Grace & Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon: A Novel

by Matthew Norman

Overview

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?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593975053
Publisher:	Random House Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/14/2025
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.92(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

Matthew Norman lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife and two children and holds an MFA from George Mason University. His previous novels include Charm City Rocks, All Together Now, Last Couple Standing, We're All Damaged, and Domestic Violets.

Editorial Reviews

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. People can be so judgy if you giggle at widowers, but Grace and Henry were just too funny, and I unashamedly snorty laughed my way through their healing journey. I also ugly cried as they tenderly navigated the path to love. In short, I was a mess. As someone whose gallows humour knows no bounds, Grace was a woman after my own heart, and Henry was cuter even than Harry Styles—if you know you know. EVERYONE should read Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon. To my mind, this is a new holiday classic. Yippee Ki-Yay.”—Jenny Bayliss, author of Kiss Me at Christmas

“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

“Between the snappy dialogue, lovable characters, and pitch-perfect emotion, Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon is a delightful gem of absolute perfection. Literally only Scrooge couldn’t fall in love with this book.”—Allison Winn Scotch, bestselling author of The Rewind

“There’s an intimacy of thought in Matthew Norman’s books that creates the sense of feeling, as the reader, that you are understood and welcome, that you would also be cared for in the world of his characters. I didn’t just love Grace and Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon. I lived in it, and actively missed it as soon as I turned the last page.”—Allison Larkin, author of The People We Keep

“Norman balances sadness with hope to create a lovely romance that feels like it could fit into the best sort of holiday film. It’s impossible not to root for Grace and Henry, two immensely likable characters who deserve to find happiness. The Baltimore setting comes alive and the vibrant supporting characters make this one a joy to read. . . . A winning, bittersweet love story that has just as much hope as it does heartbreak.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 2025-07-04
Two people who recently lost their spouses bond through the magic of holiday movies.

Grace White’s husband, Tim, died of cancer, leaving her with a bar to run and two young children to raise. One thing she’s not interested in—finding a new guy. Everyone in her life, however, wants to set her up with every eligible man they know. Henry Adler’s wife, Brynn, died in a plane crash and he’s been sleepwalking through life ever since—avoiding the house where they lived and taking a forced “vacation” from his advertising job. But when their meddling mothers push the two of them together, they realize that maybe they can be partners in sadness—as Grace puts it, “We’re the only people who know what it’s like to be us.” After Henry tells Grace that he and Brynn always had a holiday movie marathon, one thing leads to another and soon Grace and Henry are watchingThe Family Stone together. They make their way through many of the classics, occasionally with Grace’s kids, as they slowly rebuild their lives and face their grief. But as they begin to rely more on each other, they have to ask themselves if they’re ready for second chances. Norman balances sadness with hope to create a lovely romance that feels like it could fit into the best sort of holiday film. It’s impossible not to root for Grace and Henry, two immensely likable characters who deserve to find happiness. The Baltimore setting comes alive and the vibrant supporting characters make this one a joy to read.

A winning, bittersweet love story that has just as much hope as it does heartbreak.

Kirkus Reviews