First Line Friday — Once Upon A Christmas Carol

12 Dec

Happy Friday! Nothing completes a holiday reading list like a novella from Melody Carlson. Her books are a Christmas tradition! This year I am reading Once Upon A Christmas Carol. Have you read it yet? What did you think?

Here’s the first line:

No one knew that Carol Langstrom hated Christmas.

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 has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including Romantic Time’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/.

One Response to “First Line Friday — Once Upon A Christmas Carol”

  1. Anne Bennett December 12, 2025 at 3:36 pm #

    Oh my. What a wonderful choice for this time of year. I am jealously looking at all the Christmas books on everyone’s lists today and realize I need to get with it or another season will go by without so much as one Christmas book read by me AGAIN.

    https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2025/12/review-poet-warrior-friday56-linkup.html

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