This is a very funny, holiday adventure!
There are so many unexpected events that happen when a runaway fiancée flees a gala on Santa’s sleigh. It is a “sleigh” ride Claire and Sam will never forget.
As their adventure progresses I enjoyed all of the people they met along the way. It is heartwarming and added that special holiday touch that will make me want to read this book every holiday season.
I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator Sara You g did an excellent job. Voice was perfect for these characters. I will definitely be checking out the other titles in this series.

What a fun holiday novella! After reading the previous two books in this series, this third installment was a great continuation (could definitely be read as a standalone novella as well).

I really liked the Hallmark Christmas movie vibes from this novella. There were a lot of moments throughout the story that made me smile, and fit well with true Christmas spirit theme. The one downside of this take, was that it made the story seem a bit unrealistic at times. Overall though, this didn’t bother me too much and I enjoyed being swept away by the cute love story.

Sam was an adorable love interest, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with him too!

I would recommend this novella to anyone who has previously read the prior two books in this series, or to anyone who enjoys a cute holiday romance story.

This novella was delightful and it would make a fantastic Christmas movie. This was just fun on every page. A stolen carriage, a mugging, singing on a train, everything was perfect about this book. I'll definitely be recommending this one this holiday season.

It Happened One Christmas Eve starts out with our mfc expecting a proposal from her lack luster boyfriend who her mother approves of. To keep her job at the museum and to continue receiving donations from her mother, she has to marry the man her mother picks for her. With a last minute decisions, she highjacks a horse and carriage during her surprise proposal and runs away with Santa still on board. He happens to be Reporter Sam Carpenter who was planning on doing a story about the event. The events that unfold during this book were crazy and hilarious. After getting mugged, they try to make their way to her cottage. Their banter was hilarious and at times I could find myself laughing. There were many heartwarming perfect Christmas moments in this book that made me love it even more. I can imagine it on the Hallmark channel. I found myself loving this book and it also put me in the holiday spirit.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the early arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a very cute but standard holiday romance, complete with douchey business man soon-to-be fiancé and bitchy overbearing mom. Fun but not memorable

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read and review this story.

It Happened One Christmas Eve is a short story about a wealthy socialite who runs away from her impending engagement and inadvertently embarks on an adventure! Claire's boyfriend is about to propose in a very high profile show when she decides she just CANNOT and so when the horse and carriage complete with Santa show up to deliver the ring she commandeers it to make her escape. As it turns out the horse and carriage were already hijacked (in a bribed his way in) sort of way by a reporter, Sam. In exchange for a story Sam offers to get Claire to the only place she wants to be, her grandmother's old cabin in Maine. The trip to the cabin is full of adventure including playing Santa and Elf on a train ride, at an assisted living home and for a soldier returned home to surprise his wife and daughter for Christmas.

A lot happens in such a short time (only 141 pages!) but it is all perfectly written and ends in a beautiful HEA.

#JennMcKinlay
#AMuseumofLiteratureRomance3
#ItHappenedOneChristmasEve
#ShortButCute
#HappilyEverAfter
#FiveStars

Fun, quick, sweet Holiday read. It will help put you in the spirit. Best of the series so far. Cannot wait for more books by Jenn.

This was just the cutest and all I could do was smile at Sam and Clara and their adventures. It even had me tearing up along the way. I loved this holiday novella and the glimpses I got at other characters I know.
Clara is running away from a proposal and hijacks the first thing she sees, a one horse open sleigh. That sets the tone of the next 48 hours and the adventures they experience, leaving them closer than they have ever been with anyone else. Sam knows it's the real deal, but once Clara finds out what he was up to, he could lose her forever.
This was so fun and so heartwarming. I will definitely be recommending this to anyone looking for a warm, cozy holiday read.
Thank you to Jenn McKinlay, Dreamscape and Netgalley for an early audio copy.

I was lucky to receive an audiobook copy from NetGalley for It Happened One Christmas Eve by Jenn McKinlay. A holiday novella which stars Clair Macintosh, a 40 year old on the shelf spinster who is entering an arranged marriage to preserve her job/passion. After some liquid courage she decides to run away straight into Santa's sleigh (driven by Sam Carpenter, reporter looking for a scoop), and adventure ensues. I really enjoyed reading about a more mature couple coming from two different sides of the world, yet, still able to understand and complement each other well. This book made me laugh and tear up and somehow told a great story despite being a novella. From my recent research this is the third book in a series, but this can definitely be read as a standalone. If you like holiday reads, then this would be a perfect pick! Definitely recommend!

She’s a Christmas Cinderella except she’s running away from price charming. This was a cute romance with a lot of little secrets that were revealed. I liked how they had the Santa suit and got to do some fun good deeds while they were on their road trip.

🌀Synopsis
Claire Macintosh lives life by her parent’s rule and that includes getting engaged to a man she doesn’t really love. She knows he’s about to propose but decides instead to run away. Her getaway car? A sleigh that Santa was driving to drop off the ring.
Realizing she has no money or phone, Santa, who’s real name is Sam, decides to help. His requirements? She give him a personal interview when they get to their destination.
Throughout their travels they’re able to perform some Christmas miracles and good deeds. They find out a lot about each other and are able to make it a very special Christmas together. She’s not the only one he’s interviewing though and now she has a choice to make.

I didn't realize this was the third in a series. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC of this novel in exchange for a review.

I mean, it was cute and Christmassy, but everything happened way too fast. I do get that that's what happens in a novella, so maybe I just don't love novellas!

The narrator did a decent job, but she wasn't my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for this audiobook ARC! This was a super cute and fun Christmas read. My first read by this author and I would definitely read more in the future! The narrator has a great cadence to her voice and made the audiobook very enjoyable.

I LOVE this audiobook! It is a must for this holiday season!

The narrator was a great choice for this story. She fit the character and did a wonderful job bringing the story to life.

The story was fun and kept my entertained beginning to end. I enjoyed the adventure the main characters took and the people they met along the way. I do wish this had been told in dual POV, but it was a great audiobook.

I didn’t know this was the third in a series and I don’t feel like I missed anything from the first two.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

A cute Christmas Romcom that I read in one sitting. There's an allusion to the gift of the magi and multiple mentions of a Christmas carol, die-hard, a Christmas story, all the classics. It's also a Christmas story that actually has something to do with the holiday season than just snow and parties. I love that Santa and his elf are doing last-minute miracles. It also has road trip vibes.
The only annoying part was the ending and its length. The ending was super predictable and the couple only knew each other for two days. The book length was super short and felt like the background characters should have had more development. Like sam's family(sister), or their coworkers. However, I didn't realize this is the third book of a series so the coworkers are probably more developed in the other books. (maybe I should go back and read the others)
The romance is very fluffy and PG-13, with no graphic sex scenes. Perfect for a short airplane ride or a binge reading.

This was like listening to a Hallmark movie - a cheesy whirlwind of falling in love, and some magic along the way.

We don’t really get too deep with these characters, but the good cheer and Christmas setting are what drew me to the book in the first place. The adventure of not knowing how they’ll continue on their way to Maine, and the sweet people along the way definitely had me in the holiday spirit.

The narrator was great, and if you’re looking for a shorter read this holiday season, this one might be it.

Jenn McKinlay’s It Happened One Christmas Eve is a really cute twist on the runaway bride trope. Though in the case of Claire Macintosh, she’s not a bride yet, but on the night of the big museum gala when she knows she’ll be receiving an unwanted proposal she knows her mother expects her to accept, she makes a run for it, hijacking Santa and his sleigh. Little does she know that “Santa” is actually reporter Sam Carpenter attempting to sneak into the gala to work on a big story. They make a deal, he’ll get her to Maine by Christmas Eve if she agrees to grant him an exclusive. The trip quickly becomes a fun, fast paced roller coaster ride of awakening emotions. If I had any real complaint it would be that I wished it were longer. (It clocks in at only about 3 and a half hours) Everything just happens so fast. Of course I realize that’s exactly what is intended and the truth is it has the pacing and heart of a Hallmark movie (and I definitely mean that as a compliment). The narration is done by Sara Young and she does a wonderful job. I’d like to thank Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance audio copy of It Happened One Christmas Eve.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Normally I don’t read holiday related/themed books unless it’s Halloween. The idea of a FMC runaway bride stealing Santa’s sleigh however, that got me. I love the fact that the FMC is “of a certain age” I find this super refreshing. She’s a socialite named Claire who falls for the one Santa she probably shouldn’t, because he’s in disguise & he’s really a known journalist named Sam. Christmas antics ensue & along the way they both find themselves very comfortable with the other. I love how it wasn’t rushed love & we got to see it play out over a few days. It’s not instalove but it happens fast i feel like it’s very realistic considering their age , they’re not trying to play games or beat around the bush they know what they both want & plan to fight for it. I adore the quick twist at the end I was heartbroken for about 10 pages. The happily ever after is worth every second. Sam carpenter lives rent free in my head.

Jenn McKinlay hit another home run! This is a perfect read for the holidays. McKinlay is so imaginative with all the twists in this story. I couldn’t wait to see where the runaway adventure took me as a reader. It did not disappoint. Excellent romcom holiday book

Claire Macintosh is about to get engaged to a man she doesn't love at the holiday gala she is hosting as director of the Museum of Literature. Her mother, Hildy Macintosh, has made it clear that if the museum is to continue to receive the enormous donations from the family trust that Hildy has approved all these years, then Claire must marry the man Hildy has chosen for her and start to produce some grandbabies. At forty and single, Claire feels she has no choice. But when the horse and carriage arrive at the gala with the driver dressed as Santa to deliver Claire's engagement ring, she just can't go through with it. She hijacks the horse and carriage with Santa still on board and escapes! Reporter Sam Carpenter thought he was being so clever convincing his friend to let him step in as Santa so he could get up close and personal to the subject of his upcoming magazine exposé. He is completely unprepared for the events that unfold and finds himself dashing through Central Park with a runaway would-be fiancé. Now the only way to save his story is to broker a deal with Claire Macintosh. In exchange for his help in getting her to her cottage in Maine by Christmas Eve, she'll grant him an exclusive interview. As their journey takes a series of unexpected twists, turns, and misadventures, both Claire and Sam realize that there's more than their careers on the line. And it's going to take a Christmas miracle to find their happily ever after.
I had some Cinderella vibes from this book. I enjoyed this book a lot and definitely recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own