This year, if Hadley wrote her dream Christmas list it would go something like this:
1. Spend every waking – and sleeping – moment with her incredibly gorgeous boyfriend, Will.
2. Figure out what’s been bugging him lately. Yes, going away to college has been tough… but it’s time they reconnected.
3. Enjoy a sparkling Christmas in New York City, gazing at the Rockefeller tree, going ice skating, and drinking steaming mugs of cocoa in Central Park.
So driving off to spend Christmas in a rustic cabin in the woods wasn’t exactly the plan. But when it comes to her irresistible and at times impossible boyfriend, nothing’s ever that simple. And as fantasies of an icy Times Square are replaced by a clumsily-decorated tree, making snowmen and the warmth of a log fire, Hadley feels herself falling in love all over again.
Except does Will have something to tell her that could change Hadley’s happily-ever-after Christmas dreams into a not-so-winter wonderland after all?
This Christmas
Katlyn Duncan
‘The epitome of a summertime read.’ Rather Be Reading on This Summer
‘Fans of sweet romances and light reads will flock to cheer on Hadley and Will’s romance blossom.’ Pretty Little Pages on This Summer
‘I definitely recommend This Summer if you are looking for a great romance but that’s not completely light and fuzzy. The writing is fantastic and the romance PERFECT <3’ Lose Time Reading
‘I really loved this book from the beginning to the very end. It was a book that you couldn’t put down because you wanted to see if this couple would ever get together and fall in love.’ 4.5 stars from Once Upon a Twilight on This Summer
‘This Summer really reminded me of Colleen Hoover’s Hopeless that I loved and even though it wasn’t as intense, the writing itself was incredible.’ Spiced Latte Reads
‘This Summer was a sweet best-friends romance with a large dose of drama. It is an ideal summer read.’ Rampant Readers
‘Katlyn Duncan’s YA debut, Soul Taken, is a thrilling ride that will leave you breathless for the next page, and curious to find the true soul we nurture within.’ Jennifer Murgia, author of the Angel Star series and Between These Lines
‘Wow! Talk about a completely unique concept with tons of new ideas, roles, and characters that took me on an exhilarating adventure.’ 4.5 stars from I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews on Soul Taken
‘Soul Taken is a BRILLIANT read! …This is one of those books to look out for.’ 5 stars from A Diary of a Book Addict
This Summer
The Life After Trilogy:
Soul Taken
Soul Possessed
Soul Betrayed
Contents
Praise
Book List
Four Days Until Christmas
Three Days Until Christmas
Two Days Until Christmas
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
Katlyn Duncan has been reading and writing since before she can remember; her earliest memories involve dragging her mom to the store to get the latest Goosebumps book. She earned two science degrees and currently works in the medical field. She spends her free time writing, reading, and renovating her Victorian “fixer upper” in southern New England with her husband.
I’m still riding my end-of-final-exams high when I reach Will’s doorstep. I pull out the spare key Will gave me after he signed the lease to his apartment days after he made the decision to come with me to Manhattan while I attended NYU, and it would only be a few more weeks until he started college for himself. The familiar twinge I’ve been ignoring the past few months pinches at my chest and I do my best to disregard it.
I open the door slowly, unsure if Will’s roommate and co-worker, Nathaniel, is in the nude again. Seeing him twice was enough for me. But the living room is dark with no sign of life. I close the door behind me and allow my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Nathaniel insisted on keeping the place like a cave with black curtains. On those rare Sunday mornings when I woke up in Will’s apartment, I could see the appeal. There was enough noise coming from outside the window; at least there was little light so we could pretend we didn’t sleep the day away.
I could navigate this place in the dark but, in an apartment with two boys, there were always booby traps on the floor. And I don’t feel like tripping over anything or waking up the grumpy downstairs neighbors. A pile of blankets is strewn across the couch, but I can’t make out a body underneath it.
“Nathaniel?” I whisper, but the pile of blankets doesn’t move. I’m inches away and poke at it with my finger, realizing it’s only blankets with no body underneath. He was probably watching TV—reality shows are his thing—and shuffled off to bed after the late shift.
A light from the galley kitchen around the corner catches my attention. Someone is in there. I hear the distinct pop of the milk jug cap. I smile to myself. Another thing I’ve learned about Will since we’ve been together is his love for milk at random points in the night, right out of the carton.
I slip past the couch and silently drop my purse on the coffee table, avoiding bowls and plates with various food cemented to them. I slowly tiptoe towards the kitchen. I imagine surprising my hopefully shirtless tousle-haired boyfriend who I haven’t properly seen in two weeks other than the random video chat in between studying for finals. That twinge pokes harder at me. Don’t kid yourself Hadley, it’s been longer than two weeks.
When I enter the kitchen, I don’t see the man I love shirtless. Instead I see the curve of lace black panties barely