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Seasons of Sugar Creek
One Last Christmas
Getting stuck in Sugar Creek wasn’t on Bobbi’s Christmas list…
After a string of bad relationships and a canceled graduation trip, Bobbi gives up and heads home for Christmas. Despite the magnetic pull of holiday lights and hot cocoa in the square, she’s still solidly committed to landing her dream film internship in L.A. and putting any distractions decidedly in the slush pile.
Ben, a highly sought-after ski instructor—and Bobbi’s first kiss—is back in Sugar Creek for one reason and one reason to spend one last Christmas with his mom before she loses her battle with ALS.
When Bobbi runs into Ben at St. Ambrose ski resort, she fights valiantly to ignore the memories that bubble up inside her. She didn’t plan on biffing it in fresh powder on the hill next to him. And she definitely didn’t anticipate getting torturously snowed in with him and his girlfriend.
Despite her best efforts to stay far, far away from Ben McNeil, Sugar Creek seems to foil Bobbi’s plans at every turn. As the two one-time best friends help build a set for White Christmas and work to create one last magical Christmas for Ben’s mom, Bobbi can no longer ignore the attraction reigniting within her. She can’t help but wonder what might’ve been had Ben stayed in Sugar Creek all those years ago…
This cozy, festive read is a toasty blanket and steaming cup of cocoa in a book. Fans of Katherine Center, Debbie Macomber, and Nicola May will love this heartwarming, small-town holiday romance.
Read the story now!
After a string of bad relationships and a canceled graduation trip, Bobbi gives up and heads home for Christmas. Despite the magnetic pull of holiday lights and hot cocoa in the square, she’s still solidly committed to landing her dream film internship in L.A. and putting any distractions decidedly in the slush pile.
Ben, a highly sought-after ski instructor—and Bobbi’s first kiss—is back in Sugar Creek for one reason and one reason to spend one last Christmas with his mom before she loses her battle with ALS.
When Bobbi runs into Ben at St. Ambrose ski resort, she fights valiantly to ignore the memories that bubble up inside her. She didn’t plan on biffing it in fresh powder on the hill next to him. And she definitely didn’t anticipate getting torturously snowed in with him and his girlfriend.
Despite her best efforts to stay far, far away from Ben McNeil, Sugar Creek seems to foil Bobbi’s plans at every turn. As the two one-time best friends help build a set for White Christmas and work to create one last magical Christmas for Ben’s mom, Bobbi can no longer ignore the attraction reigniting within her. She can’t help but wonder what might’ve been had Ben stayed in Sugar Creek all those years ago…
This cozy, festive read is a toasty blanket and steaming cup of cocoa in a book. Fans of Katherine Center, Debbie Macomber, and Nicola May will love this heartwarming, small-town holiday romance.
Read the story now!
269 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 14, 2022
48 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
November 29, 2022
This book gave me all the emotional and holiday feels I was hoping for. Cute friends to lovers story, sad but beautiful side story and I really enjoyed the friendships and family relationships in this book! 5 star holiday read!
Oh, and the audio book is awesome!
Oh, and the audio book is awesome!
December 8, 2023
Wanted something light after reading heavy books back to back. Hallmark movies are better. Did have some nice gems towards the end though.
December 17, 2023
The ending omg>>>>
December 22, 2023
Cute lil Christmas book to get u in the festive spirit but not anything amazing
November 13, 2024
Is it weird that I struggle with the fact that Ben never even attempted to keep the lines of communication open with Bobbi throughout their years apart? There just doesn't seem to be a good enough excuse for that, outdated technology on Ben's part notwithstanding. Personally, I want a better explanation from Ben for his ghosting of Bobbi. Of course, his having a girlfriend when he sees Bobbi for the first time in almost a decade is also heart-wrenching. But...if Ben and Bobbi can figure out how to make a relationship work, who am I to negatively judge? 😉
December 31, 2023
Lo leí en el momento justo de mi vida donde más me podría relacionar a la protagonista y aun así no me movió nada su situación, metas o reacciones. En general es un romance simple, ninguno de los dos personajes era carismático, la química entre ellos era casi nula y parecía que estaban por estar. Tampoco se sintió navideño, pero realmente no es el foco de la historia, sino la situación de la mamá del protagonista masculino.
No digo que sea malo, pero realmente fue muy promedio, lo suficiente entretenido para que lo terminara, pero no lo suficiente para querer recomendarlo como lectura casual. La autora hace buen trabajo narrando, pero leer otro libro suyo de inmediato hace que su narración e historia se vuelva un tanto repetitiva, mi recomendación sería dejar pasar unas semanas antes de volver a leer un libro suyo.
No digo que sea malo, pero realmente fue muy promedio, lo suficiente entretenido para que lo terminara, pero no lo suficiente para querer recomendarlo como lectura casual. La autora hace buen trabajo narrando, pero leer otro libro suyo de inmediato hace que su narración e historia se vuelva un tanto repetitiva, mi recomendación sería dejar pasar unas semanas antes de volver a leer un libro suyo.
January 6, 2024
Perfect lighthearted Christmas read
December 28, 2023
1.5 🌟
Ill say that every time I read about it, but I don’t like when the main couple includes someone who’s already in a relationship. Okay, in this one, it was a new thing, and they broke up before anything happened. But STILL, not my fav.
0 🌶️
Ill say that every time I read about it, but I don’t like when the main couple includes someone who’s already in a relationship. Okay, in this one, it was a new thing, and they broke up before anything happened. But STILL, not my fav.
0 🌶️
December 26, 2023
It was a nice easy read
December 24, 2023
I listened to the audio of this book and it was super cute, but i do have some opinions. I don’t like the lore of how they met back up. The idea that he just left his girlfriend to go after his middle school best friend is kinda eh. Poor Claire tbh. Other than that, I enjoyed listening to this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2023
Super cute rom-com. I really liked this audiobook. I wish there could have been more details on Ben!
December 21, 2022
Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎄𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕃𝕒𝕤𝕥 ℂ𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕞𝕒𝕤
🎄𝗖𝘆𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮 𝗚𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻
🎄Holiday Fiction
🎄294 pages
🎄Sʜᴏᴿᴛ Sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs
🎄Bobbi came home for Christmas, planning on heading to LA afterward. Little did she know her teenage best friend, Ben, is home too. However, he is there to spend one last Christmas with his sick mother.
🎄Bobbi and Ben haven’t had any contact in many years, and she is a bit steamed about that. But, when they meet again, there is a spark. Sadly, Ben has a girlfriend, so they rekindle their friendship.
🎄Bobbi helps Ben make his mother’s last Christmas season special. As they work together, they have their moments of attraction. But will they end up together?
🎄My Thoughts
🎄One Last Christmas is a cute romance with touching moments. Bobbi’s relationship with her mother, sister, and best friend also intermingle into the story. Most characters are likable, though you can find a couple that rubs you the wrong way.
🎄The story involves skiing, a snowstorm, ALS, impending death, romance, and love for others. Bobbi hopes to get the perfect internship in LA throughout all of this. Does she get it? If so, is a relationship with Ben possible?
🎄I thought the amount of work Bobbi and Ben accomplished for his parents’ anniversary was a bit over the top. They had such a short time to plan it, and wowzers, they went all out. It was a fun and touching party though.
🎄I enjoyed One Last Christmas. The Christmas season is one of the few times I read romance. I like to read seasonal books, and most of them revolve around romance. This story had everything I expected. It was a fun read
Thank you to the author for providing this ebook to read and review. 💜
~Read more reviews at Latishaslowkeylife.com
🎄𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕃𝕒𝕤𝕥 ℂ𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕞𝕒𝕤
🎄𝗖𝘆𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮 𝗚𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻
🎄Holiday Fiction
🎄294 pages
🎄Sʜᴏᴿᴛ Sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs
🎄Bobbi came home for Christmas, planning on heading to LA afterward. Little did she know her teenage best friend, Ben, is home too. However, he is there to spend one last Christmas with his sick mother.
🎄Bobbi and Ben haven’t had any contact in many years, and she is a bit steamed about that. But, when they meet again, there is a spark. Sadly, Ben has a girlfriend, so they rekindle their friendship.
🎄Bobbi helps Ben make his mother’s last Christmas season special. As they work together, they have their moments of attraction. But will they end up together?
🎄My Thoughts
🎄One Last Christmas is a cute romance with touching moments. Bobbi’s relationship with her mother, sister, and best friend also intermingle into the story. Most characters are likable, though you can find a couple that rubs you the wrong way.
🎄The story involves skiing, a snowstorm, ALS, impending death, romance, and love for others. Bobbi hopes to get the perfect internship in LA throughout all of this. Does she get it? If so, is a relationship with Ben possible?
🎄I thought the amount of work Bobbi and Ben accomplished for his parents’ anniversary was a bit over the top. They had such a short time to plan it, and wowzers, they went all out. It was a fun and touching party though.
🎄I enjoyed One Last Christmas. The Christmas season is one of the few times I read romance. I like to read seasonal books, and most of them revolve around romance. This story had everything I expected. It was a fun read
Thank you to the author for providing this ebook to read and review. 💜
~Read more reviews at Latishaslowkeylife.com
February 2, 2023
One Last Christmas: A sweet friends-to-lovers, small-town romance, my first read from author Cynthia Gunderson. The last book I'd read was Second Chance in Summit County (Summit County Series Book 1), my first read from author Katherine Karrol, oddly enough when I went out to write my review for this book on Amazon in the more digital items to explore was Katherine Karrol's books. I was elated to discover that this is the first book in a series. Stand-alone books are fine but series books with recurring characters are even better. There were a couple of places in the book where "off-screen" things might cause Christian readers to raise their eyebrows but nothing actually offensive. No spoilers from me, read this book, 274-pages/7+ hours of enjoyment. The author's reading of her own work was superb and made this re-read even more enjoyable. I was given an Authors Direct/Spotify copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. I look forward to reading more in this series & from this author as I get them. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
January 17, 2024
I audiobooked this one several months ago and forgot to hop on here and actually review it. For this one, I remember really enjoying it. I had just listened to one of Cynthia Gunderson's hockey romances, so this ski/Christmas-esque story was a nice refresher but still felt sweet and wintery. I can't speak for the physical reading experience, but listening to the audio was definitely a treat. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this hidden gem of an author. Definitely go listen/read this one then jump into Love in Audio because I personally enjoyed it more, but both are great. One thing I can really appreciate about Cynthia Gunderson's books is that the plot is always unique, so yay! All in all, this was a fantastic experience and I loved watching the characters grow back together. I especially loved the interactions between Ben and his mother. It was so very sweet!
Go get the experience of One Last Christmas today!
Go get the experience of One Last Christmas today!
December 31, 2022
Bobbie and Ben were best friends and becoming sweethearts when he had to move. Fast forward several years and they are both back in Sugar Creek at least temporarily. I was torn because while I liked Bobbie and wanted her to get the guy I felt for his girlfriend. Loved seeing them plan the last Christmas activities for his mom. Bobbie was a little amusing in the way she struggled with being near him and trying to stay away. The ending was super sweet and left me smiling. Great descriptions making me feel like I was there with them in the cold at Christmas time.
October 20, 2022
A beautifully written story about Bobbi. She goes home to her small town but doesn’t expect to stay for awhile. She wants a career in LA where she thinks she belongs. One never knows what life gives us. Enjoyable.
January 15, 2024
It's really cute
February 10, 2024
Great holiday romance story. Loved the ending.
November 11, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️
3/5 stars- A cozy, emotional holiday read for anyone who believes in second chances — and the kind of love that never really leaves you.
A cozy, small-town holiday romance that feels like curling up with a mug of cocoa by the fire. One Last Christmas brings all the festive charm — twinkling lights, snow-covered streets, and the comforting hum of a community coming together for the holidays.
After a rough year, Bobbi heads back to Sugar Creek for the holidays, determined to focus on her dreams in L.A., not the ghosts of her past. But when she literally crashes into Ben — her childhood best friend and first kiss — old sparks begin to thaw the frost around her heart. Ben’s home for his mother’s final Christmas, and between ski slopes, set building, and snowstorms, the two find themselves tangled in memories and what-ifs.
Cynthia Gunderson writes with so much heart. The setting feels straight out of a Hallmark movie — twinkling lights, hot cocoa, soft snow — but she never shies away from the ache beneath the sweetness. Grief, love, and second chances blend beautifully here, making it both cozy and tenderly real.
While some moments felt a little predictable, I still found myself smiling, tearing up, and ultimately closing the book with a full heart. It’s the kind of story that reminds you how love can hurt and heal at the same time — and how sometimes, going home is exactly what you need.
3/5 stars- A cozy, emotional holiday read for anyone who believes in second chances — and the kind of love that never really leaves you.
A cozy, small-town holiday romance that feels like curling up with a mug of cocoa by the fire. One Last Christmas brings all the festive charm — twinkling lights, snow-covered streets, and the comforting hum of a community coming together for the holidays.
After a rough year, Bobbi heads back to Sugar Creek for the holidays, determined to focus on her dreams in L.A., not the ghosts of her past. But when she literally crashes into Ben — her childhood best friend and first kiss — old sparks begin to thaw the frost around her heart. Ben’s home for his mother’s final Christmas, and between ski slopes, set building, and snowstorms, the two find themselves tangled in memories and what-ifs.
Cynthia Gunderson writes with so much heart. The setting feels straight out of a Hallmark movie — twinkling lights, hot cocoa, soft snow — but she never shies away from the ache beneath the sweetness. Grief, love, and second chances blend beautifully here, making it both cozy and tenderly real.
While some moments felt a little predictable, I still found myself smiling, tearing up, and ultimately closing the book with a full heart. It’s the kind of story that reminds you how love can hurt and heal at the same time — and how sometimes, going home is exactly what you need.
November 5, 2023
Rating:
⭐⭐⭐.5
🎅🎅.5
My thoughts:
I enjoyed the book. It's a good book with some Christmas vibes. It also has the topic of a terminally ill loved one, so proceed with caution if it's a trigger warning for you. It's was beautiful and sad at the same time.
I personally just need something more from the romance. It's a second chant, friends to lovers, small town romance. Since we never witnessed how MMC and FMC fell in love for the first time, it was a little hard for me to believe in their love. I also think that the plot part with MMC having a girlfriend didn't bring anything to the table.
The topic of terminal illness of a loved one and search for yourself and what your future should be like was handled well.
⭐⭐⭐.5
🎅🎅.5
My thoughts:
I enjoyed the book. It's a good book with some Christmas vibes. It also has the topic of a terminally ill loved one, so proceed with caution if it's a trigger warning for you. It's was beautiful and sad at the same time.
I personally just need something more from the romance. It's a second chant, friends to lovers, small town romance. Since we never witnessed how MMC and FMC fell in love for the first time, it was a little hard for me to believe in their love. I also think that the plot part with MMC having a girlfriend didn't bring anything to the table.
The topic of terminal illness of a loved one and search for yourself and what your future should be like was handled well.
April 8, 2023
A sweet, clean contemporary romance about childhood friends who meet up right years later in Sugar Creek, when Ben, a ski instructor comes home because his mom is sick. Bobbi, a film and media graduate and Ben haven't seen each other for eight years and Bobbi never stopped loving Ben. Both are home for the Christmas holidays. This is a touching tale with some humour and lots of feels. It was a nice story and an enjoyable read.
July 21, 2025
CLASIFICATION: 3.0 ESTRELAS
Debo de confesar que no me acordaba de este libro hasta que lo vi en el papelito donde anoto todo, asi que supongo que esto no habla muy bien de la historia; Sin embargo le di 3.0 estrellas asi que eso me hace pensar que no estuvo tan malo .... Despues de leer la sinopsis recorde de que trataba y tambien recorde que la protagonista no me caia muuy bien casi al final del libro.
Debo de confesar que no me acordaba de este libro hasta que lo vi en el papelito donde anoto todo, asi que supongo que esto no habla muy bien de la historia; Sin embargo le di 3.0 estrellas asi que eso me hace pensar que no estuvo tan malo .... Despues de leer la sinopsis recorde de que trataba y tambien recorde que la protagonista no me caia muuy bien casi al final del libro.
December 12, 2023
Bobbi is home from college and trying to find where her career will go in the film industry. She had dreams and it may take her far from home. She develops a relationship with a guy and we’re not sure how this will work.
This is a feel good, family drama kind of holiday romance.
This is a feel good, family drama kind of holiday romance.
November 18, 2024
This book was a bit sweet but Bobbi was giving strong “Not Like Other Girls” energy while Ben never truly addressed why he essentially ghosted her. Not a horrible book by any means but I wasn’t exactly in love with the main characters.
December 22, 2024
This is such a sweet story but Ben needed to be more apologetic for being an asshole teenager. I really enjoyed this sweet Christmas story! I definitely related to Bobby and dealing with the craziness of the future.
November 25, 2025
Listened to the book on YouTube and absolutely loved it! It was everything I was looking for—an amazing story with the perfect balance of romance and emotion. Beautifully written and wonderfully narrated. Highly recommend!
December 14, 2025
This romantic Christmas story pulls on your heart strings. Should Cynthia follow her dreams to become a movie maker or should she stay in her small town with the one that got away? Pleasant listen. Characters were more likable than most I have listened to this Christmas Season. #goodreads
January 15, 2026
This one had me rolling my eyes frequently. The idea of someone in their 20s still being so hung up on a guy she sort of dated when when was 14 and hasn't seen since was a little far fetched to me. Move on already. That plot aside I liked the characters and their goals for the holiday season.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews