BBNYA 2025 Finalist Spotlight: Christmas in Castleby by JM Simpson
In Castleby, the snow may fall softly, but beneath the glow of Christmas lights, old grudges and dangerous secrets refuse to stay buried.
Christmas in Castleby by JM Simpson is a Christmas romantic suspense novel that blends holiday atmosphere with secrets, danger, and unexpected romance in the small town of Castleby.
Christmas in Castleby by JM Simpson placed 11th in the 2025 Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA), a global competition celebrating outstanding indie fiction.
โจ Why This Book Stands Out
Set during the Christmas season, Christmas in Castleby blends holiday atmosphere with romantic suspense and a mystery rooted in the past. Small-town secrets, second chances, and rising danger make this story an intriguing addition to the Castleby series.
๐ About Christmas in Castleby
Christmas in Castleby - A christmas romantic suspense novel: A Christmas special of the Castleby series By JM Simpson
Series: The Castleby Series, #6
Published by Independently Published on November 1, 2024
Genres: Christmas, Suspense, Romance
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 282
When Tess Dutton arrives in Castleby to help in her sisterโs restaurant for the Christmas period her worst nightmare awaits. Tess finds her sister unconscious at the bottom of her stairs, and a restaurant fully booked until Christmas.
Ex-Navy chef Griffin Jones returns to his late motherโs house trying to put his past behind him. He canโt forgive himself for what he did, and someone from his past wonโt let him forget either.
Griffin steps in to help Tess in the restaurant, but he is haunted by his past. As he grows closer to Tess and their attraction blossoms, Tess receives a visit from an ex-lover, who wants to rekindle their romance.
Tess struggles when she finds out about Griffinโs past.
But heโs being persecuted.
And then Tessโs life is threatened.
Someone is so full of hate and so intent on revenge, that the only solution is to kill.
Revenge, betrayal, suspense and romance continue in this Christmas special of the Castleby series
View Christmas in Castleby on Goodreads
View Christmas in Castleby on StoryGraph
If this Christmas romantic suspense novel sounds like your kind of read, here's where to find it.
Where to Buy
View Christmas in Castleby on Amazon
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๐๏ธ Meet JM Simpson
About JM Simpson
Originally born in Essex, JM Simpson was predominantly raised in the West Country, enjoying a childhood in Devon and Cornwall, never far from a rugged coastline, sandy beach, or harbour.
Jo currently lives in Kent, with her two (occasionally stroppy) teenage daughters, her extremely long suffering husband and her two writing partners Max (who features as Brock in the series) and Merlin, both rescue Border Collieโs.
Joโs debut set of novels are the Castleby series, set in a coastal community and largely inspired by the plethora of time spent in and around the UKโs coastline, and the never ending visits to RNLI shops that her children insisted on with a regularity. The series seemed a natural progression and the fictional seaside town of Castleby grew with new people and new plotlines.
๐ About BBNYA
The Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is a yearly competition where book bloggers from around the world read and score books written by indie authors. From hundreds of submissions, a small group of finalists is selected, culminating in one overall winner.
The award celebrates the creativity and diversity of independent publishing while helping readers discover incredible books beyond the traditional publishing spotlight.
๐ BBNYA Website
๐ฆ @BBNYA_Official
๐ฌ @The_WriteReads
๐ More 2025 BBNYA Finalists
Explore more of my BBNYA 2025 finalist spotlights and reviews.
Speak the Ocean by Rebecca Enzor
The Yamanaka Factors by Jed Henson
๐ Closing Notes
Thank you to The Write Reads, BBNYA, and JM Simpson for allowing me to spotlight this finalist today.
Please consider congratulating the author in the comments or sharing this post with a fellow reader who enjoys discovering great indie books.
Have you read any of the BBNYA 2025 finalists yet? Let me know which ones caught your eye.
Thank you for visiting GinaRaeMitchell.com, where I love championing indie authors and stories worth discovering.
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I will put this on my list for possible reading during Christmas in July, Gina. I like romantic suspense and I like Christmas stories, so it sounds perfect.