Publication Date: September 2, 2025
What will happen when a tropical escape from holiday blues turns into a snowy wonderland filled with joy and cheer?
Carol Langstrom hates Christmas. Growing up in a dysfunctional home, with a birthday on December 25 and too many dashed childhood expectations, she would rather avoid the holiday season. And working in the design industry where she manages seasonal decor for wealthy, entitled clients certainly hasn’t helped!
So, this year her goal is to flee to the Bahamas—by herself—bah humbug! But bad weather and God’s radically different plan redirect her flight to blustery Michigan, where she gets stuck on her aunt’s farm and discovers a different kind of Christmas—one wrapped in love, family, and holiday spirit.
Melody Carlson’s Christmas novella delivers all the charm of a holiday Hallmark movie, is rooted in Christian faith, woven with sweet romance, and features A Christmas Carol themes.
The only thing standing between Carol Langstrom and a Bahamas getaway is a plane trip. When her Seattle-based plane makes a forced landing in Grand Rapids, her vacation plans freeze over.
Author Melody Carlson delivers a holiday-themed story in Once Upon a Christmas Carol, featuring a main character who detests Christmas. There’s plenty of humor, though, as Carol ends up celebrating a milestone birthday in the most unlikely of places.
When she cold calls her mother’s estranged sister, an impromptu visit turns into an opportunity to delve into the past. Carol also meets her aunt’s neighbor, Victor, setting the stage for an interesting romance.
It’s not until Carol examines why she dislikes the holiday season that she’s able to gain a better understanding. The new relationships formed in Michigan offer a startling contrast to her life in Seattle.
Once Upon a Christmas Carol offers a sweet Christian romance where the main character gets a new sense of perspective.
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.
