Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor: A Novel

Written by Lisa Kleypas

Narrated by Tanya Eby

In the wake of tragedy, three people discover unexpected happiness and love in this heartwarming novel of magic, hope, and family, infused with the spirit of the holiday season—the first book in New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas's Friday Harbor series, and the basis of the Hallmark Hall of Fame television movie Christmas with Holly.

When his sister, Victoria, died in a car accident, Mark Nolan became the guardian of his six-year-old niece Holly. But it hasn’t been easy. Since that tragic night, the little girl hasn’t spoken a word. Mark isn’t sure how to help Holly. All he can do is follow his sister’s wise advice: Start by loving her. The rest will follow.

Maggie Collins was barely married a year when she suddenly lost her husband. Though she doesn’t dare let herself believe in love again, the toy store owner does believe in magic—the power of imagination. When she meets Holly Nolan, she knows just what the quiet little girl needs. 

Thrust together by the vagaries of fate, three wounded people are about to share the greatest Christmas gift of all. . . . 

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Apr 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9780062992543

Lisa Kleypas

New York Times Lisa Kleypas graduated from Wellesley College with a political science degree. Her historical romance and contemporary women’s fiction novels are published in forty different languages, and are bestsellers all over the world. Currently she lives in Southern California with her husband Gregory.

Reviews for Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor

[Karen Chandler · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a fairly fast-paced good storyline with fun happenings and new beginnings

[sheila1957 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mark gets custody of his niece, Holly, upon the death of her mother. Holly has quit talking. When they go into Maggie's toy store, Maggie shows Holly a fairy house, and tells Holly she does not know the fairy's name but when she does she'll paint in above the house's door, and a conch shell which she tells Holly she can hear the ocean. Mark is attracted to Maggie but he has a girlfriend, so he is not free to date Maggie. Their attraction is great and grows after sharing a ferry ride to the mainland. What will they do? What will happen with Holly? I enjoyed this story. I liked how Maggie connected to both Mark and Holly. I liked how Holly knew Maggie was safe and she could be herself. I loved that Mark had principles and would not date Maggie while he had a girlfriend. I did not like the girlfriend, Shelby. She came across as shallow as did Mark in regards to their relationship. I am glad I got my HEA. I will have to track down the other books in this series.

[purpledog-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Even though this is a holiday story it most definitely a beach read kind of book. Total fluff and a feel good story. There was no real surprises in the story and not much tension in the plot. Just a super sweet story.

[sarah220-732610 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an enjoyable quick read. Enough emotion to give it depth but not gut wrenching.

[circlestonesbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really cosy, nice characters, just perfekt for a rainy autumn day. look forward to reading the two next books of this series.

[caslater83 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

When I found out that the Hallmark movie, "Christmas with Holly" was based on "Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor" by Lisa Kleypas, I just had to read it. The movie had all the right feels, so I hoped that the book would have more of the same "wow" factor. It didn't.

The book is light and fluffy--perfect for those of you who don't really want to read a book with strong dramatic content. It's nice. It does have some occasional foul language, but I've been able to push past that. I was really impressed that I wasn't seeing sex anywhere in the book until we got close to the end and Maggie ends up giving herself to Mark. It was sad because I had hoped for a cleaner ending.

But it is what it is. I don't think I would go out of my way to pick up another Kleypas novel. It doesn't really have the style or strong content that I'm looking for in a good book. But it's fine for those who just like light easy reads.

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor
3 Stars

Fairly bland and superficial romance with a saccharine sweet plot and ending.

The story is rushed and there is no real emotional depth to the characters, which makes it difficult to become attached to any of them (this is most probably due to the short basically novella length format).

Holly is a sweet child and the selective mutism has potential but fizzles out almost immediately as her return to normality is rapid and has no basis in reality.

Maggie gets over her reservations against becoming involved with Mark in no time at all and Mark goes from a commitment phobic, non-believer to an ardent pursuer and imagination convert in the blink of an eye.

The relationship between the brothers is unoriginal and lacks detail. On the surface, Sam seems like a nice guy while Alex is dark, broody and tortured (which means that I will continue on to his book because this is my favorite type of hero).

All in all, a disappointing book as both the story and the characters are underdeveloped. This is definitely not up to Kleypas's standards.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Audiobook read by Tanya EbyFrom the book jacket: One little girl needs a family. On single man needs a wife. Sometimes it takes a little magic … To make dreams come true.My reactionsSo, I knew going in that this was a cheesy holiday romance. Still, I have to admit that it was a fun read. The relationship between Mark, who has become guardian of his niece, 6-year-old Holly, after his sister died, and Maggie, the young widow who owns an old-fashioned toy shop, builds slowly, from September through Halloween, Thanksgiving, and finally Christmas Eve. Despite the promised “magic” there isn’t much of it here … unless you count a child’s belief in fairies and Santa Claus as magic. But that’s okay. The “magic” of the central relationship is enough to entertain the reader. Tanya Eby does a fine job performing the audio version. The voices she uses for the different characters are believable – even the little girl, Holly. Good pacing and clear diction.

[mrsdanaalbasha · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

[Saturday, December 10, 2011] I bought this book yesterday, I postponed buying it for so long. I love Lisa's historical romances novels, but I struggled with Sugar Daddy [still am]. This is not the case here. I opened the book less than an hour ago and now I'm in chapter 3, I guess I will finish the book today. It's adorable and short. I love Lisa's style in writing. I loved Maggie and Mark's story... I can't wait to see Sam and Alex's stories as well!

[Sunday, January 06, 2013] OMG!! I could actually cry! What have they done to the book! I just finished watching the movie based on this book and it made me very very very mad!! They destroyed it! Lisa Kleypas should sue!

[mickyfine · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mark Nolan's responsibility-free bachelor existence is changed forever when his sister is killed in a car accident and he's left the sole guardian of his niece, Holly. When he and Holly wander into Maggie Collins' new toy shop in Friday Harbor, Holly and Maggie quickly bond. As Mark contemplates just what his future will look like with Holly in his life, Maggie must overcome the tragedy in her past that leaves her skittish about letting anyone else in.This Christmas romance was pretty satisfying. The writing was well-done and all of the characters were believable and well-drawn. My only quibbles are 1) that for a book with Christmas in the title it wasn't quite as Christmassy as I had hoped for and 2) the ending felt very abrupt. I was expecting a little bit more character development or another layer of conflict but the novel just suddenly ended. That being said, I'll likely pick up another novel by Kleypas as I enjoyed her writing style.

[fueledbycoffee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"It tastes like Christmas!" One of my friends has a child that announced his discovery several years ago immediately after licking a restaurant window. Long story and even longer segue...I often think of the widow-licking episode when I stare at the holiday Kindle freebies / books in my TBR pile. Ill probably do a marathon Christmas book read this month. Because its the (tasty) thing to do.Ive read a few of Lisa Kleypas' stories in the past - this particular story reading much like her others: short, sweet, cute, and in this case Christmas-y along with all those other adjectives rolled into chick lit. I admit, stories that include loving Dads with their child(ren) just get me all discomboobleated...warm-stupid feels. Somewhat formulaic, no surprises but still enjoyable writing. Yay for tasting like Christmas!3.5/5 stars

[dawn772 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable heart tugging story about Mark, guardian for six year old, and widowed Maggie. As others mention, I wish this book had been longer and I look forward to future stories about the brothers.

[bonniemarjorie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When six-year-old Holly’s mother dies in a car accident, her Uncle Mark is named guardian. Holly is devastated and hasn’t spoke in the six months that she’s lived with him. To top it off, Mark just found Holly’s letter to Santa where she was asking for a new mommy. Wandering the local shops in town, the two go into a toy store where the store owner Maggie gets Holly to finally come out of the shell she’s created around herself which sets in motion an attraction between Mark and Maggie.The story felt incredibly rushed with only 224 pages and extremely large font but it was nonetheless still a quick and entertaining Christmas read. I would have loved for the story to have more detail and back-story and I especially wanted more build-up as far as the romance went though. The connection between Mark and Maggie was instantaneous which wouldn’t have been as problematic if Mark wasn’t already involved in someone. I would have been able to enjoy this short and sweet tale if we weren’t dealing with the dramatic aspects of the love triangle. Having Mark be a single guy connecting with a very motherly character would have sufficed.Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor reads much like a story that should be included in a Christmas anthology but it’s the start of Kleypas’ ‘Friday Harbor’ series. I enjoyed it enough to continue the series but hope that future installment are further fleshed out. Definitely a worthy Christmas read for those looking for a sentimental albeit predictable story to get quickly absorbed in. (And there’s also a Lifetime movie adaptation of this to check out!)

[judithdcollins · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"Awesome! Great read - finished in two days, as could not put it down! Loved the same characters as is Rainshadow (read this one first, then Rainshoadow Road). Cannot wait until Dream Lake comes out - I look forward to reading some of her older books and future creations! "

[kybunnies · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is the first in the series Friday Harbor. I read the second book in the series before I read this book. lol I know but I had won the second book in the series with out realizing it was a series of book.

Characters: Holly, Mark, Maggie, Sam, Alex, Shelby, Renfield

Of course Holly is my favorite character in this book besides Renfield.

Holly has lost her mother in an accident. She has not talked in over 6 months. Mark (one of holly's uncles and her legal guardian) is trying to take things slow like all the doctor's are telling him. But we all know how are something like that could be.

Mark and Holly stop by a toy store and meet Maggie. She owns the toy store that is in Friday Harbor. Amazingly Maggie get's Holly to talk. But then sparks are already flying between Mark and Maggie. Unfortunately Shelby (at the time she is Mark's girlfriend) walks in and Maggie thinks it is okay because she is not ready for a relationship.

Soon Mark and Shelby break up. Shelby does not understand why Mark needs to leave when Holly is sick. Any woman that does not understand why a man would want to be there for there child (should not matter if it is biological or not) when they are sick needs a dose of reality.

While I will admit that I did not like this book as much as the second book it is a great starter to the series. I hope the third book is as great as the second book.

The bunnies and I give this book 3-Carrots.

[poetryfreak38-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this story. It was a feel good Christmas romance. The characters were very sweet. I can't wait for the next story!

[jnut1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a short Christmas feel good book.

[gogglemiss · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lovely short story, just wished that it could have gone on longer. 

[azacia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent. This was a quick story, but a cute romance. Mark Nolan ends up as the care taker/guardian to his sisters 6 year old daughter, Holly, after her untimely death. Saddled with the new responsibilities of parenthood, Mark discovers a whole new realm of love and caring for someone else.

Maggie Collins is a young widow in her twenties who lost the husband she loved the cancer shortly after their marriage. She's afraid to take that kind of risk again and is happy running her toy shop and being a fun aunt for her siblings children. When Mark and his young niece enter the toy shop, Maggie helps the little girl to believe in magic again and regain her smile and her voice.

Despite their resistance, the sparks between Maggie and Mark fly. Will Holly get her Christmas wish of having a new mom to love her? Will Maggie overcome her fears to let love in?

A beautifully told and heartwarming short story.

[cranberrytarts · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wish I knew why St. Martin's insisted on releasing these short hardbacks for so much money. While this was a sweet story, it isn't worth paying $16.99 for. Not by a long shot.

I really liked both main characters. Both Mark and Maggie were struggling to deal with baggage from their pasts. Neither was willing to commit, but for different reasons. Maggie was afraid to give all of herself again (she's a widow) and Mark wasn't sure he had anything at all to give.

Holly, Mark's niece, was at the center of the story. Her mother died in a car accident, making Mark her legal guardian. I liked how she was central to the story but didn't take over.

I also liked Mark's brothers. I'm curious about both Sam and Alex, and hope LK has plans to write their stories.

Overall a sweet novella, but not worth paying $17 for. And I'm saying this with all the love in my Kleypas-obsessed heart.

[darkand27 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Even though I read this one out of order (I read Sam's story which is book # 2 first and then Alex's story which is book #3 and now I've read Mark's story which is book # 1) I am still amazed this author's lyrical prose. She just has such a beautiful way with words...

[beckymmoe_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sweet, SHORT novel (just over 200 pages, or four parts on audio when downloaded from OverDrive). It's nice to see a story about a young widow where the first marriage was a good one--a refreshing change from the "evil" first husband or marriage that was "missing something". I'm hoping Kleypas continues the series with Mark's two brothers--we see Sam more than Alex in this one, but both have real potential.

(The Hallmark movie version--"Christmas with Holly"--was cute, but nowhere near as good as the book. They changed too many of the things that I really enjoyed about this story to satisfy me. After re-reading the story, the movie was even more disappointing...)

[ridley_ · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While I didn't really enjoy reading this book I received via First Reads, it wasn't a bad book. Nothing about it made me want to walk away from it, but neither did anything really beg for me to continue. Reading through to the end just seemed the easiest thing to do.

Small business owner Mark Nolan has just had his life hit a giant bump in the road. Not only has his sister just died unexpectedly in a car accident, but he's also been named as the guardian of his six year-old niece, Holly. Since raising a little girl in a one-bedroom condo isn't possible, he's also moved in with his brother in a large fixer-upper Victorian on a vineyard. To top it all off, Holly has stopped speaking to anyone in the wake of her mother's death. Clearly, Mark has his hands full.

Maggie Conroy is a fellow business owner in their small island community off the coast of Seattle. Unlike Mark, she didn't grow up there, having just moved in a few months ago to open a toy store. She's decided to move somewhere new and start fresh after her husband's death from cancer just a few years ago. Very much Mark's opposite in many ways - as whimsical as he is realistic, from a large, close family as opposed to his smaller, acrimonious one - he's completely captivated by her and her ability to coax Holly out of her silent shell. Maggie herself is drawn to Mark's quiet calm and good looks, though she declares him off-limits since he's involved with someone else and she's unwilling to risk her heart so soon after her husband's death.

All of this is a really great set-up for a book. Clearly you can see how straitlaced Mark, wary of marriage and commitment after living through his parents' contentious relationship, would be attracted to the fanciful toy store owner from a big, happy family. It makes sense that younger sibling Maggie would find herself drawn to the quiet, serious and responsible older brother in Mark. What Kleypas failed to do, however, is to take these excellent character sketches and wonderful plot concept and make it come alive as a story.

Instead, the characters and action feel a bit lost in the storytelling. I think a big part of the reason for this lies with the book's length. Kleypas generally writes full-length novels and it felt like she just couldn't adjust the pacing to the shorter length. As if she felt she needed to cram in a 90k word novel's worth of background and scenery in a short space, parts of the novel read like a tourist brochure.Growing up in the Edgemoor neighborhood of Bellingham, Maggie and her brothers and sisters had explored the trails of Chuckanut Mountain and played along the shores of Bellingham Bay. The quiet neighborhood offered views of both the San Juans and the Canadian mountains. It was also situated next to Fairhaven, where you could browse through unique shops and galleries, or eat at restaurants where the waiters could always tell you about the freshest catch and where it had been bought from.She names every shop, restaurant and geographical feature the characters come across, no matter how inconsequential to the story it may be. When the characters mention going to the house Mark lives in, either in speech or pov prose, she always spells it out as Rainshadow Vineyard, never simply "home," "the house," "Mark's home," etc. It felt so much like brand marketing that the setting never felt immersive to me.

Then, for all the time she spends on the niggling details of the environment, the romance felt rushed. Some of their encounters felt natural - his visiting her store, their riding the ferry at the same time coincidentally - but as we got closer to the end of the book, they felt more and more contrived. I did a major headshake when, after meeting her once during trick-or-treating with Holly, Mark's brother calls Maggie to help him with a feverish, puking Holly when Mark was away. I know people think Bostonians are cold, but this is calling on a mere acquaintance for something most people would be reluctant to ask an old friend to do. After this, Mark and Maggie go from subtle flirtation and unacknowledged attraction to engagement in less than two months. They go from first sexual encounter, still with Maggie's insistence that it be casual and not a committed relationship, to engaged in just a few days. Their HEA totally was a "Holy shit! I'm at the end of my word count!" sort of thing.

Since my review is almost as long as the book at this point, I'll stuff a sock in it. To sum up, good idea with weak execution. Not bad, but far from her best.

[jyl22075 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I LOVED it! This was such a warm holiday story and the romance was lovely. The dynamic between Maggie and Mark was wonderful. The dialogue in this book is just excellent.

I should note that I am not generally a fan of children in the books I read. I tend to steer clear of them as a rule. Holly, Mark's 6-year-old niece plays a large role in this book... and I gave it five stars. THAT is how much I enjoyed it. I actually liked Holly and I felt like she was really important to the story and how the family came together.

While this is listed by many as magical realism, I thought the magic was very light. I read Rainshadow Road before this one, so I was surprised that there wasn't more magic in it.

If I had any complaint about the book, it would simply be that I wanted more of it. This is a short novel, at a little over two hundred pages, and I could've happily read a hundred more pages.

[jbarr5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa KleypasThis family series is about Mark Nolan. He is taking care of his niece, along with his two brothers; Sam and Alex. Sam runs the vineyard and Alex likes to build condo's on the island. Mark has a coffee business.She is so energetic and needs a family loving. Sam and his huge house that he's renovating along with his vineyard has agreed to let Mark and their niece Holly come live with them. She's not said a word since they told her of her mother's death, days ago.Maggie is a widower and she moved her toy shop to the island. She's taking a liking to Holly showing her books all about fairies. Love how she uses seashells to talk magic to Holly. It worked cuz she started talking and he was so relieved. It had been 6 months.Mark is dating Shelby but he really is interested in Maggie as they share a meal while waiting for the ferry to take them back to the island.They talk so much about anything and nothing that they are at ease with one another.Maggie has choices to make as time goes on and Mark also as to what direction his life will take.

[thehistorychic · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read on December 12, 2012Listened for Fun (Audible)Overall Rating: 3.50Story Rating: 3.25Character Rating: 3.75Part of my 25 Books for the Holidays for 2012How Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor put me in the Holiday Spirit: Don’t stories that involve kids and rescue dogs always pull at your heartstrings? This one even started with a letter to Santa–how could you not be in the Holiday spirit after that?What I thought of the characters/story: Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor was a pretty short listen for an audio book (5 or so hours) and in places I thought the story was a little rushed. I felt the break-up with the current girlfriend to the “I Love You” was to quick. That being said, I loved the characters. I thought each of them were unique, fun, and in their own ways lovable. I am pretty sure that I will be continuing the series to find out what happens with the other two brothers. I loved Maggie and her relationship with Holly and Mark. I felt that the story from her side was very organic and wonderful. I loved that Holly and Reinfield (the ugly rescue dog) were important parts of the story too. Overall, for a short story it was very heartstrings pulling even though it was a little rushed.What I thought of the audio: Tanya Eby did the audio and she did a pretty decent job. I still have problems with her male voices but she is certainly growing on me.

[bookofsecrets · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

CHRISTMAS EVE AT FRIDAY HARBOR was a quick and easy read, but also a heartwarming story. Mark Nolan, the eldest of four, becomes the guardian of his niece when his sister dies in a car accident. He's very protective of Holly, and takes his new role as father seriously. As much as Holly loves Mark, he knows that she longs to have a mother again.Holly takes a liking to a young widow named Maggie who owns a toy store. Maggie is fairly new to Friday Harbor, moving to San Juan Island for a fresh start. Though her husband died two years ago, she's still burdened with grief over the loss. She guards her heart carefully, not wanting fall in love with someone else, only to lose him too.Through Holly, Maggie and Mark get closer, but their relationship develops slow and steady. Aside from Maggie's emotional baggage, Mark has an issue to deal with too - a serious girlfriend. Nothing is ever easy!This was a sweet romance with a touching story, cozy setting and likable characters. There were no big surprises in the plot, but for an uplifting holiday read, it was spot on. Renfield, the not-so-attractive but super lovable bulldog, was a hoot. You should read the book just to meet Renfield! Definitely looking forward to the rest of the series.

[thebooknerd · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was the first book I'd ever read by Lisa Kleypas. I enjoyed it quite a bit, particularly the sweetly romantic quality to the story.

[lalawe_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Uneven pacing (the middle of the book plodded along, while the end felt surprisingly abrupt), and some general suspension of disbelief issues (revolving around Holly's immediate acceptance of Maggie). Still enjoyable, and I'll definitely try out the next in the series

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mark Nolan's life changes utterly when he is given custody of his niece Holly after his sister's accidental death. He moves back to the family vineyard with his brother and they work on making a life for Holly. She wishes for a Christmas Present of a mother and he decides that this is now imporant.His life changes when he meets widow Maggie, who has moved to the Island after her husband died of cancer. The two of them have to deal with this and try to work out if they can love each other enough.It's a short enough read, entertaining and heartwarming.