The Christmas Box
She loves Christmas.
Opening a Christmas shop in her hometown of Winterberry, Kentucky is a dream come true for Lexi Hargrove. Lexi is no stranger to loss, but her holly, jolly approach to life has sustained her. She couldn’t have imagined the first person to walk through the door of the Christmas Box would be Travis Hutchins, her long lost high school crush who stood her up for a date a dozen years ago. He’s looking for coffee, not Christmas – and makes it clear he’s a holiday hater. But why does he still have to be so hot? And when did he become so Grinchy?
He hates Christmas.
Travis never planned to come back to Winterberry, but his estranged father is dying. He just wants to keep a low profile, do his duty, then head back to his life in Chicago. Things he never expected: running into Lexi Hargrove, and an endless explosion of all things Christmas directly in eyesight of where he’s staying. When did she get so pretty? And why does he keep going back?
Can one wish upon a Christmas star change everything?
Lexi isn’t sure why she’s wishing for Hottie McScrooge across the street to find the joy of Christmas, but soon a whole array of Christmas wishes begin to change both their lives. Can those wishes keep Lexi’s shop open even when the situation looks bleak? Can they help Travis make peace with his dad before it’s too late? And can Lexi and Travis look past all their fears and differences to fall in love?
READ A PREVIEW OF The Christmas Box
A Note from Toni
When I wrote The Wedding Box, I was sure it was a stand-alone project. But when I decided to make my next book a Christmas story, with a similar vibe, it only made sense to call it The Christmas Box and use that title as the initial seed of inspiration for the story. And – voila – a series was born!
It turns out that there’s actually more than one “Christmas box” in this book – I’ll leave it to the reader to decide which one the title represents. And if you love a Christmas romance, I think you’ll love reading this book! With lots of snow, wishes upon Christmas stars, and a stray dog named Marley, add in a Scroogy hero who needs help finding some Christmas joy, and this book has all the holiday feels.
As a writer, I have long found snippets of my own life sneaking into my books, but that’s been especially true of these Box Books. In The Christmas Box, the little town of Winterberry is very loosely based on my hometown of Williamstown, Kentucky, whose Main Street fell on hard times a few decades back but has since burst back to life. If you’re ever passing through, stop to check out the shops and restaurants now lining the little street where I shopped as a kid and worked at the library as a teenager. (It’s no longer the library, by the way, but that’s okay because part of this story is about how places change and evolve over time.)
As with most of my books, this one has ended up very near and dear to my heart. I hope it will be that way for you, as well!
Reviews for The Christmas Box
“It is a true gift to be able to transport a reader into the story, to write with such depth and heart that a reader will burst out laughing and/or find themselves shedding tears. I did both throughout The Christmas Box and must say that this story really pulls on the heartstrings! A holiday delight—The Christmas Box has all the feels, a perfect blend of love, heartbreak, humor, seasonal cheer, and above all, is guaranteed to make you believe in Christmas magic.” ~S.E.W., a reader