Merry Little Things

Book Five in the popular new series!

A parallel book to This Good Thing, (Good Things Come Book 4)! A wintry holiday story with snow hacks, Christmas baking, a quick trip to Florida for a wedding, and… puppies! Can also be read as a standalone.

Of all the holidays, Emilie loves Christmas best— but this year will be different. Her parents have moved back to Montreal after reconciling with a grandparent she's never had a relationship with, and her sister plans to spend the holiday with her fiancé's family out west — which means Emilie might very well be alone on her favourite day of the year.

When a quick trip to Florida for her sister's wedding fails to have the desired side-effect — a prospective match of her own with the groom's younger brother — she returns to Ontario ready to make the most of the festive season. She takes a chance on a date with a guy she's been avoiding but, let's just say, she should have listened to her gut on that one.

If she keeps herself busy enough, she'll never have to admit she's afraid of her own company. She has the family farm to oversee, hours to fulfil for an internship, horses to school and a friend with a busy café to help. But when she takes on one too many things she's totally overwhelmed — until friends come to the rescue, and she learns she's not as alone as she thinks she is.

Bonus: includes a recipe for Nanaimo bars, a favourite Canadian treat.

Read the whole Good Things Come Series:

Bright, Broken Things (A Prequel, Good Things Come Book 0.5)

Good Things Come (Good Things Come Book 1)

All The Little Things (Good Things Come Book 2)

All Good Things (Good Things Come Book 3)

This Good Thing (Good Things Come Book 4)

Merry Little Things (Good Things Come Book 5)

Reviews for the Good Things Come Series:

“Shantz has written a fantastic debut novel set within the behind-the-scenes setting of the (Canadian) racing industry with backdrops of Woodbine and its Queen’s Plate, Churchill Downs…and Snowbird destinations like Gulfstream and Payson Park.” – Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

"Mixing together hope, heartbreak and romance, a dash of rivalry, and a great deal of excitement, Good Things Come delivers all the goods in terms of top-notch racing fiction. Set in the world of Canadian racing, the story is that of an intense young woman, a troubled young man, and the quirky but talented filly they both love. This is the first book written by an accomplished equine artist and former backside worker who knows her subject well and tells it with a master's hand." - Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award for excellence in Thoroughbred racing literature, finalist 2020.

"Good Things Come...delivers sure-footed racing realities, a deliciously slow-burn relationship, and a jock for the ages-all in vivid, evocative prose that belies the book's debut status." - Diana Hurlburt, Readers Up

"I’m so happy to have found an author whose knowledge of the world of horse racing is equaled by her ability to craft a really engaging story. What a gift!!" - Amazon Review

"Characters are unlike any others I’ve read about in equestrian fiction before." - Amazon Review

"This series is not just good - but GREAT." - Amazon Review

Perfect for readers of equestrian fiction such as The Eventing Series by Natalie Keller Reinert, Horse by Geraldine Brooks, The Horsewoman by James Patterson, Riders by Jilly Cooper, The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Sparks, or books by Sara Gruen (Water for Elephants, Riding Lessons, Flying Changes), Maeve Binchy, Nora Roberts as well as fans of equine non-fiction such as Monty Roberts (The Man Who Listens to Horses), Tik Maynard (In the Middle are the Horsemen), Denny Emerson (How Good Riders Get Good, Know Better to Do Better), Susan Richards (Chosen by a Horse) and lovers of Secretariat, Ruffian, Northern Dancer, Amercian Pharoah and Seabiscuit and Heartland.