Excerpt from COZY LITTLE CHRISTMAS by RaeAnne Thayne:
For far longer than he should have, Wes stood in the parking lot of his grandfather’s retirement community watching Hannah’s taillights fade in the increasing snowfall.
She looked even more beautiful than she had been when he left, if that were possible. He had always found her captivating, with her mischievous smile and free spirit. Now she was stunning.
Hannah Goodwin had always seemed to vibrate with some kind of inner melody. Music wasn’t simply something she loved; it was an integral part of who she was. He remembered how she would hum softly under her breath while studying, her fingers absently tapping out rhythms on textbooks or coffee mugs.
Her laughter always had a musical quality to it, light and melodious, and in quiet moments, he would sometimes catch her swaying slightly, as if moved by some unheard song.
While he had been back to Shelter Springs a handful of times since he left, he hadn’t bumped into her in all those years.
He had done his best to stay away, especially after he learned she had moved back. Being here, remembering everything, was too painful.
Still, he hadn’t avoided it completely. His grandparents had lived in Shelter Springs and his grandmother and his father were both buried near each other in the cemetery on a hill overlooking town.
A year ago when he had come to town for his grandmother’s funeral, he had seen Hannah’s twin sister in the grocery store. He could still remember the way his heart had pounded fiercely and his insides had clenched until he looked closer and realized it was Holly, not Hannah.
When he made the decision to come back to Shelter Springs for the holidays, he had fully expected to see her. The town wasn’t that big and it was hard to avoid someone completely.
He hadn’t expected this burning desire to reach out and pull her right back into his arms.
Excerpted from COZY LITTLE CHRISTMAS, by RaeAnne Thayne. MIRA, 2026. Reprinted with permission.
COZY LITTLE CHRISTMAS by RaeAnne Thayne
Narrator: Carly Robins
Christmas in Shelter Springs is the season of twinkling lights, open hearts and unexpected second chances. And for Hannah Goodwin, it also brings the one person she never wanted to see again…
Hannah’s built a full life for herself in the warmth of her close‑knit town, with her family, her work and her music. And when her dear friend Morgan desperately needs her help, Hannah temporarily steps in to care for Morgan’s children. That’s what friends do—especially at the holidays. But she never expected to run into Wes Kenner…
Moving back home is the last thing K9 law enforcement officer Wes Kenner ever wanted. It’s where he fell in love with Hannah—and where an accident changed his mother’s life forever. But when his grandfather needs a helping hand, he can’t say no. It’s the perfect opportunity for him and his beloved K9, Kodiak, to recover. Still, seeing Hannah again fills him with regret—and hope.
After all this time, Hannah still represents all of the joy and light Wes pushed out of his life. Everything he’s desperate to get back. And as Hannah brings much‑needed holiday magic to Morgan—and her kids—he realizes this is his chance. Because this Christmas, all he wants is her.
A cozy and uplifting reunion romance about two exes who work together at the holidays to help a family in need—and realize their Christmas wish is for a second chance with their first love.
Perfect for readers who love:
- Holiday feels
- Reunion romance
- Second chance
- Forced proximity
- Longing
- Small town setting
Romance Holiday [ MIRA, On Sale: October 6, 2026, Hardcover / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9780778332336 / eISBN: 9780369764201 ]
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About RaeAnne Thayne
Stories of Hope, Healing, & Heart
RaeAnne Thayne will do anything to tell a story. In 15 years as a newspaper reporter and editor, she rode along with a motorcycle gang, took a trip in a hot air balloon and even gave a hunky country music star her home phone number (it was for an interview — honest!).
When she wasn’t working as a journalist, though, RaeAnne worked on her real love — writing romance novels. She dreamed of publishing a book long before she ever thought it was possible. In fact, college friends used to spend hours when they should have been studying, trying to help her come up with a good pseudonym (none of which she actually ended up using, since she writes under her own name!).
After graduating from college, she took a job as a reporter at a daily newspaper, then moved to news editor. It wasn’t until she was home on maternity leave after the birth of her first child in 1990 that RaeAnne seriously tried her hand at fiction writing. She sold her first book in 1995 and quit her editor job two years later to write full-time.
She is a two-time recipient of the Heart of Romance Reader’s Choice award and has been a finalist for the RITA and for the National Reader’s Choice award.
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