The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis: Book News

If you’ve been scanning the holiday releases and feeling like you’ve seen the same story dressed up in different sweaters—meet-cute, cookie-baking montage, predictable third-act misunderstanding—The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis is the kind of curveball you’ll be relieved to catch.

This isn’t “just” a Christmas romance. It’s a genre-blending holiday novel that leans into mystery, grief, second chances, and the uncanny—the kind of story where the twinkle lights don’t erase the shadows… they make them flicker.

At the center is Courtney Winston, a Nashville accountant with a writer’s heart (and a deadline breathing down her neck). She’s nursing a broken heart, facing major manuscript revisions, and craving the kind of quiet that doesn’t exist in a crowded family Christmas. So she does what many of us fantasize about in December (until we remember laundry and responsibilities): she escapes to a secluded cabin in the Smoky Mountains to rewrite her book in peace.

Only peace, in this story, is complicated.

Because the cabin is near a ghost town. The lodge owner is enigmatic. The cook is warm but oddly watchful. A black cat comes and goes like it has appointments in other worlds. And the deeper Courtney settles in, the more it becomes clear: something is waiting in the woods—something old, intelligent, and not particularly impressed by human plans.

In other words, The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis arrives as a holiday read for anyone who likes their romance with teeth, their hope earned, and their Christmas stories threaded with supernatural unease.

What You Need to Know

Quick Summary

The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis follows a heartbroken writer who retreats to a remote Smoky Mountains cabin to meet a professional deadline—only to find mystery, romance, and paranormal danger wrapped inside a holiday setting.

Why This Book Is Getting Attention

It’s a holiday novel that doesn’t rely on predictable tropes
The setting (Smokies + ghost town energy) gives it a moody, atmospheric edge
It blends paranormal folklore, suspense, and romance without feeling messy
It’s built around second chances—romantically and personally

Key Takeaways

The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis is not a standard holiday romance—it’s paranormal, suspenseful, and emotionally grounded.
The book’s Smoky Mountain setting and ghost-town proximity add constant tension and atmosphere.
Courtney’s writing deadline creates an immediate, relatable pressure that keeps the story moving.
The romance is intertwined with mystery, which keeps the pacing sharp and the stakes real.
Readers who want a holiday book with depth, twistiness, and eerie folklore will likely enjoy this one.

What’s New: A Holiday Release That Leans Into the Supernatural

Holiday fiction tends to fall into familiar lanes—cozy romance, family drama, sentimental nostalgia, and the occasional tearjerker. Those books absolutely have their place. Sometimes that’s exactly what I want.

But some seasons? I’m in the mood for something that feels like Christmas night with the lights turned low: still warm, still hopeful… but with the sense that the world is bigger and stranger than we pretend.

That’s where The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis fits.

It reads like a holiday romance that wandered into the woods and came back with:

a mystery in its pocket,
a little folklore under its nails,
and a reminder that healing isn’t always gentle—it’s often brave.

Why It Matters: Holiday Fiction Is Expanding (And Readers Want Range)

The quiet shift happening in seasonal publishing is this: readers want holiday books that match their actual emotional range.

Not every December is pure joy. Not every Christmas comes with a neat bow. Some people are grieving. Some are burned out. Some are lonely. Some are rebuilding.

A holiday book that includes shadow doesn’t ruin the spirit—it often makes the hope feel more real.

The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis taps into that space by giving us:

a heroine who’s overwhelmed and emotionally raw,
a setting that feels isolating in the best and worst ways,
and a romance that grows alongside a mystery rather than replacing it.

It’s the kind of holiday novel that says: you can still find light—without pretending the dark isn’t there.

The Premise: A Deadline, a Cabin, and a Christmas That Refuses to Stay Simple

Courtney Winston is the kind of protagonist that feels immediately recognizable—especially if you’ve ever had a “responsible job” while secretly wanting your creative life to be the real one.

She’s an accountant in Nashville, but she’s also a writer trying to break through. And right now, her dream is stressed in two directions:

emotionally (she’s nursing heartbreak),
professionally (her agent needs pages, and revisions are bigger than she expected).

So when the pressure builds and the holiday noise feels like too much, Courtney opts out of the traditional family Christmas. She heads to a secluded cabin in the Smoky Mountains—specifically near the ghost town of Elkmont—to get her manuscript into shape and salvage her publishing opportunity.

That decision is the hinge of the story.

Because this book understands something important: isolation isn’t always peaceful. Sometimes it’s where the truth finally gets loud enough to hear.

Setting & Atmosphere: The Smokies as a Character

A lot of novels use location like wallpaper. Here, the Smoky Mountains feel like a living presence—beautiful, quiet, unpredictable, and thick with history.

The remote cabin isn’t just a cozy aesthetic. It’s a pressure cooker:

fewer distractions,
fewer escape routes,
more time alone with your thoughts,
and more vulnerability when something starts to feel… wrong.

The ghost town proximity adds an extra layer: the sense that time doesn’t move cleanly here, that old stories cling to the trees, and that “holiday cheer” doesn’t automatically banish what’s been buried.

If you love novels where place matters—where atmosphere tightens around the characters—this is one of the strongest draws.

Characters at the Center: Courtney, Peter, Mrs. Finn… and the Cat

Courtney Winston: A Relatable, Resilient Protagonist

Courtney’s conflict isn’t abstract. It’s the kind you can feel in your own chest:

creative pressure,
fear of failure,
heartbreak that won’t stay politely in the past,
and the exhausting need to prove yourself.

She’s not written as a flawless heroine who glides through tension. She’s human. She gets frustrated. She doubts. She wants control and realizes she doesn’t have it. That’s a big part of what makes her compelling.

And as a reader, I appreciated that the “writing deadline” isn’t just a plot prop. It shapes her decisions and keeps her stuck in the setting long enough for the story’s darker threads to tighten.

Peter Stoneridge: The Enigmatic Lodge Owner

Peter is the kind of character who immediately makes you ask questions—about his motives, his history, and what he’s not saying.

He isn’t introduced as a sparkling rom-com hero. There’s weight around him, and the book uses that uncertainty well. When romance develops in a story that also carries suspense, you want the love interest to feel like a real variable—not a guaranteed safe place.

Peter provides that tension.

Mrs. Finn: Comfort With a Side of Suspicion

Mrs. Finn is the warmth in the cold air—the cook who feels like home, the person who makes you believe the cabin could be a refuge.

And yet… she’s also “meddling” in the way that makes you wonder what she knows. In books like this, the characters who feel the most comforting can also be the ones holding crucial information.

That mix—endearing but slightly unreadable—is part of the fun.

The Black Cat: Not Just a Pet (And Readers Will Know Why)

If you’re a cat person, you already understand the vibe: cats don’t belong to you, they tolerate you.

In this story, the black cat drifting in and out of Courtney’s life feels like a quiet signal that the normal rules are not fully in charge here. The cat becomes part companion, part atmospheric cue, part “pay attention.”

I love when authors use an animal presence this way—especially in paranormal stories—because it gives the book a subtle, watchful energy.

Intertwining Threads: Mystery + Romance + Folklore

What makes The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis work is that it doesn’t stack genres like separate layers. It braids them.

The Mystery Thread

Courtney arrives for solitude, but the setting won’t allow a simple retreat narrative. There’s a gradual sense of:

things not lining up,
details that feel off,
tension that’s less “jump scare” and more “unease you can’t shake.”

And crucially, the story doesn’t rush. It lets curiosity build. It lets Courtney (and the reader) question what’s real and what’s fear.

The Romance Thread

Because this is also a romance, you’re getting emotional stakes beyond survival or discovery. Courtney’s heart isn’t only bruised by the past—she’s forced to decide what she’s willing to risk in the present.

The romantic development is threaded through:

trust-building,
vulnerability,
the slow realization that connection might be possible again,
and the more dangerous realization that connection might come with consequences.

The Folklore Thread: Perchta’s Shadow

The book’s inspiration from Austrian folklore—introducing Perchta—adds a layer that feels both specific and eerie. Folklore tends to be powerful in paranormal fiction because it arrives with rules, history, and symbolism baked in.

Even if you don’t know the folklore going in, you feel the presence of something old and structured—something that doesn’t care if it’s Christmas.

That contrast (holiday warmth vs. ancient unease) is exactly what makes this novel stand out.

What Makes This Holiday Paranormal Romance Different

A lot of holiday genre books try to earn their uniqueness through a gimmick. The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis earns it through tone and structure.

Here’s what I think sets it apart:

1) The stakes aren’t “cute”

There’s danger here. Not just emotional danger, but the sense of real risk. That keeps the pages turning.

2) The setting does heavy lifting

The Smokies + isolation + ghost town proximity create an atmosphere where paranormal elements feel believable.

3) The protagonist’s inner arc is the engine

Courtney’s story isn’t only about romance. It’s about self-reckoning—making peace with the past, deciding what she wants, and choosing how to move forward.

4) It respects the reader’s intelligence

Characters have motives. The tension doesn’t rely on contrived misunderstandings. The mystery is threaded with intention.

A Closer Look: Themes That Give the Story Weight

If you’re the kind of reader who loves a holiday book with more depth than sparkle, these themes will likely hit:

Second Chances (Without Pretending Healing Is Easy)

Courtney’s heart isn’t fixed by one magical moment. The book leans into the reality that healing takes:

time,
courage,
and the willingness to be open again.

Hope as a Choice, Not a Mood

Hope in this novel feels earned. It shows up through decisions, not vibes.

Solitude vs. Isolation

Courtney goes to the cabin for solitude—productive, restorative quiet—but the story explores what happens when solitude tips into something colder.

The Past Doesn’t Stay Buried

Both emotionally and paranormally, the past presses in. That pressure creates suspense, but it also gives the story meaning.

Who Should Read The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis?

This is the part I always wish more reviews included, because the best book in the world can still be the wrong book for your mood.

Read it if you like:

holiday stories with paranormal or folklore elements
romance that builds alongside mystery and suspense
moody, wintry settings and isolated cabins
stories about second chances that don’t feel cheesy
“something’s not right here” tension that escalates

Maybe skip it if you want:

a purely cozy, low-stress holiday romance
a story with no suspense or darker undertones
a light and fluffy December read

About the Author: Alexandrea Weis (In Brief)

Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is an award-winning author, screenwriter, advanced practice registered nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

That background matters, because it helps explain why her storytelling often feels layered—grounded in atmosphere, character, and a sense of place that’s more than just scenery.

She grew up around the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, which adds another interesting dimension: her scenes tend to feel visual, paced, and cinematic—especially in stories that blend suspense with emotion.

She is also a member of International Thriller Writers (ITW) and the Horror Writers Association (HWA), and she lives outside New Orleans with her husband, where she is a permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries and rescues orphaned and injured animals.

In short: she’s an author with one foot in the practical world and one foot in the uncanny—which is exactly the combination that often produces great paranormal fiction.

Reader Notes: What Stuck With Me

Even in a professional news-style spotlight, I think it’s fair to say this: I’ve read enough holiday books to know when one is just repainting the same outline.

The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis isn’t doing that.

What stayed with me was the feeling of stepping into a story where the holiday backdrop isn’t a guarantee of safety. The Christmas setting is there, yes—warmth, tradition, the yearning for comfort—but it doesn’t cancel out grief or fear. It sits beside them. That creates a more honest emotional palette.

And Courtney’s central dilemma—chasing a creative dream while carrying emotional bruises—felt quietly relatable. Even if you’re not an author, you know what it’s like to want something badly, to fear you’re not good enough, and to wish you could disappear somewhere quiet long enough to become yourself again.

This book takes that wish… and twists it.

Final Thoughts: A Holiday Book With Depth, Bite, and Heart

If you’re craving a seasonal read that feels fresh—something that acknowledges real-life complexity while still offering hope—The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis deserves a spot on your holiday TBR.

It’s a story about second chances, yes—but it’s also about what it costs to claim them. It’s romantic, but not simplistic. It’s festive, but not predictable. And it’s paranormal in a way that feels rooted in folklore rather than randomly “spooky.”

In a market crowded with holiday comfort reads, The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis stands out as a winter novel you can return to when you want your Christmas stories to be a little stranger, a little deeper, and a lot more unforgettable.

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