A Very Chestnut Christmas
(2025)(A book in the Chestnut Creek Christmas series)
A Story by Susanne Ash
One grumpy guy, one festive baker, and one holiday bet that just might change everything.
Wes Parker has always seen Christmas as a chore. Bright lights, carols, and forced cheer are not his thing. After losing his mom and taking on responsibility for his little sister, he’s spent years keeping expectations low and complaints to a minimum. But when his sister challenges him to get through December without a single holiday gripe, on pain of emceeing the Christmas Eve festival in an elf hat, he reluctantly agrees. After all, as she says, it might be his last Chestnut Creek Christmas, so he might as well try to enjoy it.
Sadie Graham has poured everything into The Sweet Life, her cozy small-town bakery. A string of runner-up finishes in the Spirit of the Season contest and a failing oven mean this Christmas could make or break her business. When she overhears Wes’s bet, she volunteers to be his holiday coach. Who better to help a certified grinch find his festive side?
Over twinkling lights, gingerbread judging, and shared cocoa in a snowstorm, the unlikely pair begin to soften toward each other. Crumpet, Wes’s scruffy dog, becomes a bakery mascot. Sadie finds hope in new traditions, and the town starts to whisper about the grumpy sanitation guy and the cheerful baker whose budding romance is sweeter than any cookie.
But when Sadie learns Wes has been planning to leave town, everything falls apart. Even though she places third in the contest, the community rallies around her, and so does someone else who just might be ready to stay.
A Very Chestnut Christmas is a heartwarming holiday romance filled with small-town charm, cozy treats, and the kind of love that shows up when you least expect it.
Genre: Romance
Wes Parker has always seen Christmas as a chore. Bright lights, carols, and forced cheer are not his thing. After losing his mom and taking on responsibility for his little sister, he’s spent years keeping expectations low and complaints to a minimum. But when his sister challenges him to get through December without a single holiday gripe, on pain of emceeing the Christmas Eve festival in an elf hat, he reluctantly agrees. After all, as she says, it might be his last Chestnut Creek Christmas, so he might as well try to enjoy it.
Sadie Graham has poured everything into The Sweet Life, her cozy small-town bakery. A string of runner-up finishes in the Spirit of the Season contest and a failing oven mean this Christmas could make or break her business. When she overhears Wes’s bet, she volunteers to be his holiday coach. Who better to help a certified grinch find his festive side?
Over twinkling lights, gingerbread judging, and shared cocoa in a snowstorm, the unlikely pair begin to soften toward each other. Crumpet, Wes’s scruffy dog, becomes a bakery mascot. Sadie finds hope in new traditions, and the town starts to whisper about the grumpy sanitation guy and the cheerful baker whose budding romance is sweeter than any cookie.
But when Sadie learns Wes has been planning to leave town, everything falls apart. Even though she places third in the contest, the community rallies around her, and so does someone else who just might be ready to stay.
A Very Chestnut Christmas is a heartwarming holiday romance filled with small-town charm, cozy treats, and the kind of love that shows up when you least expect it.
Genre: Romance
Used availability for Susanne Ash's A Very Chestnut Christmas