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Shelter Bay #6.5
Christmas in Shelter Bay
The beloved holiday novella by New York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross—now available as an enchanting ebook to warm up the winter.
Christmas was always kindergarten teacher Kelli Carpenter’s favorite time of year—until last Christmas when Cole Douchett broke her heart by proposing to another woman. The fact that the engagement fell apart four months later was cold comfort. Now the marine is once again stateside in their Oregon coastal hometown, Shelter Bay, and Kelli is determined to avoid him. So when her family suggests a cabin up at Rainbow Lake, it sounds like the perfect escape plan.
Cole always thought of Kelli as his best friend’s kid sister, but now that he’s back home, it’s clear she’s all grown up. Even in a silly Christmas sweater directing the kindergarten play, she’s a knockout. But after her baffling behavior last year, she’s giving him the cold shoulder. Unbeknownst to Cole and Kelli, their families contrive to do some matchmaking, and the two find themselves sharing a snowbound cabin—where things really heat up...
Christmas was always kindergarten teacher Kelli Carpenter’s favorite time of year—until last Christmas when Cole Douchett broke her heart by proposing to another woman. The fact that the engagement fell apart four months later was cold comfort. Now the marine is once again stateside in their Oregon coastal hometown, Shelter Bay, and Kelli is determined to avoid him. So when her family suggests a cabin up at Rainbow Lake, it sounds like the perfect escape plan.
Cole always thought of Kelli as his best friend’s kid sister, but now that he’s back home, it’s clear she’s all grown up. Even in a silly Christmas sweater directing the kindergarten play, she’s a knockout. But after her baffling behavior last year, she’s giving him the cold shoulder. Unbeknownst to Cole and Kelli, their families contrive to do some matchmaking, and the two find themselves sharing a snowbound cabin—where things really heat up...
105 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2013
56 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
JoAnn Ross
238 books798 followersNew York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross has written over a hundred novels for a bunch of publishers. Two of her titles have been excerpted in Cosmo and her books have also been published by the Doubleday, Rhapsody, Literary Guild, and Mystery Guild book clubs.
A member of the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of best-selling authors, she's won several awards, including Romantic Times's Career Achievement Awards in both category and contemporary single title.
Currently writing a new Honeymoon Harbor series for HQN set on the Washington peninsula, that will launch in April, 2018, JoAnn lives with her husband (her high school sweetheart, who proposed at the sea wall where her Shelter Bay books are set), in the Pacific Northwest.
A member of the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of best-selling authors, she's won several awards, including Romantic Times's Career Achievement Awards in both category and contemporary single title.
Currently writing a new Honeymoon Harbor series for HQN set on the Washington peninsula, that will launch in April, 2018, JoAnn lives with her husband (her high school sweetheart, who proposed at the sea wall where her Shelter Bay books are set), in the Pacific Northwest.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 10, 2025
Christmas in Shelter Bay by JoAnn Ross:
Set Up!! And, by his Grand'Mere, Grandfather, her mother and Grand'Mere's best friend. Cole didn't have a chance and neither did Kelli, at least now after unwrapping her Christmas present. After a year of trying to forget a disaster last Christmas, Kelli is looking for a way to move on, but friends and family have other ideas. Cole knows he messed up last Christmas and has a plan for this year, but so did everyone else. The secluded Douchett mountain cabin is snowed in and will be just the place.
Set Up!! And, by his Grand'Mere, Grandfather, her mother and Grand'Mere's best friend. Cole didn't have a chance and neither did Kelli, at least now after unwrapping her Christmas present. After a year of trying to forget a disaster last Christmas, Kelli is looking for a way to move on, but friends and family have other ideas. Cole knows he messed up last Christmas and has a plan for this year, but so did everyone else. The secluded Douchett mountain cabin is snowed in and will be just the place.
February 3, 2017
Ok
This book was ok but no surprises in it at all. Would have liked a bit more substance mixed in with the sex.
This book was ok but no surprises in it at all. Would have liked a bit more substance mixed in with the sex.
March 5, 2017
great read. could not put it down. only took 2 and 1/2 hours for me to read.
December 17, 2018
This novella was okay. It's about Kelli and Cole. They grew up together and were always friends, but last Christmas things went terribly wrong when he proposed to her enemy, Marcia. She thought he was going to propose to her, so it was a humiliating situation (one we just hear about in the story, we weren't there). However, my first complaint actually starts there. They mention multiple times that he thought of her as a little sister, so even though she has a crush on him, why would she assume he was proposing to her? Clearly they weren't dating or in any sort of romantic relationship, so is that really a reasonable assumption? One worth ending a lifelong friendship? Not to me.
Anyways, she decides she's going to spend this year in Hawaii, but she can't get a plane so Cole's grandma offers her their family cabin in the woods. She gladly accepts and is looking forward to some solitude, but unbeknownst to her, the grandma has also offered the cabin to Cole. So, she shows up and Cole is there, the house is stocked with food and alcohol, and their families' plans to push them together is underway. It takes less than 24 hours until they are doing the deed and confessing their love for each other. They go back the day after Christmas and tell their families and he proposes. Happily ever after.
I thought this was really unrealistic and a cheap novella throw in to a series. He's a marine and she's a teacher and I feel like the series may have a shot at being decent, but this one was not great. In the year between Christmases she dated the school principal and I thought that relationship could’ve been used to show us a little more about who Kelli is.
Anyways, she decides she's going to spend this year in Hawaii, but she can't get a plane so Cole's grandma offers her their family cabin in the woods. She gladly accepts and is looking forward to some solitude, but unbeknownst to her, the grandma has also offered the cabin to Cole. So, she shows up and Cole is there, the house is stocked with food and alcohol, and their families' plans to push them together is underway. It takes less than 24 hours until they are doing the deed and confessing their love for each other. They go back the day after Christmas and tell their families and he proposes. Happily ever after.
I thought this was really unrealistic and a cheap novella throw in to a series. He's a marine and she's a teacher and I feel like the series may have a shot at being decent, but this one was not great. In the year between Christmases she dated the school principal and I thought that relationship could’ve been used to show us a little more about who Kelli is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2023
i read Christmas in Shelter Bay & Castaway Cove from JoAnn ...using my local library leaning program ...so that is always fun and cool. find great author i don't know about and books from authors i know but the books i am new to ...way awesome!! i preferred this one a bit more than the Castaway Cove book ...not sure of what number from this series it is ...but i enjoyed it as well just this one a bit more ...i love Christmas books any ole' time of the year ... always heartwarming and i love them usually a bit more than the regular books. love that book cover as well ...i have pick out 6 more books from JoAnn to check out that i didn't know about ... i am hoping they will all be great ones for me ...we will see ...2 pick a favorite ...that is normal human behavior. i'll keep ya posted /... laters. byeeee.
February 20, 2023
Cole and Kelli...
I think this book needed to be first in the series... With Kelli being the traditional good girl, it takes a while to figure out that Cole has a traditional streak as well. There is romance hidden deep as well. Cole is a sweetheart, though he hides it well. A delightful story.
I think this book needed to be first in the series... With Kelli being the traditional good girl, it takes a while to figure out that Cole has a traditional streak as well. There is romance hidden deep as well. Cole is a sweetheart, though he hides it well. A delightful story.
August 27, 2017
Une petite histoire courte mais sympathique, qui fait du bien !
December 25, 2017
Enjoyable Christmas romance. Nothing special.
September 15, 2021
Not my cup of tea anymore
Read
January 18, 2022I have to go potty Noelle and miss Dawn and miss Kim and miss Cat
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2023
Very cheesy Christmas read 🎄
February 6, 2017
I've enjoyed most of the books I've read in the author's Shelter Bay series, but this holiday novella took me a bit of time to get into, as the hero's conversations with his relatives went on too long for my taste. I also worried about the too obvious setup of various relatives/townspeople convincing both the hero and heroine -- separately -- to escape the holidays for a secluded cabin in the woods. Fortunately, both the hero and the heroine recognized instantly that they'd been set up. Once at the cabin, the story picked up for me, enough for me to give it a B-, so four stars here.
November 18, 2016
Cute novella. Love the Shelter Bay series.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews