By: Carolyn Brown, Rochelle Alers, Hope Ramsay, A.J. Pine
“The Perfect Christmas” by Carolyn Brown
London Griffin is only temporarily helping out with the Longhorn Canyon Ranch. However, he has grown quite fond of the ranch and the nearby town, especially Dixie Boudreaux, and her daughter, Sally. Dixie has never had a good Christmas and she is forever grateful for the twist of fate that led her to Sunset, Texas. She enjoys spending time with London, but will this Christmas bring more than snow?
This is a very sweet story and I enjoyed the premise. It was too rushed, with some scenes being glazed over. It probably would have been better if I had read the rest of the series.
“A Christmas Cowboy at Heart” by A.J. Pine
What happens when your high school crush returns home, becomes mayor, and decides everything related to Christmas should be banished? Deputy Daniela Garcia is determined to make Peyton Cooper remember the importance of town traditions. She just prays he doesn’t remember her teenage embarrassment.
I absolutely loved this story. Every aspect of this novella felt full, and complete. The characters were relatable, the town was charming, and the ending wad satisfying. This is definitely a feel-good must read for the holiday season.
“Home for the Holidays” by Rochelle Alers
Iris Nelson just wants to own her own bakery, in the quiet town of Cavanaugh Island. She’s had the abusive ex-husband, therefore she is not interested in going down that road again. Collier Ward is home from his latest tour overseas, and hopes to surprise his sister and niece. What he doesn’t expect, is finding his sister’s best friend is the kind of woman to trigger dreams of a happy future. Will these two be able to put their pasts behind them? Or will this surprise connection fizzle before the first cool night?
How exciting to find a story set on a small-town island in South Carolina. I truly loved the realness of this story. When Collier reflects back on a previous homecoming, I could relate to what his mother said to him. I wished the story could have added an extra ten pages to the end, so it wasn’t quite as rushed. However, I will definitely be looking forward to reading more books by this author.
“Joy to the World” by Hope Ramsay
Brenda McMillan has experienced too much sadness in life, and this year is no different. She doesn’t wish ill-will on her small-town, she just wants to personally hide until the holidays are over. Dr. Jim Killough loves Christmas, the town, and helping those in need. His free-clinic is helps the islanders, and the clinic relies on the annual Christmas Gala for funding. Will he be able to convince the town grinch to help or will the clinic have to close their doors?
Another delightful surprise set in S. C. I really enjoyed the message of how important free clinics are, as well as how sometimes too much trauma, can consume a person. Both of the main characters are dynamic and portray different ways to handle life’s curveballs. The ending was slightly rushed, while the cozy town was filled with a lot of quirky characters. Readers’ hearts will definitely be on a journey with this story.
I found the overall book, very cute. It wasn’t exactly what I expected, but was surprised to find two stories set in S.C. I added two authors to my continue-to-read list. I enjoyed this escape into the holidays.
Notes:
I signed up to honestly review an advanced copy of this book.
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