, husbands, friends, and family members are away, fighting in the war. So Stella cannot let Hanover’s and the shoppers down. Stella and Hector, plus a small group of Hanover’s staffers, work day and night to bring the holiday spirit to life. With their jobs on the line and a series of mishaps keeping everything from running smoothly—or as smoothly as decorating over 20 windows in two days can proceed—Stella and Hector are relying on each other more than ever before. And as they spend a lot of time together, the protagonists discover that contentment can be found with someone you truly care about. In this engaging novella, Joy delivers a tale of two co-workers who realize their love for each other as they frantically tackle a daunting project during the hectic holiday season. At one point, Stella decides that Hector is “handsome. More handsome than Cary Grant…Grant wasn’t funny. Hector was very funny.” In 160 pages, the author manages to pack a lot of hijinks and setbacks into the story, making for a brisk pace. While there is a scene in which Stella reminisces in vague terms about a shared private moment between her and Hector, the intimacy happens offstage, which makes this a welcome holiday read for those who prefer sweet romances.

A fast-paced and charming colleagues-to-lovers tale for holiday romance fans.