Stolen Christmas

by Veronica West

Cindy Lane has always dreamed of a real Christmas—the kind she’s only seen in her beloved snow globe. Growing up in Arizona’s foster care system, the holidays were anything but magical, marked by endless moves and sweltering heat. But when a chance gust of wind carries her to the picturesque town of Snowflake, Vermont, Cindy’s dream of a snowy, festive Christmas finally feels within reach—especially when she lands the role of event planner for the town’s renowned holiday celebrations.

There’s just one Garland Hunter. The reclusive tech whiz has made a name for himself as the town’s resident Grinch, known for derailing Snowflake’s cherished traditions.

Can Cindy’s unshakable holiday spirit and warmhearted charm melt the icy walls Garland has built around his heart? Or will his tricks turn her Christmas dream into a nightmare?


This is a stand-alone holiday romance novella loosely based on the Grinch movie.

190 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 18, 2024

Reviews

[CBea Chronicles · Rating 5 out of 5]

❄️Stolen Christmas ARC Review 🎄

This book had a natural flow to it, no part of the plot or storyline seemed forced; which is really rare lately! This is a wonderful adaptation/reimagining of the Grinch and i loved it! Thats a lot for mw to say since its my favorite Christmas Movie! Even after everything I stayed a little upset with town for their behavior towards Garland but I will eventually fully forgive 😂

If you are looking for a spicy christmas novella this isn’t it, although there is a tiny spicy scene in the epilogue! BUT this IS a wonderful christmas novella that makes you all sorts of nostalgic and happy and ready to rewatch the Grinch all over again!

[Stephanie_Reads_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok so this was super cute I’m not gonna lie. Warm and cozy Grinch retelling and 100% enjoyed it! I loved the story line and the splash of spice (I only wish there was more of it) but this was a romantic sweet quick read that fans of holiday romances and of course The Grinch will certainly enjoy! I really loved our main characters as well!

Thank you Veronica for letting me have an advanced peek at this super cute story!!

Merry Christmas 🎄🎁

[Chey · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Christmas story
*Grumpy X Sunshine (in this case, definitely Grinch guy)
*Cozy vibes
This book has all elements to a good Christmas story: the positiveness, the cozy vibes, a good romance and a light story. I really liked Cindy and how she manages adversities. Garland, on the other hand, it’s the picture of ‘Grinch' with the vibe of ‘bad boy’ to match. It 's a good story.

[Stephie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute retelling of How Grinch Stole Christmas with a romantic twist.
I laughed a lot through this story.
Definitely would recommend to any Grinch lover or just needing a good holiday read

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered about the Grinch? Preconceived notions à la Jim Carrey film aside, and with some aged up characters here, aged down characters there?

Did you say Cindy Lou? Mhmm, my thoughts exactly, and Veronica West has given us exactly that! The basics of the story reflect the original, but everything else has been brought into modern times. Grinchy, I mean Garland, is a tech whiz, hiding up above the town, looking down at all the Christmas obsessed folks. Cindy is a newbie in town, brought there by magic, or an ad in the paper, but like, same thing, right?

As the chaos and the magic of the season unfold, so do the sparks. It's funny, sweet, and full of the Christmas magic that makes the grinch's heart grow three sizes that year.

It was such a fun read! And it's available so very soon! 18 December! It's only, what day is it? 🤣 the 8th? So it's only , what, 10 days away?! There's plenty of time to pre-order and have it waiting for you when you wake up! Or get home from work/school/piano/karate/archery lessons/wreath making class! Covering all my bases there 😂

[Alex Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish i could give this 100000+ stars because of how much I loved this.

Cindy is a waitress in Arizona who is fed up with her boss & how he treats her. She sees an ad for a Holiday Event Coordinator in Snowflake, Vermont and applies for the job. Which she ends up getting!
At first she is a bit overwhelmed with how much there is to do in this little Christmas loving town, but with the help of some fast friends she made, she starts to believe she can do it.
While Cindy was hanging Christmas lights for the event, she fell into the Garland the Grinch's arms. However, he just says his name is “G”. He hides in the shadows & is a recluse (sound familiar?)
Everyone tells her how he is a prankster and how he tries to ruin Christmas with his mishaps.
Cindy thinks she might be able to just turn this “bad boy” into a “good boy” & get him on the nice list permanently!

❄️Hallmark Vibes
💚Grinchy MMC
❤️Bubbly MFC
🎄Novella
❄️Grinch Re-Telling
💚Christmas/Small Town
❤️ Furry Friend (Max)🐶

Thank you Veronica West for a copy of this ARC! It was magical and I am already looking forward to your next book! 💚❤️🎄

[DarcieReadsALot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stolen Christmas was a cute and short Grinch re-telling. It played perfectly into the Grumpy MMC/Sunshine FMC trope that so many of us adore. The storyline had some really magical moments that really triggered my holiday spirit! I appreciated that there was a sinister underlying plot as well that added a little bit of angst to an otherwise sweet holiday novella. Overall, it gave huge Hallmark vibes so if you're looking for a light story with a happy ending, this will be perfect for the season.

In the ARC I read, there were some POV issues, specifically first person vs third person inconsistencies. That on top of numerous typos and various other issues, including unnecessary repetition and oversights, resulted in a 3 out of 5 star rating. I provided that feedback to the author in hopes of the final, published version being a little more polished.

[Neia Quaintance · Rating 5 out of 5]

If u love the Grinch, ur gonna love this retelling

Cindy quits her waitress job in Arizona cause the boss wasn't too nice and starts to work as a holiday event coordinator. She moves to Snowflake Vermont and gets free room on board with her new job. When Cindy was hanging Christmas lights for the event, she fell into the Garland the Grinch's arms. Everyone tells her bout Garland and how he tries to ruin Christmas but Cindy has yet to see him cause Garland told her his name was G whenever they talk. This is a very cute holiday read. I absolutely love Cindy and Garland and even Max.

[Chantel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the cute, love story you didn’t know you needed in a grinch retelling!

Garland the town prankster will have you falling in love with a different kind of “bad boy.” Cindy will have your Christmas spirit at a constant high!

This is a very wholesome, cute Christmas town Novella! A perfect read to put you in the Christmas spirit.

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️ (more like a half!)

🎄 Hallmark Vibes
🎄 Grinchy MMC
🎄 Bubbly MFC
🎄 Novella
🎄 Grinch re-telling
🎄 Christmas town

[Kaaren Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with the town of snowflake and Cindy. She never seems to run out of Christmas spirit. Garland , the dark brooding stranger to her is blown away with her spirit and belief in the magic of Christmas and her sense of community. She shines like a beacon of light in the dark. I received an arc of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet retelling of the Grinch! Cindy and Garland balance each other out perfectly. The side characters add into the story just right bringing a real side of life into the story and keeping it believable. This is my first read by this author and I will be reading more!

[Jaime Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stolen Christmas was a short and cute Grinch re-telling. This is a great story to add to your reading for the holidays. Such a cute novella ! I enjoyed the storyline and characters. The writing of this storyline was really done well. Plenty of action, some steam, and a very sweet HEA.

[Lacy Armstrong · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was all over the place, the biggest part of the rating is the continuity errors. Plural. I enjoyed the premise but there were just things that are hard to overlook and it made it such a hard read.

[RomanceReader1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐄𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.

𝑪𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒚 & 𝑮𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔' 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒.

𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑤𝑛, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝐶𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑥 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚!!

𝐼 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒'𝑠 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ʙᴇᴛᴛʏ & ᴛᴀɴɴᴇʀ, 𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒!!

[Charlotte Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read but a lovely fun one ❤️

[Chayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had so much fun reading this book. This book has a lot of mischief and love where you least expect it. This is a fun Christmas story with everything you can think of.

[Jamie Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stolen Christmas was a fun reimagining of The Grinch. It was a very sweet and cozy Christmas read.

[Shannon Rotunda · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love the grinch, you'll love this even more. The story and characters pulled you right in from the start and I could read it again and probably pick up even more references to the grinch. There's so many little connections which just made it so much fun to read!!