The Plight Before Christmas
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Audible Standard 30-day free trial
Buy Now for $23.93
-
Narrated by:
-
Joe Arden
-
Maxine Mitchell
-
Written by:
-
Kate Stewart
About this listen
Clark Griswold was onto something...at least with his annual holiday meltdown. And since the last three weeks of my life have been riddled with humbug—another breakup, a broken toe, an office promotion I deserved and didn’t get—I’m not at all in the mood to celebrate nor have the happ, happ, happiest Christmas EVER.
When Mom insisted that we all gather at my Grandparent’s ancient cabin for an old school family Christmas, I fully intended to get into the holiday spirit with the help of the three wise men, Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels, and Jim Beam. But those boys did absolutely nothing to offset the shock or temper the sting of seeing my EX on our doorstep the first day of our holiday soiree.
Apparently, Santa missed the memo, and this elf is pissed.
Stuck for a week with the man who obliterated my heart nearly two decades ago, I did the only thing I could do and put on my game face, thankful for the home advantage.
I knew better than to drink that last cup of eggnog. I knew better than to get tongue tangled beneath the mistletoe with the only man to ever break my heart. I knew better than to sleep with Satan’s wingman on the eve of the Lord’s birthday.
I could blame the nog. I could blame the deceitful light blue eyes, thick, angelic hair, and panty evaporating smirk…but mostly, I blame Eli because he always knew exactly which of my buttons to push.
I foolishly thought a family Christmas filled with nostalgia was going to turn my inner Scrooge around, but this year’s festivities went up in flames. Leave it to the ghost of my Christmas past to be the one to light the match.
Fa la la la la, la FML.
The Plight Before Christmas is a full-length, second-chance Christmas-themed romance and that's most definitely on Santa's NAUGHTY LIST!
©2021 Kate Stewart (P)2022 Podium AudioYou may also enjoy...
-
How My Neighbor Stole Christmas
- Written by: Meghan Quinn
- Narrated by: Vanessa Edwin, J.F. Harding, Robert Hatchet, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall133
-
Performance118
-
Story118
Living in a year around Christmas town has its drawbacks. The caroling, the decorations, the insanely cheery spirit, it never disappears. It's why I like to hibernate away in my cave - I mean housekeeping a healthy distance from the holly jolly spirits. And all was going according to plan until my nemesis, Storee Taylor, moved in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Without blinking, she turned my simple world into a real nightmare-before-Christmas, especially when she decided to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest - which she was determined to win.
-
-
New Holiday Fav!
- By Miss Elle on 2025-06-03
Written by: Meghan Quinn
-
Eating Her Christmas Cookies
- A Holiday Romantic Comedy (Frost Brothers, Book 1)
- Written by: Alina Jacobs
- Narrated by: Neva Navarre, Tim Paige
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall8
-
Performance8
-
Story8
In my perfect world, it would always be winter and never Christmas. I despise the holiday. I hate carols, shopping, and pretending to be a perfect family. I walked away from my family, or rather, they walked away from me. My heart is like ice. See it creeping up the walls. Oh, wait, no, that’s royal icing.
-
-
Good story idea but muddled execution
- By Dara on 2022-12-26
Written by: Alina Jacobs
-
Resting Scrooge Face
- A Short Story
- Written by: Meghan Quinn
- Narrated by: Carly Robins, Aaron Shedlock
- Length: 1 hr and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall12
-
Performance10
-
Story10
After a bad breakup, Nola wants nothing to do with Christmas, especially in her quaint hometown of Bright Harbor, Maine. Infuriatingly charming and cheery, Nola’s surroundings only worsen her sour mood. To make matters worse, Caleb, the boy who broke her heart years ago, is all grown up and still living in town. While doing her best to avoid him, Nola bumps into the local mailman, who gives her a mysterious letter. And when she finds that the writer is a fellow Scrooge, she can’t help but feel her spirit lifting.
-
-
So cute!
- By Naomie on 2025-12-16
Written by: Meghan Quinn
-
Holiday Romance
- Written by: Catherine Walsh
- Narrated by: Shelley Atkinson
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall20
-
Performance16
-
Story16
Molly and Andrew are just trying to get home to Ireland for the holidays when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight. As the snow falls over the city and over the heads of two friends who are sure they’re not meant to be together, the universe might just have a plan of its own.
-
-
hmm
- By ab on 2025-12-19
Written by: Catherine Walsh
-
Grim
- Written by: Joe Arden, D J Krimmer
- Narrated by: Maxine Mitchell, Andi Eloise, June DeBorahae, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall155
-
Performance149
-
Story149
I died, briefly. Then I came back. Now I’m determined to make the most of every minute I have left. Only problem is I’ve been saddled with supervision. Kane Deveraux is handsome, smug, and cold as a tombstone. So why does he make me feel something more powerful than death?
-
-
Breathtakingly, Heartbreakingly, Beautiful
- By RoseFunk on 2025-12-11
Written by: Joe Arden, and others
-
A Long Time Coming
- Written by: Meghan Quinn
- Narrated by: Erin Mallon, J.F. Harding
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall70
-
Performance61
-
Story61
With wedding planning underway and a short timeline, my best friend, Lia, has recruited me to help her battle the snarly beast that is Mrs. Beaver. Not scared at all, I accept the challenge as her man-in-waiting--aka, man of honor--and take matters into my own hands. The only problem is, with every second we draw closer to the wedding, I'm starting to see my best girl in a different light. She's always been beautiful to me, but now . . . I find myself staring a touch too long. My hand lingering for one more minute. And when she's upset? Allowing her to sleep in my bed.
-
-
🔥👫
- By @haylingbookstorm on 2025-02-19
Written by: Meghan Quinn
-
How My Neighbor Stole Christmas
- Written by: Meghan Quinn
- Narrated by: Vanessa Edwin, J.F. Harding, Robert Hatchet, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall133
-
Performance118
-
Story118
Living in a year around Christmas town has its drawbacks. The caroling, the decorations, the insanely cheery spirit, it never disappears. It's why I like to hibernate away in my cave - I mean housekeeping a healthy distance from the holly jolly spirits. And all was going according to plan until my nemesis, Storee Taylor, moved in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Without blinking, she turned my simple world into a real nightmare-before-Christmas, especially when she decided to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest - which she was determined to win.
-
-
New Holiday Fav!
- By Miss Elle on 2025-06-03
Written by: Meghan Quinn
-
Eating Her Christmas Cookies
- A Holiday Romantic Comedy (Frost Brothers, Book 1)
- Written by: Alina Jacobs
- Narrated by: Neva Navarre, Tim Paige
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall8
-
Performance8
-
Story8
In my perfect world, it would always be winter and never Christmas. I despise the holiday. I hate carols, shopping, and pretending to be a perfect family. I walked away from my family, or rather, they walked away from me. My heart is like ice. See it creeping up the walls. Oh, wait, no, that’s royal icing.
-
-
Good story idea but muddled execution
- By Dara on 2022-12-26
Written by: Alina Jacobs
-
Resting Scrooge Face
- A Short Story
- Written by: Meghan Quinn
- Narrated by: Carly Robins, Aaron Shedlock
- Length: 1 hr and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall12
-
Performance10
-
Story10
After a bad breakup, Nola wants nothing to do with Christmas, especially in her quaint hometown of Bright Harbor, Maine. Infuriatingly charming and cheery, Nola’s surroundings only worsen her sour mood. To make matters worse, Caleb, the boy who broke her heart years ago, is all grown up and still living in town. While doing her best to avoid him, Nola bumps into the local mailman, who gives her a mysterious letter. And when she finds that the writer is a fellow Scrooge, she can’t help but feel her spirit lifting.
-
-
So cute!
- By Naomie on 2025-12-16
Written by: Meghan Quinn
-
Holiday Romance
- Written by: Catherine Walsh
- Narrated by: Shelley Atkinson
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall20
-
Performance16
-
Story16
Molly and Andrew are just trying to get home to Ireland for the holidays when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight. As the snow falls over the city and over the heads of two friends who are sure they’re not meant to be together, the universe might just have a plan of its own.
-
-
hmm
- By ab on 2025-12-19
Written by: Catherine Walsh
-
Grim
- Written by: Joe Arden, D J Krimmer
- Narrated by: Maxine Mitchell, Andi Eloise, June DeBorahae, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall155
-
Performance149
-
Story149
I died, briefly. Then I came back. Now I’m determined to make the most of every minute I have left. Only problem is I’ve been saddled with supervision. Kane Deveraux is handsome, smug, and cold as a tombstone. So why does he make me feel something more powerful than death?
-
-
Breathtakingly, Heartbreakingly, Beautiful
- By RoseFunk on 2025-12-11
Written by: Joe Arden, and others
-
A Long Time Coming
- Written by: Meghan Quinn
- Narrated by: Erin Mallon, J.F. Harding
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall70
-
Performance61
-
Story61
With wedding planning underway and a short timeline, my best friend, Lia, has recruited me to help her battle the snarly beast that is Mrs. Beaver. Not scared at all, I accept the challenge as her man-in-waiting--aka, man of honor--and take matters into my own hands. The only problem is, with every second we draw closer to the wedding, I'm starting to see my best girl in a different light. She's always been beautiful to me, but now . . . I find myself staring a touch too long. My hand lingering for one more minute. And when she's upset? Allowing her to sleep in my bed.
-
-
🔥👫
- By @haylingbookstorm on 2025-02-19
Written by: Meghan Quinn
-
Sinners Retreat
- Written by: Lauren Biel
- Narrated by: Angelina Rocca, Shane East, Alexis Paige, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall23
-
Performance22
-
Story22
Love isn't on my mind when I sign up for the yearly Sinners Retreat, but a chance meeting at the airport changes everything. We click right away, and my bond with Kindra only deepens when we discover our mutual love for the most macabre hobbies. But then she brings up her brother's unsolved murder and her real reason for being here—to find his killer. That's when my past finally catches up with me, and I'm faced with an impossible choice.
-
-
The Pineapple!!!! hahahahah
- By Carling on 2025-07-05
Written by: Lauren Biel
-
How the Grump Saved Christmas
- Written by: Claire Kingsley
- Narrated by: Stephen Dexter, Samantha Brentmoor
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall6
-
Performance5
-
Story5
Hardworking Isabelle Cook has a serious problem. Her family farm, site of Tilikum’s Christmas Village, is in trouble. Big trouble. And worst of all? The man trying to buy it is none other than the grumpiest, grinchiest man of them all—Elias Stoneheart.
-
-
Better than a hallmark movie!!!
- By Frances on 2022-11-22
Written by: Claire Kingsley
-
One Last Rainy Day: The Legacy of a Prince
- The Ravenhood Legacy, Book 1
- Written by: Kate Stewart
- Narrated by: Joe Arden, Maxine Mitchell
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall114
-
Performance106
-
Story106
Once upon a time… there lived a man with a vengeance-filled heart that held too many secrets and a woman, pure of soul, intent on uncovering them. What they failed to realize is that through the storm their love would create, a legacy would be born.
-
-
A beautifully written, and deeply touching character study.
- By T.K.B on 2026-03-04
Written by: Kate Stewart
-
Big Nick Energy
- A Season of Revenge Series Standalone
- Written by: Morgan Elizabeth
- Narrated by: Savannah Peachwood, Jeremy York
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3
-
Performance3
-
Story3
When Connor Finch insists his one-time Tinder match Shae comes to his dad's house for Thanksgiving with her two daughters, it's because he refuses to let them be alone on her first holiday post-divorce. When she arrives at the Christmas tree farm and ranch he grew up on, she meets his father—the crazy tall, built, golden retriever cowboy who tells her girls all about the magic of the stupid elf on a shelf.
-
-
🎄🐎
- By @haylingbookstorm on 2025-01-03
Written by: Morgan Elizabeth
-
The Christmas Fix
- Written by: Lucy Score
- Narrated by: Natalie Duke
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall23
-
Performance22
-
Story22
When a late season hurricane hits Merry, Connecticut, city manager and single dad Noah Yates has to inform the already devastated residents that there won't be a Christmas Festival this year. No festival means no tourism dollars. A disaster of epic proportions for his hometown. But when home renovation expert slash smoking hot reality TV star Catalina King shows up with a camera crew and a budget big enough to put the town back together again, Noah balks. Hard. The last time Cat was in town she stirred up trouble everywhere she went.
-
-
Slow moving feel-good book
- By Dara on 2022-12-22
Written by: Lucy Score
-
Unhinged
- A Dark Why-Choose Romance (Dance with My Demons, Book 1)
- Written by: Steph Macca
- Narrated by: Marie Hawkins, Joe Arden, Corvin King, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall138
-
Performance122
-
Story122
Welcome to the Lilydale Foundation Center... home of second chances. At least, that's what they tell us it is. It's basically a glorified prison and asylum for the deranged with good alibis. When the police pulled me out of my burning home, along with what was left of my Father, I was deemed broken — even if I was the reason the fire started. So, here I am at my new home. They think they can save us with their fancy facility. But what insane person decided it was a good idea to put a bunch of young, unhinged people together?
-
-
Great listen
- By Amazon Customer on 2025-11-20
Written by: Steph Macca
-
Lovelight Farms
- Written by: B.K. Borison
- Narrated by: Pippa Jayne
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall34
-
Performance29
-
Story29
A pasture of dead trees, a hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons, and shipments that have mysteriously gone missing—Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom’s dreams. In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since she was a kid, she enters a contest with instafamous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, she might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There’s just one problem.
-
-
Book not matching to the audiobook
- By Charla on 2025-12-28
Written by: B.K. Borison
-
The Boyfriend Goal
- Love and Hockey, Book 1
- Written by: Lauren Blakely
- Narrated by: Erin Mallon, Connor Crais
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall22
-
Performance14
-
Story14
A forbidden romance with my brother’s hockey teammate wasn’t on my to-do list when I moved across the country… Neither was getting locked out of a friend’s place wearing next to nothing. Or spending the night with the sexy stranger who rescues me. But I’m trying to get out of my comfort zone so getting out of the rest of my clothes with him seems like a good way to start. In the morning, I learn the filthy-mouthed man with the talented hands is not only the hotshot new hockey player on my brother’s team: he’s also–wait for it–my brand new roommate.
-
-
Had me.. then lost me
- By Nicole Christine on 2025-08-30
Written by: Lauren Blakely
-
Wild Love
- Rose Hill, Book 1
- Written by: Elsie Silver
- Narrated by: Zachary Webber, Vanessa Edwin
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall185
-
Performance149
-
Story149
Rosie Belmont has been driving me wild for years. The good kind of wild. The bad kind of wild. But mostly the kind of wild that comes with wanting your best friend’s little sister and knowing you can’t have her. After living in the city, she comes blasting back into Rose Hill like a storm. Beautiful, messy, and chaotic. And one wide-eyed desperate plea for a job is all it takes for me to hire her.
-
-
Excellent book
- By Nikki C on 2024-10-25
Written by: Elsie Silver
-
Drive
- Bittersweet Symphony Duet, Book 1
- Written by: Kate Stewart
- Narrated by: Wen Ross, Kai Kennicott
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall62
-
Performance57
-
Story57
The average song is three and a half minutes long; those three and a half minutes could lead to a slow blink, a glimpse of the past, or catapult the soul into heart-shattering nostalgia. At the height of my career, I had the life I wanted, the life I’d always envisioned. I’d found my tempo, my rhythm. Then I received a phone call that left me off key. You see, my favorite songs had a way of playing simultaneously. I was in love with one man’s beats and another’s lyrics. But when it came to the soundtrack of a life, how could anyone choose a favorite song?
-
-
A rollercoaster I never wanted to get off
- By Victoria on 2026-03-03
Written by: Kate Stewart
-
Kiss and Don't Tell
- Written by: Meghan Quinn
- Narrated by: Jason Clarke, Vanessa Edwin
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall77
-
Performance67
-
Story67
Five hockey players, a cabin in the woods...and little old me, Winnie Berlin. Sounds like the start of a fantasy, right? But it's not. It's my reality. It all started when I got lost in the middle of the Canadian Rockies. A wicked thunderstorm sent my car mud sliding into a ditch, and for a girl whose survival skills involve finding the nearest Starbucks, I was in deep trouble. Forced to abandon my car in search of help, I stumbled upon a cabin in the middle of nowhere.
-
-
Good start to series
- By Stephanie Anderson on 2025-04-10
Written by: Meghan Quinn
-
Under the Mistletoe
- Spice Up the Holidays with Five Short Stories (Under the Mistletoe Collection)
- Written by: Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, Olivia Dade, and others
- Narrated by: Vivienne LaRue, Summer Morton, Connor Crais, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall10
-
Performance8
-
Story8
Curl up by the fire with some of today’s hottest authors as they serve up enough holiday sweetness and sizzling spice to melt the frostiest heart. As the temperature drops, friends and neighbors might need to turn up the heat, and even old enemies just might get a second chance. Get ready to tingle all the way ...
-
-
Terrible
- By Leah on 2024-12-24
Written by: Ali Hazelwood, and others
Continue the series
Amazing as always!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This was the second romance of all second chance romances...and when Whitney finally heard why Eli did things the way he did it was so unexpected.
The best second chance holiday Romance
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I laughed and I cried
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Entertaining
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
the story is very well written. Kate Stewart is my fav. author, and she never failed to make me sad, happy, and giddy in every book she wrote!
The Plight Before Christmas is about experiencing first love, first heartbreak & forgiveness.
I HIGHLY DOUBT THIS BOOK!!
BEST CHRISTMAS-ROMACE BOOK TO READ AND LISTEN!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.