A Curse for Christmas Past English 2026

'Merry, magical, and made for readers who love a whimsical holiday romance!' Taylor Epperson, Second Time's a Charm

Hayleigh Gray is cursed. For real.

After losing her job, her savings, and her relationship, it's the discovery of a lump on her beloved horse's neck that finally sends Hayleigh looking for solutions in the winter festival in Elk Ridge. Trouble is, she knows there are witches in Elk Ridge because she managed to make an enemy of one (okay, maybe a few) last holiday season.

There, she crosses paths with Stephan Midwinter, an animal-rescuing artist with lumberjack good looks, a reputation with women that stretches a mile long, and a whole lot of magic that Hayleigh wants nothing to do with. Adamant that his coven wasn't involved in Hayleigh's curse, Stephan offers to help her find the real culprit and break the curse before Christmas Day.

As Hayleigh and Stephan face ancestral secrets, mischievous holiday spirits, and being snowed into the world's kitschiest holiday train B&B, Hayleigh finds her heart opening to magic, and to Stephan Midwinter.

But Stephan and his way of life are in direct opposition to everything Hayleigh's been taught to want, and old habits die hard. With the curse amping up and time running out, will she be able to embrace a new kind of happiness, or will she fall back into the patterns of Christmas past?