Home for the Holidays (Harlequin Superromance, #1599)

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Home for the Holidays (Single Father #27)

by Sarah Mayberry (Goodreads Author)

3.95 · rating details · 131 ratings · 33 reviews

Joe Lawson has a thing for his new neighbor Hannah Napier. As a single dad, he shouldn't be thinking what he is about her. Still, that doesn't stop them from getting "close." And the way she connects with his kids, it's as if they're a family.

Turns out it's too good to be true. Seems Hannah has plans that don't include staying in Melbourne. Joe won't stand betwee

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Mass Market Paperbound, 245 pages

Published November 10th 2009 by Harlequin (first published 2009)

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Lists with This Book

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Best Seasonal Romance {Christmas, Winter}

43rd out of 176 books — 84 voters

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Best of Harlequin - Recently Released

15th out of 31 books — 6 voters

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Community Reviews

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Dec 22, 2010

Zosia rated it

Shelves: australia, contemporary-romance

Despite the misleading title, this isn’t actually a Christmas book (or ‘holiday’ book, as the title claims). Sure, Christmas happens toward the end of the story, but it’s covered in the space of a couple of paragraphs.

This was a good story – I like Sarah Mayberry’s Superromances – but I had a couple of issues with it.
Mayberry has a real talent for taking ordinary, everyday things and making them into interesting stories. In this one Hannah has moved back in with her mother afte...moreDespite the misleading title, this isn’t actually a Christmas book (or ‘holiday’ book, as the title claims). Sure, Christmas happens toward the end of the story, but it’s covered in the space of a couple of paragraphs.

This was a good story – I like Sarah Mayberry’s Superromances – but I had a couple of issues with it.
Mayberry has a real talent for taking ordinary, everyday things and making them into interesting stories. In this one Hannah has moved back in with her mother after a terrible breakup with her fiancé, and widower Joe has just moved in next door with his two children. They dislike each other at first sight, but of course that changes.
I liked that this story took place in a part of Melbourne I’ve spent some time in. It’s not often Australian readers get to recognise the settings of their stories! Also, and as always, this author writes excellent characters.

Most category books come with a whole lot of contrived situations, but this author generally makes sure that when she uses them she makes them seem original. There are very few groan-inducing moments in a Sarah Mayberry book. Superromances (despite being marketed as longer romances) aren’t especially long, but a lot happens in Mayberry's books.

So, what were my problems?

My first big issue was that the children in this book acted a good five or six years younger than their stated ages. It was so distracting I had trouble focusing on the story sometimes! Ruby was supposed to be ten, almost eleven, and yet she took baths with her father in the room to supervise (that really squicked me out!), and she wanted to play ‘pass the parcel’ and ‘musical chairs’ at her eleventh birthday party. When she was in a fashion parade she chose a sailor suit from the little children’s department, and dressed Hannah up as her favourite Barbie doll.
This wasn’t an almost-eleven year old! She was more like a five or six year old! She was an excellently-written, well-rounded character, but she was not realistic for her age.
Then we had the thirteen year old brother, Ben, who dutifully went to bed every evening at eight-thirty. EIGHT-THIRTY!! In summer (and this book takes place in summer) the sun hasn't even set then - imagine trying to send a teenager to bed when it's still light outside! When I was his age I was going to bed at around eleven. My six year old neighbour has a nine o’clock bedtime!

My second issue I thought the ending of the story was very rushed. We had a slow-burning romance that included a whole lot of family issues (Will the children accept a new mother? What’s going on with the teenage boy?). Then all of a sudden – just before the end – a major drama is introduced in Hannah’s life, and major decisions are made by all of the characters. Because it arrived so late in the book I don’t think there was time to do it justice.

Of course it would have been nice to not have American terminology put into the books (we certainly don’t put ‘gas’ in our cars!), but the Americanisation wasn’t as blatant in this one.

This was a worthwhile read, and the three star rating is a little harsh. But then I think about how much the girl annoyed me, and the surprise at the end that was completely out of the blue, and it just wasn’t as good as some other books I’ve read by this author.
So, good, but not groundbreaking. Not the worst category romance you could find!(less)

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Dec 03, 2009

Shawna rated it

Recommends it for: Contemporary romance fans who love a good story with lots of emotion

Shelves: contemporary-romance, harlequin-blaze-silhouette-romance, holiday-reading, sarah-mayberry, quick-read-romance, 2009-reads, bikers-sexy-as-sin, favorites, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-im-gaga-over, hero-beta, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, i-read-own-faves-keepers, made-me-cry, hero-mix-of-alpha-beta, heroine-i-adore, reunions-are-sweeter-second-chances, enemies-to-lovers-opposites-attract, hh-widow-or-widower, sweet-romance-left-smile-on-my-face, 5-stars, bikes-grease-monkey-hot-rods-racer, heroine-tomboy-lady-in-pants, hero-single-dad

5 stars – Contemporary Romance

This is the third Harlequin romance I’ve read by Sarah Mayberry, and I’m happy to say that so far her books are a strong 3 for 3 for me in terms of earning 5 stars. I’m continually impressed by the level of character development and realistic, honest drama that’s conveyed in her stories. And she wowed me once again with this sweet, emotive story of a hot, responsible widower with two kids trying to forge a tentative, yet hopeful friendship (and then in...more

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Jan 05, 2012

Bethandanks rated it

Shelves: must-read

I have to admit this book made me cry with happiness and with sadness. One minute everything is fine and then BAM tears are pouring from my eyes. It was an amazing read and really inspired me with Hannah's (the heroine you could say) strength and utter selflessness. It was beautiful. I loved how the whole story centred around the few main character's which was really different for me, being used to big plots and even bigger social groups. Sarah Mayberry (author) has done a lovely job with the wr...more

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Jul 06, 2011

Zahu rated it

Shelves: 1951-current, harlequin, heart-wrenchers, widow-widower, daddy-heroes, tomboyish-heroine

Oh this was such a fabulous fabulous read!!

I didn't expect to like it when I discovered that the heroine was a leather and boots mechanic with a motorcycle. I'm not a fan of rough and tough heroines and I actually put this aside after a couple of pages. More fool me.

Hannah Napier was not at all like a female version of the roughneck I envisioned. Sure, she was a tomboyish mechanic, but she was so sweet I couldn't help but settle in her camp. I liked her refreshing honesty, he...more

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Jun 22, 2010

Leslie rated it

Home for the Holidays isn't a typical romance. There's a deceased wife, two kids - one's a teenager, an ex-fiance and a strained sibling relationship. Add to that the rocky start Joe and Hannah get off to and it certainly doesn't seem like they have any chance at becoming friends much less a couple. But Mayberry works her magic and Joe and Hannah get beyond those bad first impressions and get to know each other.

Joe Lawson is still feeling his way through the rough waters of single pa...moreHome for the Holidays isn't a typical romance. There's a deceased wife, two kids - one's a teenager, an ex-fiance and a strained sibling relationship. Add to that the rocky start Joe and Hannah get off to and it certainly doesn't seem like they have any chance at becoming friends much less a couple. But Mayberry works her magic and Joe and Hannah get beyond those bad first impressions and get to know each other.

Joe Lawson is still feeling his way through the rough waters of single parenthood. He moves himself and his two kids, Ben and Ruby, to Melbourne to start over and be near his mum. In doing so he puts himself next to a woman who is so not his type. His first encounter with Hannah does not go well and he doesn't look forward to seeing his new neighbor again. Hannah isn't too happy about the "jerk" that has moved in next door. They almost subconsciously notice the attractiveness of the other but squash that down because how could they possibly be attracted to someone so exasperating?

Hannah Napier could not be described as a "delicate flower of womanhood". I can practically hear her snorting at the thought. LOL She is a mechanic and enjoys working on restoring a classic motorcycle in her spare time. Most comfortable in jeans and t-shirt, she is out of her comfort zone when dealing with dresses and make-up. But even in jeans and t-shirt Joe can't help but notice Hannah's curves. Even while being irritated by her, he still notices that she is all woman under her grease monkey exterior.

The conflicts, and they are many, are well developed for such a short format. Joe and Hannah must not only deal with their growing feeling for each other but also with the feelings of Joe's two kids. Ben is a teenager (13) who's unhappy with the world and is under pressure from school to try and fit in. Ruby is a precocious 10 year old that quickly takes to Hannah. At first, Joe isn't happy about Ruby hanging around with their "biker chick" neighbor. As Joe gets to know Hannah, he realizes what an important part of his family she is becoming.

I really enjoyed the dynamics of the characters. The way everyone kind of shifted and moved into place to create a new family. The moves weren't always smooth, there were definitely bumps along the way. Sometimes more shifting needed to be done but eventually two people became a couple and four people became a family.

So chalk up another win from Mayberry. Once again she's given the reader a romance couple different from the usual fare. With a heroine who can rebuild an engine and a hero who does laundry and washes dishes. The love scenes were sweet, sexy and funny. Two people who resort to getting hot and heavy in a car because they have no privacy at home makes for some hot and frustrating scenes. And the way they overcame their past pains to get to the point where they could trust and hope again was well written and left me, once again, happy to have found Sarah Mayberry's books.(less)

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Jun 23, 2011

Saly rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: harlequin-silhouette, category-romance, harlequin-super-romance

Home for the Holidays by Sarah Mayberry was such a wonderful book. I totally loved it and the little girl Ruby was amazing, Ben the boy wasn't that bad.

Joe Lawson has just uprooted both his kids to a new place and new life. Joe worked in oil rigs but since his wife died two years ago he took a desk job but now he has bought a pub to run, which was his wife's dream and has moved closer to his mother. He is still grieving and feeling his way through. His kids are also still recovering....more

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Dec 23, 2010

Jody rated it

Just in time for the holidays comes this heartwarming, yet sexy, read about two damaged hearts finding the will to move on through a relationship neither of them expected to find.

Joe's wife died two years ago and until recently he's just been going through the motions of living. Hoping that a change of scenery will help him and his two children move on, Joe moves to be closer to his mother. Along with a new school for the kids and a new job for Joe, comes an attraction to his new n...moreJust in time for the holidays comes this heartwarming, yet sexy, read about two damaged hearts finding the will to move on through a relationship neither of them expected to find.

Joe's wife died two years ago and until recently he's just been going through the motions of living. Hoping that a change of scenery will help him and his two children move on, Joe moves to be closer to his mother. Along with a new school for the kids and a new job for Joe, comes an attraction to his new neighbor Hannah. Hannah too is trying to move on with her life after a family betrayal leads to her being left at the altar. Because of this, she's closed herself off to emotions and devotes herself to work and her biker buddies. But after an awkward late night meeting, and two children who need help healing too, Joe and Hannah's lives will never be the same. For two people determined not to get involved with anyone else, fate has other ideas. But just as fate can be kind, it can also be cruel. And when Hannah receives unexpected news, will Joe have the strength to stand by her and risk heartache again?

This book is the perfect holiday read. It's got cute kids, sweetness and sorrow, and lots of teary-eyed moments. Joe's grief was realistically expressed and his struggle to start a new relationship made your heart ache for him. His children also struggled through a lot of changes and their issues added another layer of believability to the story. Having children in these stories can sometimes be annoying and distracting, but Ben and Ruby were a remarkably mature and wonderfully well-written addition to the story to see how loss affects every member of a family. Joe and Hannah's encounters are full of witty dialogue and humorous one-upmanship that sizzles with sexual tension. The slow build up of their relationship though made their coming together even sweeter and more satisfying. As a couple you feel even more invested in the outcome of their relationship. Hannah is an equally wonderful character. She's a tough cookie who doesn't allow pity from others. Even though she initially fights her attraction to Joe, she smartens up soon enough in a very tender scene that sticks with you long after the story is finished. Her strength is a necessity in the latter parts of the story as she embarks on a fight for her life, and with yet another memorably heartwarming scene, finds out who will be by her side.

This is a beautifully written, highly emotional read, with wonderful characters that stick with you long after the final page is turned. It leaves you with hope and a better understanding of the power of love. I highly recommend this book not only as a holiday read, but whenever you need a heartwarming pick-me-up.(less)

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Apr 30, 2011

Sheri rated it

Shelves: contemporary-series-romance

My grade: B+. This was a good book. Joe's wife died in an accident two years ago. When he and Hannah begin feeling attracted to each other, it means Joe and his two kids have a few things to work through. So does Hannah, whose fiance dumped her just prior to their wedding to marry her sister. I like the characters, the love and concern they have for the two kids. Unfortunately, it felt a little too easy. Yes, they had issues. Mostly the kids had issues, but they seemed to get resolved pretty qui...more

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Dec 16, 2009

Ridley rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 4-star, contemporary, read-2009, ebook

Joe Lawson has hit a rough patch. His wife was killed two years ago, leaving him with a 10 year old daughter and a 13 year old son. He’s just uprooted his family from Sydney to be closer to his mother in Melbourne. Now the jerk next door is revving his motorcycle, threatening to wake up his kids. When he marches next door to give the guy a piece of his mind, he’s in for a bit of a surprise.

Hannah Napier was working on her motorcycle in her mom’s garage, like she has on many occasions...moreJoe Lawson has hit a rough patch. His wife was killed two years ago, leaving him with a 10 year old daughter and a 13 year old son. He’s just uprooted his family from Sydney to be closer to his mother in Melbourne. Now the jerk next door is revving his motorcycle, threatening to wake up his kids. When he marches next door to give the guy a piece of his mind, he’s in for a bit of a surprise.

Hannah Napier was working on her motorcycle in her mom’s garage, like she has on many occasions before, when some jerk comes in and scares the bejesus out of her, yelling at her to keep it down. That’s some way to meet your new neighbor!

Despite this inauspicious beginning, and a number of other early clashes, these two find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other. Neither is in the market for romance. Joe’s still reeling from his wife’s death and is completely focused on his kids. Hannah’s recovering from her fiancé ditching her right before the wedding for her younger, prettier sister. Not only are they both walking wounded, but Hannah’s planning on fulfilling a lifelong dream to take off on a motorcycle tour of the country. They’re determined to keep it platonic, agreeing that the timing is all off for them.

Life, of course, has other plans for them. All sorts of delicious unresolved sexual tension ensues, with some amusing false starts, one of which involves a makeout session interrupted by a car horn. Watching these two circle each other, declaring their intent to keep their hands to themselves, and ultimately fail, is a real joy.

Mayberry did make some decisions I didn’t agree with. The meeting between Hannah and her fiancé was straight-up bizarre – why would he, and not her sister, be the one to tell her she was going to be an aunt? I didn’t see what that exchange added to the story. I also didn’t agree with how she handled the road trip, but I won’t spoil that.

I found the dialog hokey at times, especially with the children. Ruby, the 10 year old, refers to Joe as Daddy and her late mother as Mommy, which I found odd for that age group. She spoke the precious and cutesy lines of a 6 year old, not a preteen. She did a better job with Ben, making him reserved and moody, like any self-respecting 13 year old boy, but even he delivered some highly uncharacteristic bits of high emotion that set my eyes a-rolling. If you don’t like kids in romance, this won’t be the book that changes your mind.

These flaws, however, did not sufficiently take away from what was a highly satisfying roller coaster ride. Sexual tension abounds and a surprise twist at the end is a bit of a tearjerker. A solid read, start to finish.
(less)

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Nov 23, 2010

Joy rated it

Shelves: romance

I thought this would be a light-hearted Christmas romance. BOY was I ever wrong. The hero is a single father who lost his wife in a car accident; the heroine is the annoying but HAWT neighbor who was left at the altar. She's also planning a motorcycle tour across Australia, which gets in the way of their burgeoning romance. And just when you think everything is going to be wonderful, Mayberry hits this nice couple again with another horrible spoilery trial. More serious than her other books; the...more

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Nov 15, 2011

Trina rated it

Shelves: romance

This was a great read. I loved the characters in the book. Joe is a bit of a hot head with a protective streak a mile wide but he is fighting the ghosts of his past while trying to protect his two young children. Hannah is an insecure woman just trying to survive a bitter betrayal and figure out how to get her life on track. Sparks fly from their first meeting and the path each one takes to open back up to love and trust in another person is riveting. This book made me laugh and cry in equal mea...more

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Dec 04, 2010

Holly rated it

Shelves: z144-books-in-2010, y-december-2010, y-read-in-2010

I really like Mayberry's writing. She's great at blending real-life issues with great romance. I love how she brings her characters to the brink of disaster (in terms of their actions), but always pulls them back before they cross the line. Both characters are damaged, both have baggage and both are wary about moving into a relationship. But that doesn't stop them from going forward.

I wanted to be annoyed with the heroine over her desire to protect the hero, but I understood her reaso...more

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Dec 04, 2010

Gemma rated it

I won't bother with a big recap, as other reviewers have already done it. I'll just say that this was a much better than usual romance for Harlequin. The characters went out on the real date, and were actually able to talk about their feelings instead of playing stupid mind games with one another. It was a refreshing change from the common petty bickering or stupid misunderstandings you find so often in romance. I also liked that they weren't willing to indulge in a meaningless fling if there wa...more

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Jun 13, 2011

Carrie rated it

Shelves: category-romance, contemporary, read-2011, tbr-challenge-2011

TBR Challenge 2011- June Category: Contemporary. This book has been on my TBR list since Dec 2010.

I'll start with the caveat that I don't care for children in romance novels for the most part. It's rare that a child character is well-written or acts/talks in an age appropriate way. (FYI, some of the best children in fiction are found in Juvenile and Young Adult fiction, especially historical fiction.) In part because of my bias, Home for the Holidays was a good-but-not-great read for...more

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Dec 28, 2010

Maldivianbookreviewer rated it

Shelves: sarah-mayberry, sizzling-sexual-tension, harlequin-romances, widowed-hero, contemporary-romance, emotional-wrangler, hottest-first-kiss, tortured-heroine, against-the-wall-smexing, brooding-hero, commitment-phobic-heroine, jilted-heroine, explosive-passion, favorite-alpha-heroes, haunted-by-the-past-heroine, loner-heroine, not-your-average-heroine, opposites-attract, family-drama, neighbor-hottie, favorites

5++ star contemporary family romance from Ms. Mayberry

I don’t know how she does it, but Sarah Mayberry is one author who never disappoints. In this Harlequin Super Romance, Sarah Mayberry explores the story of a single father Joe with his two children Ben and Ruby and the second chance at love this family is given, with a few surprises thrown in at the end.

Joe’s wife Beth dies in a car accident. It has been two years since then and Joe moves their family to Melbourne t...more

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Jun 05, 2010

~ames~ rated it

Shelves: 2010-read, historical, e-book, contemporary

Ok - crazily inaccurate blurb alert! Joe and Hannah get off on the wrong foot the day he moves into her neighbourhood. He thinks she's a crazy biker chick and she thinks he's a curmudgeon that alienates people around him (he snapped at her for her loud motorcycle when his kids were sleeping). So wrong foot. And then everytime they saw each other after that, they kept rubbing each other the wrong way! And then one day, she catches his son doing something not so good and lets him know and he start...moreOk - crazily inaccurate blurb alert! Joe and Hannah get off on the wrong foot the day he moves into her neighbourhood. He thinks she's a crazy biker chick and she thinks he's a curmudgeon that alienates people around him (he snapped at her for her loud motorcycle when his kids were sleeping). So wrong foot. And then everytime they saw each other after that, they kept rubbing each other the wrong way! And then one day, she catches his son doing something not so good and lets him know and he starts to see that he was wrong about her and they begin to get to know each other. He's worried about his baggage (widower, 2 children) and she's planning a road trip around Australia and she's got baggage of her own (her younger sister stole her man). So the whole holiday thing isn't really a big theme in this book either. There is mention of Christmas coming up, and that's kind of it. So even though the holiday season has passed, this book is good for anytime. Yay.

Ok, I truly enjoyed Home for the Holidays. Hannah is kind of scared and vulnerable. Joe is scarred and worried if he's doing the wrong thing with his children. And you know me, I'm not a fan of children in romance. But these kids...these were good kids. I like how it all came together for these 4 people.

But what got me was the surprise element towards the end. You see, after everything is said and done, Hannah finds out she has breast cancer. She's only 28 and everyone is telling her she's young and she's going to get better, no doubt about it. And it made me cry. I lost a friend last year to breast cancer. She was only 25. So yeah, you can tell someone they're young and healthy and they're going to recover, but sometimes you can't beat it. And you really really want Hannah to make it and she doesn't want to hurt Joe and his children - she doesn't want to put them in a position to lose someone they care about again and yeah, it all came together so wonderfully and emotionally and I cried. You can't ask for more than that. 4 stars(less)

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Dec 27, 2010

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" rated it

Recommends it for: Fans of heartwarming contemporary romance

Shelves: harlequin-superromance, holiday, christmas, owned-copy, christmas-reads-2010, hero-i-loved, heroine-i-adore, tomboy, mechanic, widower, hero-or-heroine-gravely-ill, love-wary, kids-in-the-mix, daddy-hero, single-parent, friends-to-lovers, favorites, celibate-or-less-experienced-hero

I ended up loving this book. It was so well-written and the emotions and the characters were real life and genunine. I just adored Hannah. I loved how she was down-to-earth, a tomboy who was more into working on motorcycles than doing her nails, wearing dresses, and primping. She was tough and strong, but genuine. I could understand her pain of being betrayed by her sister and her ex-fiance', but it was also good that she was able to move on from it and live her life. I liked how she interac...more

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Mar 19, 2011

Renee rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, read-in-2011

How does Sarah Mayberry pack so much story into a category romance? It just amazes me. Even with the Super Romance's longer length, this story packs a wallop. I don't know why I haven't yet tracked down the rest of her backlist.

LOVED both Joe and Hannah. They each had their baggage coming into the story, but worked through all of it even while the story took time showing their courtship. Great stuff.

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Dec 04, 2010

Kaetrin rated it

Shelves: ebook

3.5 stars.
Home for the Holidays by Sarah Mayberry - B-. I usually enjoy Ms. Mayberry's books and this one was no exception. Hannah is a mechanic who was dumped by her fiance nearly at the altar for her sister (what!) and is living with her mother when Joe Lawson, widower, and his two children (Ben 13, and Ruby, 10) move next door. You'd think that would be enough wouldn't you? But no! Once they get over all those hurdles, the author hurtles another disaster upon them - one I totally w...more

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Dec 27, 2011

Writerlibrarian rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: december_pile, e-book, romance, read2011

A strong and yes romantic story. A relationship that has its ups and downs and things coming out of left field (just like in real life). Hannah is one strong, capable woman. How can Joe not fall for her. Sarah Mayberry knows how to write strong characters and succeeds again in creating a life like family. A family the reader comes to care about. That thing out of left field near the end. It happens. Not to me but to one of my best friend. 3 years, still counting and still here. I love that Sarah...more

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Feb 15, 2010

Sharon rated it

Shelves: erotica-romance

This was a very cute story with lovable characters. I do not typically like stories with children in them, but this was still very cute. Children added a lot of fun to the story. Not super hot sex, as to be expected with Harlequin as opposed to heavier erotica, but still a very sweet story that I really liked!

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Feb 04, 2012

E_bookpushers rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, own-it, e-book

This was more of a 3.5 star read I think. Again good for reading while sick. Touched on several emotional events.

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Jun 10, 2010

Robin *loves sexy books* rated it

this book made me cry at a couple of different places. i'm not one to cry with books, but this really did it! i loved the characters and the kids involved.

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Aug 21, 2011

RedBecca rated it

This author is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Very heartfelt and real characters.

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Apr 17, 2011

Jorrie Spencer rated it

My first Mayberry, but I'd like to read more by her. Warm and engaging romance.

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Jan 06, 2010

Keziah rated it

Shelves: read2010

Recommended. I like anything by Sarah Mayberry. She's a good Blaze writer too.

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Dec 23, 2010

Danielle rated it

probably her worst book yet.

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Dec 30, 2009

Tracy's Place rated it

4.5 out of 5

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Jan 02, 2010

Jaci Burton rated it

Loved this book!

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Jan 12, 2010

Emmanuelle rated it

· review of another edition

Can a story get any more romantic than this one ?? I had tears in my eyes and a big smile on my face when I finished the book. How Sarah Mayberry succeeds to convey so much emotion and passion in those 200 pages is amazing. My only disappontment is that the book isn't part of a series. Sure there is an epilogue but I would have loved to see more of Joe and Hannah and their gang in the future *sigh* , yep... this really was a great book ;-)

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About Sarah Mayberry

Sarah Mayberry was born in Melbourne, Australia, and is the middle of three children. From the time that she first “stole” paper from kindergarten and stapled it together to make “books,” Sarah has always wanted to be a writer. In line with this ambition, on graduation from high school she completed a bachelor of arts degree majoring in professional writing, then sat down to write a book. When ins...moreSarah Mayberry was born in Melbourne, Australia, and is the middle of three children. From the time that she first “stole” paper from kindergarten and stapled it together to make “books,” Sarah has always wanted to be a writer. In line with this ambition, on graduation from high school she completed a bachelor of arts degree majoring in professional writing, then sat down to write a book. When inspiration didn’t strike, she began to wonder if, perhaps, she needed to live some life first before writing about it.

This still left the burning question of how to pay the rent. She found her way into trade journalism, working off the principle that it was better to write anything for a living than nothing at all. Her time there lead to the opportunity to launch a new decorator magazine for one of Australia’s major retailers, an invaluable and grueling experience that she found very rewarding.

But the opportunity to write fiction for a living soon lured Sarah away. She took up a post as storyliner on Australia’s longest running soap, Neighbours. Over two years she helped plot more than 240 hours of television, as well as writing freelance scripts. She remembers her time with the show very fondly — especially the dirty jokes and laughter around the story table — and still writes scripts on a freelance basis.

In 2003 she relocated to New Zealand for her partner’s work. There Sarah served as storyliner and story editor on the country’s top-rating drama, Shortland Street, before quitting to pursue writing full time.

Sarah picked up a love of romance novels from both her grandmothers, and has submitted manuscripts to Harlequin many times over the years. She credits the invaluable story structuring experience she learned on Neighbours as the key to her eventual success — along with the patience of her fantastic editor, Wanda.

Sarah is revoltingly happy with her partner of twelve years, Chris, who is a talented scriptwriter. Not only does he offer fantastic advice and solutions to writing problems, but he’s also handsome, funny and sexy. When she’s not gushing over him, she loves to read romance and fantasy novels, go to the movies, sew and cook for her friends. She has also become a recent convert to Pilates, which she knows she should do more often. (less)

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Home for the Holidays (Single Father #27)

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