Books

The Daze Before Christmas

Christlit Book Award 2025
Illumination Book Awards Holiday 2026

Published: 11/1/2024

She fled her old life for a new one. Trouble is, she can’t remember why she ran.
 
Struggling artist Gwynn Sadler never planned to return to her hometown after escaping from a teenage tragedy nine years ago. She left everyone to believe she’d died, including the boy she loved, and buried painful memories in the process.
 
Such is the price for safety.
 
Then an unsettling encounter with a jolly old gentleman three weeks before Christmas triggers a hasty return to her mountain roots, where Gwynn collides with her former crush and wrestles against the dark secrets in her past.
 
Unable to immediately retreat to the security of her new life, Gwynn feels trapped. The Lord promises the truth will set her free, but how can she confront the very memories that might reveal a monster in the mirror?

An inspirational Christmas romance with a splash of intrigue and a dash of whimsy.

Praise for The Daze Before Christmas

"I've read the author's other two Christmas novels and loved them, so I was looking forward to this one. I was thrilled to discover that this story contained a decade-old mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. As a bonus, the author added surprising cameos of characters from her "Tinsel" series. Young adult readers, grab a cup of cocoa and curl up next to the fire for a clean romantic mystery."

~Jill K Willis

"This sweet romance is amazing! Laurie Germaine is a gifted writer. The Daze Before Christmas is on brand with Laurie’s signature witty dialogue, relatable characters with real, raw emotions, a thread of intrigue and mystery, with a fully satisfying ending."

~Love2Read

Silver medal award -- Holiday category