Publication Date: September 1, 2026
This Christmas, the perfect gift might just be learning to let go and love the chaos.
It’s Christmastime, and Olivia Bradshaw is dating her childhood neighbor, veterinarian Malcolm McEntire. Life should be merry, but Olivia is worried about her mother Jane’s reaction to this budding romance. Their families couldn’t be more different. Perfectionist Jane cannot tolerate the unorganized, messy, fun-loving McEntires, and the thought of being permanently linked as in-laws will surely send her over the edge.
Desperate to save both Christmas and her romance, Olivia and her dad concoct an intervention to turn Jane’s holidays into a big mess. But they barely launch their plan before fate intervenes with a serendipitous mess of its own.
In this delightful Christmas novella full of faith and hope, Melody Carlson delivers small-town charm, family dynamics, and a sweet contemporary romance perfect for the holiday season.
Olivia Bradshaw wants to bring her boyfriend home for Christmas, but without some sort of intervention, her perfectionist mother will not be pleased.
Author Melody Carlson uses the perspectives of four different characters to bring We Wish You a Messy Christmas to life.
Something is “off” in the Bradshaw household, sending Jane into a frenzy when things aren’t perfect. The intervention coordinated by Olivia and her father to purposely make things messy comes with an unexpected outcome.
There’s a lot happening in this story for a novella. Not only is there the relationship between Olivia and Malcolm, but the dynamics caused by Jane’s desire for perfection impacts her marriage and her interactions with Olivia.
Tracing the root of the problem offers key insight that provides hope for middle ground where everyone can be happy.
We Wish You a Messy Christmas provides a cozy holiday story that thoughtfully tackles complex interactions.
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than 250 books with sales of more than 7.5 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, her novel All Summer Long has been made into a Hallmark movie, and the movie based on her novel The Happy Camper premiered on UPtv in 2023. She and her family live in central Oregon.
