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Christmas on Ocracoke
Reeling from the upheaval of a failed marriage, Annie Hanahan is desperate for a new start—and when she inherits a cottage on Ocracoke Island, she may finally get it. Without a second thought, she packs up and leaves everything her first name, her job, and her ex-husband, because more than anything, she wants to get her son away from his father’s partying and neglectful ways. But when she arrives in the Outer Banks, she finds the island—and her promised refuge—ravaged by Hurricane Dorian. When their parents died in a tragic car accident, Trey Kingsley dropped out of college to raise his sister. Now that she’s grown and moved away, it’s his turn to find a life of his own. As a contractor who has given so much of his time to helping Ocracoke recover from the devastation of Hurricane Dorian, it surprises no one when he offers to help the beautiful newcomer, but something is holding her back. Life keeps throwing them together, though, or perhaps God’s hand is giving them a nudge. Will a little bit of divine intervention be enough for a Merry Christmas on Ocracoke?
163 pages, Paperback
Published November 13, 2020
3 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Christina Sinisi
8 books578 followersA member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Christina Sinisi writes stories about families, both the broken and blessed. Her works include a semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest and the American Title IV Contest where she appeared in the top ten in the Romantic Times magazine. Her published books include Christmas Confusion, Sweet Summer, and Christmas on Ocracoke. By day, she is a psychology professor and lives in the LowCountry of South Carolina with her husband, two children and her crazy cat Chessie Mae.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 7, 2021
Why would you think it would be a good idea to write a book set on Ocracoke Island after Dorian? You have no CLUE how devastating Dorian was for Ocracoke and the people there. I find it hard to believe that nobody around you stopped to say, "hmm, maybe it's not a good idea to write a book about a place that's just been destroyed by a hurricane?" I hope you at least donated the proceeds to the community you're profiting off of. They're still struggling; a lot of people are still homeless, and so many people lost memories and most of their belongings. People's businesses were destroyed, their homes water-ravaged and unsalvageable, and then the pandemic came along and crippled the island even further, taking away the hopes of recovering at least some of the lost tourist season income that Dorian destroyed. Nobody was spared, and if you ever thought setting some cheery little romance novel on a struggling island was a good idea, you need to reevaluate your moral compass and sense of compassion. You didn't even mention the island or its residents on your acknowledgements page. If you absolutely HAD to write this book, you could have at least waited until the island had recovered and people weren't still asking for help to rebuild their houses and businesses or replace appliances and furniture. This book is an insensitive mockery at best, rubbing salt in the wound. Ocracoke hasn't had a normal Christmas in two years. Leave them alone.
December 6, 2020
Book brought smiles
Okay I now want to book a vacation to the Outer Banks! I want to inherit a ramshackle cottage and I want a handsome contractor to renovate it! The only thing I don't want is the care and feeding of a rambunctious two year old boy! Been there, done that, and the author nailed it on how exhausting it is!
Really enjoyed this sweet inspirational Christmas read!
Okay I now want to book a vacation to the Outer Banks! I want to inherit a ramshackle cottage and I want a handsome contractor to renovate it! The only thing I don't want is the care and feeding of a rambunctious two year old boy! Been there, done that, and the author nailed it on how exhausting it is!
Really enjoyed this sweet inspirational Christmas read!
May 3, 2021
The author approached this setting and storyline in an endearing, sensitive and warm-hearted manner. It's a Christian romance, after all! If anyone reads past the first chapter, they will see how the community on the islands are an equally large voice in the story as the romance. The story literally revolves around the island's recovery, providing obstacles and room for hope. If anything, reading about the recovery efforts shed more light and brought exposure to the tragedy that had taken place. In addition, the characters are likeable and it takes no time to get drawn in to the story. So, yes, I'd 100% recommend this sweet, funny story to anyone!
April 29, 2021
Thank you in advance to the author, Christina Sinisi, for providing a complimentary review copy. A positive review was not requested or required, and all words are my own.
First of all, let me talk about the hard stuff before I get into the heart and soul review of this book.
This book takes place mostly in and/or around Ocracoke Island (North Carolina) after the tragic category five (5) Hurricane Dorian (early September 2019). As a result, much of the island suffered damage and access was restored to visitors as of December 5, 2019.
Some readers might find the timing as well as the optimistic theme of book a bit disturbing. I wasn’t sure how a romance set against post-disaster recovery was going to work. It was a brave effort on the author’s part, and this is my first time reading her work. The author kept the focus on Anna, James, and Trey throughout the story.
In addition, there are mentions of infidelity and drug use though the actual use occurs before the beginning of the story.
This is a novella, so it will be a very short read and could probably work better as part of a series as opposed to being on its own. Given the short chapters, it had my attention from chapter one and did keep it until the end.
Anyway … that said …
The cover is cutesy and whimsical though has kind of a photo shop feel. Still, it tends to fit the theme of the story. I love Christmas stories any day of the year. It’s honestly my favorite holiday, so much so my mother tells people that Christmas IS MY holiday. As a result, I was instantly drawn to this story.
There are a few typos. One is mention of Anna’s last name. She gives it on page 42, yet on 67 Trey doesn’t know it. These don’t affect the story line too bad.
Anna’s intro was definitely high speed; her baby (or rather toddler) was an interesting intro. Though, I was glad that the use of “sweet baby James” was toned down. Trust me; this kid is anything but sweet. I remember being 2, and it was not the terrible two’s. I felt so sorry for Anna at times. Some might even had said he was spoiled. I might tend to agree. Still, there were times he made the story interesting.
I was also wondering what Anna was running from – how bad was it, was it going to catch up to her? What was going on? So, I definitely had to keep reading.
Trey is loveable right off, and the “stalking” mention even by him is a bit laughable given the situation and small region they are in. No, stalking isn’t funny, but in this context he is already giving her a free pass to call their random meetings just that.
Trey is there for other reasons – namely the work on the devastated island where Anna has inherited a home. Potential spoiler – I found it hard to believe that NO ONE knew the condition of the place after the storm. I would think as widespread and as damaging as the storm was – it would be hard not to know.
There are 3-4 encounters between the previous night and the next day before they make it to the island. From there, the relationship develops more on Trey’s part than Annie’s. He is very interested in her, she is obviously reluctant.
Her sweet island second chance is in need of repairs and that leads to Trey with a solution – staying with him.
There is a brief mention of her family when her mother calls her. This is where my own Christian beliefs were pushed – when Anna’s mother used the forgiveness line with her. While I get the intent, that tactic never sits well with me. There are some things that take time to forgive.
Also, Anna feels a growing attraction to Trey but feels it is too soon to be attracted to him given the length of time between leaving her husband and falling for Trey.
However, they cannot fight fate. And it isn’t until the last 25% of the book that things come together, and Trey learns the truth. But, Anna learns something about him as well and it does threaten the romance.
I loved one important lesson here – does having or coming from money give someone less character, or can they have it whether rich or poor?
I loved Trey’s kindness as well as the overall community feel and wanted to know more about the characters after the story ended. This was the kind of story I felt could’ve been long due to the plot, though it might not have worked given the title.
What Anna was running from, in the end, seemed like a bit of a letdown. While I realize it was supposed to be an uplifting read, it could’ve had a little more than 2-3 pages of being played out.
As long as these characters were involved, I would definitely read another story by the author. And, I would likely check her books out if I didn’t have an overwhelming TBR list. That’s not a bad thing, but lately … the books are piling up!
As it is distributed by a Christian publisher – Anaiah Press – expect heavy doses of prayer, references to God, bible quotes, Christian themes such as forgiveness and redemption.
Fans of the author and those who enjoy the genre should check this quick read out. FYI: it wasn’t quick for me as I was in the middle of another book for the month as well as writing my own story for Camp NaNoWriMo (Camp National Novel Writing Month), but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a quick read at all.
This was the 2nd book I was reading this month (and concurrently) with themes of forgiveness in them.
First of all, let me talk about the hard stuff before I get into the heart and soul review of this book.
This book takes place mostly in and/or around Ocracoke Island (North Carolina) after the tragic category five (5) Hurricane Dorian (early September 2019). As a result, much of the island suffered damage and access was restored to visitors as of December 5, 2019.
Some readers might find the timing as well as the optimistic theme of book a bit disturbing. I wasn’t sure how a romance set against post-disaster recovery was going to work. It was a brave effort on the author’s part, and this is my first time reading her work. The author kept the focus on Anna, James, and Trey throughout the story.
In addition, there are mentions of infidelity and drug use though the actual use occurs before the beginning of the story.
This is a novella, so it will be a very short read and could probably work better as part of a series as opposed to being on its own. Given the short chapters, it had my attention from chapter one and did keep it until the end.
Anyway … that said …
The cover is cutesy and whimsical though has kind of a photo shop feel. Still, it tends to fit the theme of the story. I love Christmas stories any day of the year. It’s honestly my favorite holiday, so much so my mother tells people that Christmas IS MY holiday. As a result, I was instantly drawn to this story.
There are a few typos. One is mention of Anna’s last name. She gives it on page 42, yet on 67 Trey doesn’t know it. These don’t affect the story line too bad.
Anna’s intro was definitely high speed; her baby (or rather toddler) was an interesting intro. Though, I was glad that the use of “sweet baby James” was toned down. Trust me; this kid is anything but sweet. I remember being 2, and it was not the terrible two’s. I felt so sorry for Anna at times. Some might even had said he was spoiled. I might tend to agree. Still, there were times he made the story interesting.
I was also wondering what Anna was running from – how bad was it, was it going to catch up to her? What was going on? So, I definitely had to keep reading.
Trey is loveable right off, and the “stalking” mention even by him is a bit laughable given the situation and small region they are in. No, stalking isn’t funny, but in this context he is already giving her a free pass to call their random meetings just that.
Trey is there for other reasons – namely the work on the devastated island where Anna has inherited a home. Potential spoiler – I found it hard to believe that NO ONE knew the condition of the place after the storm. I would think as widespread and as damaging as the storm was – it would be hard not to know.
There are 3-4 encounters between the previous night and the next day before they make it to the island. From there, the relationship develops more on Trey’s part than Annie’s. He is very interested in her, she is obviously reluctant.
Her sweet island second chance is in need of repairs and that leads to Trey with a solution – staying with him.
There is a brief mention of her family when her mother calls her. This is where my own Christian beliefs were pushed – when Anna’s mother used the forgiveness line with her. While I get the intent, that tactic never sits well with me. There are some things that take time to forgive.
Also, Anna feels a growing attraction to Trey but feels it is too soon to be attracted to him given the length of time between leaving her husband and falling for Trey.
However, they cannot fight fate. And it isn’t until the last 25% of the book that things come together, and Trey learns the truth. But, Anna learns something about him as well and it does threaten the romance.
I loved one important lesson here – does having or coming from money give someone less character, or can they have it whether rich or poor?
I loved Trey’s kindness as well as the overall community feel and wanted to know more about the characters after the story ended. This was the kind of story I felt could’ve been long due to the plot, though it might not have worked given the title.
What Anna was running from, in the end, seemed like a bit of a letdown. While I realize it was supposed to be an uplifting read, it could’ve had a little more than 2-3 pages of being played out.
As long as these characters were involved, I would definitely read another story by the author. And, I would likely check her books out if I didn’t have an overwhelming TBR list. That’s not a bad thing, but lately … the books are piling up!
As it is distributed by a Christian publisher – Anaiah Press – expect heavy doses of prayer, references to God, bible quotes, Christian themes such as forgiveness and redemption.
Fans of the author and those who enjoy the genre should check this quick read out. FYI: it wasn’t quick for me as I was in the middle of another book for the month as well as writing my own story for Camp NaNoWriMo (Camp National Novel Writing Month), but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a quick read at all.
This was the 2nd book I was reading this month (and concurrently) with themes of forgiveness in them.
April 19, 2021
Let me begin by stating the book was a wonderful read and heart warming to know that in all situations God is in control and can bring you through your struggles to a better place and heal those who have been hurt. Secondly, to the keyboard SJW- Rose - bless you - maybe you should educate yourself and not be quick to judge what you do not know and apparently have not read the story but felt inclined to opine your stance in a way that could have been done more intelligently. I would have recommended you would not assume in the future that you know the full circumstances behind the writers initiative for in reality the author's family actually own property in OBX and have been very supportive of the needs of the communities involved following the hurricane! In conclusion, please do not let the negativity of an individual who is simply bitter prevent you from experiencing the book for yourself. I can assure it will be worth the read!
May 24, 2023
Starting over is never easy but when it's overshadowed by fear and mistrust, the task can be daunting. Christina Sinisi captures this scenario perfectly in "Christmas on Ocracoke" and even manages to keep the tone light and humorous through the antics of a toddler in the throes of the "terrible twos."
You will quickly embrace Annie and Trey (and sweet baby James) and admire the struggles, feelings and faith walk they pursue. Having visited Ocracoke myself, the scenes portrayed are familiar and beautiful, and the friendly and generous hearts of the locals shine through in this story.
We always hope that the guy gets the girl in any romantic novel, but Sinisi takes us on a whirlwind journey where we are never quite sure love will prevail. Sweet, sincere, and tinged with a portion of God's guiding hand, "Christmas on Ocracoke" is a delightful journey. Well done, Christina!
I purchased a copy of this book from the author with no expectation of providing a review.
You will quickly embrace Annie and Trey (and sweet baby James) and admire the struggles, feelings and faith walk they pursue. Having visited Ocracoke myself, the scenes portrayed are familiar and beautiful, and the friendly and generous hearts of the locals shine through in this story.
We always hope that the guy gets the girl in any romantic novel, but Sinisi takes us on a whirlwind journey where we are never quite sure love will prevail. Sweet, sincere, and tinged with a portion of God's guiding hand, "Christmas on Ocracoke" is a delightful journey. Well done, Christina!
I purchased a copy of this book from the author with no expectation of providing a review.
August 20, 2022
This was such a sweet romance which just warmed your heart. Christina Sinisi knows how to craft a story and make you literally fall in love with her characters. Her imaginative style of writing makes reading anything she writes enjoyable. This love story was a wonderful story of learning to forgive. The characters are "real" and you will feel their pain and joy as you read their story. Annie Hanahan is escaping with her sweet baby James (as she so lovingly names him even though is a wild little man) to an island cottage that she has inherited. You will more fully understand what she is running from when you read the book. I do not want to spoil anything in my review. She keeps "running" into Trey Kingsley, to the point where he apologizes profusely and swears to her that he is not following her. It does not take long to see that Trey is a wonderful man with a heart of gold, and Annie has to grudgingly admit she needs help. They both call themselves "baby Christians" as they learn to lean on their faith. This is a heart warming and inspirational Christmas romance. I will caution you that once you start reading it, you will not want to stop, so find a chair!
April 6, 2021
An adorable read and part of a lovely holiday series from a local author we enjoy sharing with readers at our bookstore - well done, Christina!
April 15, 2021
Charming love story
This is not my favorite genre, but a friend recommended it. Weaved into this charming story, is the essence of forgiveness and redemption. There was enough suspense to keep me reading. I recommend it.
This is not my favorite genre, but a friend recommended it. Weaved into this charming story, is the essence of forgiveness and redemption. There was enough suspense to keep me reading. I recommend it.
May 24, 2021
Wonderful story! So heartwarming.
July 22, 2021
Cute love story that would make a perfect Hallmark movie.
July 10, 2021
This book was amazing . I felt like I was a part of the story.
November 17, 2020
Not my normal Genre of literature. But between the election, the riots, and the pandemic. I can really use a feel good story. I Need help getting my Christmas on. Christina weaves a good story and her writing is so very clean.
March 30, 2021
In Ms. Sinisi's sophomore novel, she presents a heart-warming Christmas story. She does an especially excellent job of capturing the effects of hurricane Dorian on Ocracoke Island (located in the outer banks islands off the coast of North Carolina) and its inhabitants. The strong sense of community among the island residents as they work to rebuild their island is evident and parallels the efforts of her protagonist as she works to rebuild her life. The element of faith in the lives of the characters strengthens their resolve to pull together in all facets of their lives, all of which fits well into the Christmas season themes of this story. This is an enjoyable, engaging story for Christmas or any season.
July 19, 2021
This is a brand new author for me. I was excited that it is set in North Carolina at Christmas. When I first started reading it, I felt like I missed reading a book before this one because it seemed to me there was some back story for Annie that I was missing. However, the more I read the more I realized that part of the story was being slowly revealed. I thought the author did an excellent job with the interactions between the two main characters. Overall, I really enjoyed this novella.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.
July 11, 2021
This is a sweet inspirational romance that once you start reading it you can't put it down. The author brings the story to life with her words, you feel like you are there. It has beautiful scenery, wonderful characters, and sweet baby James will steal your heart. I loved the message of forgiveness and how it's only with God's help you can forgive the people who hurt you and move on to the life God has planned for you.
January 21, 2023
In Christmas on Ocracoke, the author Christina Sinisi brings to life Annie, Trey, and sweet baby James in a sweet Christmas-themed romance. She does a good job creating the setting of the hurricane-battered island in the midst of recovery from a storm. It’s a nice reminder that sometimes love arrives at unexpected times and places.
December 16, 2022
The Outer Banks sound so beautiful--I feel like I visited this wonderful place on the pages of the book.
The characters are so realistic and interesting. I hope there will be a sequel and am looking forward to reading it!
The characters are so realistic and interesting. I hope there will be a sequel and am looking forward to reading it!
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November 9, 2021Heartwarming story of love and forgiveness. Beautiful.
January 12, 2023
I liked this book. A great love story that I wish I could get more from. Like a sequel, how they are doing now. Well written & a fun read
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews