Christmas at Honeycombe Bay by Lilac Mills Review

I love a good Christmas romance, and this one has a great twist: because of circumstances, both main characters are trying to ignore Christmas. So you know that’s going up in smoke.

With a focus on older, mature characters in this story, we get a different perspective on this romance than what we typically see. It makes for an interesting read so check out my thoughts below.

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Christmas at Honeycombe Bay by Lilac Mills
ASIN: ‎ B0GD5CRM9D
Publisher: ‎ Dell
Publication date: ‎ September 29, 2026
ISBN-13: ‎ 979-8217302253

OVERVIEW:
Eloise Garrett thinks Christmas is overpriced, overhyped, and overrated, and without any family to share it with, she feels sad, lonely and isolated. The “season for giving” is just a constant reminder that she’s single, sixty(ish), and staring down retirement. But not this Christmas. Determined to avoid the most magical time of the year, Eloise decides to spend Christmas in Honeycombe Bay. Surely a seaside village in the middle of winter won’t be too festive?

Ever since his wife passed away, Bartholomew Knott hasn’t felt up to welcoming visitors to his guest house. With the prospect of another long, lonely winter, and having become more Scrooge than Santa over the years, Bart is dreading Christmas. However, when he’s contacted by someone who dislikes decking the halls just as much as he does, Bart has the brilliant idea of opening the guest house to people who want to escape all things festive.

Christmas isn’t easy to ignore, though, not even in off-season Honeycombe Bay. So when fate forces Bart to give shelter to a single mother and child whose holiday has been devastated by a terrible fire, Eloise finds herself playing Mrs. Claus to Bart’s Santa—dragging the house’s other guest, a heartbroken teacher looking for a break during the holidays, into the action as well. But holiday cheer isn’t the only thing sparking under the mistletoe. Will the guests at Honeycombe Bay realize that, sometimes, the best way to escape Christmas is to let it into your heart?

Christmas at Honeycombe Bay by Lilac Mills Review

This book got to me in several ways because of its overarching theme of Christmas celebrations. I love Christmas, but my husband has never been one to overly care about anything Christmas. That makes it tough to feel like participating in even the simplest of decorations because he is very ambivalent to it all, especially with the kids grown and out of the house.

It’s also difficult for an author to write a Christmas story, especially a Christmas romance, when your characters are dealing with a range of issues and emotions regarding the holiday festivities.

The story is set in an idyllic and dreamy location, with the small town’s beauty shining through. But as in all wonderful Christmas romance stories, as the hearts start to thaw, the beauty of joyful giving and caring for other people shines through.

The plot of the story is engaging, and I loved watching the characters change and open up. A range of ages is included, but the main characters are much older with grown children. So watching that relationship develop was sweet, even with some tough emotions and feelings to move through. Mills created a heartwarming romance that is sure to delight all of your Christmas senses!

Christmas at Honeycombe Bay is perfect for readers who love clean romance, including mature adults, as they discover themselves, found family, a second chance at romance, and healing hearts.

4 STARS!!

Disclaimer: Affiliate links included. When you buy through links on my site, I may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review, but did receive a free ebook so she could evaluate and use it for this post. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest, and your opinions may differ.