A Cross-Country Christmas by Courtney Walsh
💫🎤 Book Spotlight: A Cross-Country Christmas by Courtney Walsh
Genre: Contemporary Romance • Holiday Romance • Clean / No-Spice Romance
☕ Book Details & Rating
Format: Audiobook
Series: Standalone
Year Published: 2021
Page Count: 256
Rating: ☕☕☕☕☕ (5 Coffees!)
🥤 Coffee Pairing: Peppermint Mocha
While Lauren isn’t exactly a Christmas enthusiast, this pairing still fits her journey. The rich chocolate base reflects her grounded, practical nature, while the hint of peppermint adds a subtle seasonal note rather than full-on holiday cheer. It’s familiar, comforting, and just festive enough, much like Lauren herself as she slowly softens over the course of the story.
A quiet, steady sip for long drives, guarded hearts, and a Christmas season that sneaks up on you when you least expect it. ☕🚗🎄
About the Book
A Cross‑Country Christmas by Courtney Walsh follows Lauren, a woman who is practical, guarded, and decidedly not a fan of Christmas. When unexpected circumstances force her into a cross-country road trip just days before the holiday, she finds herself navigating long miles, uncomfortable proximity, and emotions she wasn’t prepared for.
What begins as a reluctant journey quickly turns into something more meaningful as Lauren is challenged to slow down, open up, and confront parts of herself she’s kept carefully walled off. Along the way, small moments, honest conversations, and shared experiences begin to reshape how she views love, family, and the season she’s spent years avoiding.
Warm without being overly sentimental, this story balances humor, heart, and emotional growth, making it perfect for readers who enjoy holiday romances that focus more on character development than constant festive cheer.
“Because he is a recipe for disaster. A literal recipe. Two cups of charm, three ounces of inappropriate flirting, and a dash of dimples make for a very, very broken heart.”
― Courtney Walsh, A Cross-Country Christmas
My Thoughts
This was a very well-done rom-com with some genuinely fun tropes: sibling’s best friend, forced proximity, opposites attract, and more. It was a fun ride from start to finish. I experienced this one as an audiobook and cannot recommend that format enough. It’s a dual POV with duet narration, and I loved that each narrator voiced their own character even when it wasn’t their POV. It was so much better than hearing a man attempt a female voice and vice versa, and it really brought the story to life.
Lauren is extremely type-A. She’s ultra-organized, goal-oriented, and thrives on having a plan. We learn that she hasn’t always been this way. After her parents’ intense divorce, structure became her way of maintaining control. She’s rigid about the things she can control, so when she agrees to drive cross-country with Will, who claims he has no plan at all, she spirals a bit. She’s also very guarded around him. After all, he was her biggest crush for years, until a college incident changed everything.
Will, on the other hand, is laid-back and go-with-the-flow. He lives in the moment with a grateful heart and has a positive outlook on life, but he also carries deep guilt from his past. He doesn’t believe he deserves the good things in his life now. Add to that the promise he made to his best friend, Lauren’s brother Spencer, that he would never go after Lauren, and the emotional tension is set.
One of the biggest highlights of this book is the banter. It’s cute, funny, and completely natural. Courtney Walsh does an amazing job showing Lauren and Will’s chemistry even when Lauren is doing everything in her power to keep her walls up. Their conversations are full of teasing and small, quiet moments that slowly build emotional connection, making their relationship feel believable long before either of them is willing to admit what’s happening.
The character development is steady and meaningful. At first, I almost thought it was lacking, but that’s not true at all. Lauren’s carefully built walls slowly start to melt as she learns to live in the moment from Will and eventually opens up about why she’s been so guarded. Will, in turn, learns that he’s been punishing himself for a past he’s already worked hard to overcome, and he begins to accept that he truly has changed.
“Nobody deserves forgiveness, Will. That’s the point. That’s what grace is.”
― Courtney Walsh, A Cross-Country Christmas
One of my favorite elements of this book is how strongly the theme of grace runs throughout the story. Will struggles to accept the grace that’s been offered to him time and time again. After dealing with alcohol issues and getting his life back on track, he still feels undeserving of the second chance he’s been given. Lauren, meanwhile, has to learn to extend grace to others. Despite being told repeatedly that Will has changed, she clings to who he was in college and holds past mistakes against him. It’s not until Will opens up about his past that she realizes how unfair she’s been.
Final Thoughts
A Cross-Country Christmas by Courtney Walsh is a charming, well-balanced rom-com that delivers on humor, heart, and meaningful growth. The chemistry between Lauren and Will shines through their witty banter and quiet moments just as much as through the bigger emotional beats. With strong themes of grace, forgiveness, and second chances, this story feels thoughtful without being heavy. Add in excellent audiobook narration, and this becomes an easy recommendation, especially for readers who enjoy character-driven romances that don’t rely on over-the-top holiday cheer.
