So when she celebrates Thanksgiving alone, getting drunk, she decides to enjoy herself by playing Mariah Carey’s “ All I want is Christmas “ backwards ( honestly I also tried this at home but no magical entity appeared in my living room: but it gave me a great idea to listen entire songs of Ms. She doesn’t want to be black sheep of the family( of course her three time divorced, four time married, struggling movie director brother Felix, having kids with weird and entertaining names might share that position with her) Because her siblings are actually doing fine. When Bettie Hughes hides in a death woman’s house after fall from the grace, heartbroken with her bankruptcy and tarnished reputation, penniless, hopeless, lost, she keeps her downfall secret from her family. Hal is true magic of this book! ( he’s also Holiday Spirit embodied as a charming, cutest man you want to devour because he smells like cookies and his full name is Hal E. I can sing “ I had the time of my life” all night long as I read this! ( actually I also ran towards my husband to lift me up but his arms were not strong enough to carry me: good news, it’s only sprained leg, no need to visit E. This is so entertaining, smart, sarcastic, unique fantasy giving you so much hope, lightening your mood like huge digital billboards of Time Square, making you laugh so hard till your stomach hurt and spitting out your drink! If this book could be adapted into movie: I assure you: it would replace Die Hard as the best Christmas movie for me!

… Holly Spirit HAL is comin' to your house! Can Bettie channel the Christmas spirit and learn to live with goodwill toward all men? Or will her selfish ways come back as soon as the holidays are over?įrom the author of Twice Shy comes a sprightly Christmas novel, a rollicking romp through the absurdity of family holidays and the hope of new love. But the happier she gets, the shorter Hall’s time on earth grows. Suddenly, Bettie is finding her heart merry and light. Once the shock wears off, Bettie knows she’s stumbled upon the greatest gift: a chance to make all her holiday wishes come true, plus a ready-made fiancé.īut as the wiles of magic lose their charm, Bettie finds herself set off-kilter by Hall’s sweet gestures. But the reality is: Bettie is broke and squatting in Colorado, and her family has no idea.Ĭhristmas, with its pressure to meet familial expectations, is looming when a drunk Bettie plays a vinyl record of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” backwards and accidentally conjures Hall, an unexpectedly charming Holiday Spirit in the form of a man. Long obsessed with her public image, Bettie boasts an extravagant lifestyle on social media. That is, until her parents snipped her purse strings. Bettie Hughes once knew the comfort of luxury, flaunting a ridiculous collection of designer shoes and a stealthy addiction to CBD oils.

Sarah hogle goodreads