Matthew Norman
At a glance
A sentimental advertising creative and a blunt, no-nonsense bar owner find a second chance at love while binge-watching iconic holiday movies in this poignant and heartwarming romance, from the author of Charm City Rocks and All Together Now.
The new year had barely begun when Grace White and Henry Adler both lost their spouses. Now, nearly a year later, the first holiday season since their “Great and Terrible Sadnesses” approaches. Although their mothers scheme to matchmake the two surviving spouses, it’s clear that neither is ready to date again. Yet no one understands what they are going through better than each other, and a delicate friendship is born.
When Henry sees an ad for a Christmas movie marathon—once an annual tradition for him and his wife—Grace offers to watch some films with him, despite her aversion to a few of his picks. Her two young kids, Ian and Bella, also join in whenever possible—bedtimes permitting, of course.
With each movie, Grace and Henry’s shared grief eases as they start to see a life beyond the sadness. But as they draw closer, other romantic possibilities leave them uncertain about their future together. Is their bond merely the result of loneliness and shared circumstances, or have they found something that’s worth taking a shot at… again?
"Hands down, one of the best rom-coms I’ve ever read. No one can make me laugh (and cry) quite like Matthew Norman, and I know I’ll be re-reading this warm hug of a book every holiday season for years to come."
- Colleen Oakley, USA Today bestselling author of The Invisible Husband of Frick Island
"I loved this book! Grief is not generally synonymous with a barrel of laughs, but Matthew Norman beautifully weaves the poignancy of loss with the hilarious, often ridiculous side of human nature, and I am here for all of it. I unashamedly snorty laughed my way through their healing journey."
- Jenny Bayliss, author of Kiss Me at Christmas
"In Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon, Norman ups the ante by infusing this sweet story with ample holiday movie references. And the dog in this book is named Harry Styles, which makes it an absolute must-read."
- Country Living
All things considered, I’m doing okay. I get that that sounds like something someone says when they’re not doing okay. I also get that “all things considered” is putting in some real work there because I’m still wearing the black dress I wore to my husband’s funeral this morning. But seriously. For real. I’m doing okay.
It started to snow right at the end of the ceremony. It’s been weirdly warm in Baltimore since Christmas, so the flakes melted the second they hit the ground, putting a reflective sheen on everything, including the coffin.
I couldn’t help thinking that my husband would’ve been psyched about the way the wood grain glistened in the late-morning light. Tim chose a coffin with a chocolatey-brown finish because it perfectly matched the desk in his office at school, and because—his words here—“It just looks classy, Gracey.”
He said this a month ago. We were having one of his “When I’m Gone” strategy sessions in the TV room. “It’s morbid, I know,” he said, showing me the image on his iPad. “But a coffin’s gotta look like something, right? Mine might as well look classy.”
My husband. My former husband? My dead husband?
Here’s something I’ve noticed: There’s no good way to describe...
“Christmas is coming,” Charlie Brown says in his titular Christmas film, “but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel.”
Well, neither do Grace and Henry, who are each celebrating their first Christmas after the death of a beloved spouse. A heartbreaking premise, but Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon is nonetheless brimming with humour and charm—and did we mention it includes a dog, delightfully named Harry Styles? Even when dealing directly with death and mourning, the prose remains funny and light, full of sharp observations: “Isn’t that what we sign up for when we get married,” Grace says, “a down payment on heartbreak?” Plus, the love story is structured around a list of beloved holiday movies (which Grace and Henry diligently watch together), wrapping up the narrative like a shiny red bow on a Christmas present.
The love story between Grace and Henry is tender and caring, a slow burn with plenty of clever banter to keep things interesting. Though it initially seems like a bad idea—“like two alcoholics hooking up,” Grace quips—they first become friends, then fall for each other over a series of adorable holiday movie dates. If you like books about friendship, healing after trauma, and picking apart all the problematic moments in Love, Actually, then this one’s for you.
1/5 low spice level.
