Once Upon a Christmas Carol

Author: Melody Carlson
Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Pages: 176
Release Date: September 2, 2025
Publisher: Revell

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.

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Reviewer: Paula Shreckhise

Once Upon a Christmas Carol by Melody Carlson gives all the feels of a Hallmark movie. 

The dilemma is that Carol, a Christmas baby, is not fond of the season because of not the best childhood memories. She is also a designer who stages elaborate decorations way too early for her tastes. She plans a getaway to the Bahamas but gets stranded in Grand Rapids when snow cancels everything. The solution comes when her estranged aunt lives close by in Michigan. Getting to know Aunt Marie and helping her, gets her in the Christmas spirit again. And a hunky neighbor makes it cozy too. 

Well written novella with all the atmosphere of Christmas, there is a reconciliation, amid unexpected romance and a return to the real meaning of Christmas. 

A clean read with a Christian World View. 

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell through. Interviews & Reviews via NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone.

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Reviewer: Tammy Lunsford

You can never go wrong with a Christmas novella by Melody Carlson. This is another winner for Christmas readers like me.

Carol Langstrom hates everything about Christmas, which is why she is headed to the sunny Bahamas to escape all the holiday cheer. But God has other plans for Carol, which is how she ends up in the polar opposite of the sandy beaches of the Bahamas. Instead, she ends up in snow-laden Michigan.

This charming Christmas story has all the things that make a Christmas story special and then some. Carol ends up in the home of her estranged aunt. The aunt that Carol’s mother despises and has always painted to be something quite different from what Carol encounters. She is learning that there are two sides to every story.

As Carol spends more time with her wonderful aunt, she learns that it is definitely more blessed to give than to receive. For Carol, this was a much-needed journey of self-discovery, freeing forgiveness from long held bitterness and making new friends. The sweet, budding romance is just the icing on the cake to make this one a winner.

The author does a phenomenal job of drawing you into the story so that you are fully invested in the characters’ lives. Family drama is destructive, and these hurt feelings have kept this family from enjoying each other, which is so sad. But they are being given a second chance. Carol’s full surrender to God in forgiveness of her mother was a key point in this story and made this reader’s heart happy.

Thank you to Revell for this ARC through Interviews and Reviews. I am leaving this review voluntarily. 

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Reviewer: Monica Huyser

 Every year I look forward to Melody Carlson’s Christmas novella. Once Upon a Christmas Carol is her latest one, and I found it to be another heartwarming book full of Christmas charm.

Once Upon a Christmas Carol starts out with Carol Langstrom heading to the Bahamas for the holidays. Carol shares her birthday with Jesus—and so do I, so I could relate to that aspect of the book with Carol’s mixed feelings about the holiday and her birthday. Between her birthday and growing up in her dysfunctional family, as the book begins, she feels rather Scroogish about the holidays, so she decides to escape on a vacation. However, due to some big storms, Carol gets detoured to Michigan from her home in Seattle. While stuck in Michigan, she meets her Aunt and spends time getting to know her—and some other local folks. 

Victor is back at his parents’ farm helping his mother take care of his father, who has Alzheimer’s disease. Victor is a wonderful cook and owned a flourishing restaurant before he moved home. He picks Carol up from the airport since he is Carol’s Aunt’s neighbor.

I enjoyed Once Upon a Christmas and read the book quickly in one day. I enjoyed the growing attraction between Victor and Carol. However, I especially enjoyed how Carol got to know her Aunt and how they grew closer. I especially liked how she took the time to help her Aunt as her Aunt had an injury. She may have felt Scroogish but she had a heart full of kindness that was there throughout the story. There was a story of love and redemption in Carol’s family that showed promise of getting even better as Carol worked to help her mom see some changes she needed to make. There isn’t an overt Christian message, but there are Christian themes running through the story. I also liked how the ending left Victor and Carol as it felt realistic to me.

I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishing through Interviews & Reviews. All opinions are my own. 

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Reviewer: Trixi Oberembt

I always look forward to reading a Christmas novella by Melody Carlson! There’s nothing like sitting down for a few hours and immersing myself in what feels like a sweet Hallmark movie in book form.

Carol’s plans are derailed when her flight to the Bahamas to dodge the dreaded Christmas season is cancelled due to bad weather. But what appears to be a huge inconvenience turns out to be the best thing that happened to her. Stranded in a Michigan airport overnight, she makes an impulsive decision to connect with an aunt she never got to know growing up. What she discovers is a family she grows to care for, a town she falls in love with, and perhaps a love of the heart kind too! God redirected her to the best gift of “home” and a heart change for the true meaning of Christmas.

I think my favorite character was Carol’s aunt Maria. She’s full of wisdom, unconditional love and a little bit of stubbornness—I couldn’t help but like her from the get-go! I’m so glad she got to connect with her only niece and form strong family ties with her. What a wonderful relationship it was to watch unfold!

I love this story of faith and family all wrapped up in a sweet package to enjoy over and over again. And of course, a hint of a happily-ever-after at the end.

I received a complimentary copy through Revell via NetGalley and Interviews & Reviews. I was not obligated to leave a favorable review. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

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