Christmas in Chestnut Ridge

From Amazon's recap of the book:  

In the enchanting mountain town of Chestnut Ridge, where tree farms blanket the hillsides and the promise of a white Christmas is ever-present, a heartwarming holiday romance is about to blossom. When Sheila's best friend convinces her to help decorate a tree in the annual Christmas Tree Stroll fundraiser, she embarks on an unexpected journey of self-discovery, all wrapped in the cozy embrace of a tight-knit community. As she immerses herself in the joy of twinkling lights, hot cocoa, and the camaraderie of the townsfolk, Sheila's world begins to transform, and she finds the sense of belonging she never knew she needed.

Meanwhile, Tucker, the town's reliable fire captain, is gathering volunteers to help a family with four young children who have just lost their home to a devastating fire weeks before Christmas. Sheila offers her helping hand, and as the town rallies to support the family in their time of need, sparks of love begin to flicker between her and Tucker.

I enjoyed this novel--there were a lot of moving parts to the plot that kept the reader engaged and involved in the developments.  Nancy Naigle usually writes more substantial novels, but this one is just light enough for the season she is writing about.  It does follow the romance formula to a degree, but not in a hard-and-fast way.  This is a romance that creeps up slowly on the reader.  The other things happening in the book seem to take front and center stage, and when the romance shows up, it is a welcome addition to the plot. 

Definitely a four-star book. 

St Martin's Press provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Hope Like Wildflowers

 

From Amazon's product description

An Appalachian Girl Seeks a Place to Belong
 
Return to the mountains of 1910s Appalachia with beloved author Pepper Basham to discover Kizzie McAdams's story.

Kizzie McAdams spent her childhood longing to see beyond the mountains of home, but when her job as a servant in a landowner’s house results in an unplanned pregnancy, her world tips into uncertainty and heartbreak. Disowned by her father, she seeks comfort in the arms of the man who promises to take care of her, but his support is conditional and inconsistent. She finds acceptance in the home of a nearby family who not only offer Kizzie friendship but point her to a deeper understanding of God’s love.

Despite her change of heart, her status as a social outcast brings with it continued threats and alienation so she flees her past in hopes of starting over in a nearby town. But her new world carries many of the same prejudices as the old. It also brings the unexpected friendship of businessman Noah Lewis, a man who lives with the same desire as Kizzie for helping the marginalized.

Unfortunately, Kizzie and Noah’s attempts to help those in need pit them against Noah’s elder brother, a powerful mill owner who holds control of the family finances. Is Kizzie and Noah’s growing romance strong enough to battle family power, social expectations, and Kizzie’s past to capture their happy ending? And when Kizzie’s first love returns to claim her, which future will she choose? 

Pepper Basham has a way with pen and paper that wakes a reader up and gives the reader something to think about.  This book is no different.  She takes on a social problem and works it through the warp and woof of her novel, giving it a depth that a lot of novels don't have.  

This is a strong four star read. 

Barbour Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

The Christmas Tree Farm

From Amazon's description

 When Madison McDowell returns from several years teaching overseas, she has high hopes of picking up where she left off at her family's Christmas tree farm in Oregon. But between damage from a recent wildfire and the neglect due to her sister Addie's unwillingness to invest, the farm is in sad shape. In fact, Addie is intent on selling the property. And to top it off, her former high school flame, the now-widowed Gavin Thompson, has plans to break Madison's heart again by turning his neighboring property into a dusty, noisy dirt bike track for his daughter.

With the odds stacked against her, Madison decides there's only one thing to do: double down on her dreams. It will take a ton of hard work--and some help from an unlikely ally--to save the farm she so dearly loves. But it may take a miracle to restore her relationship with her sister.

It seems that many Melody Carlson novels and Rom-Com movies have one thing in common.  Someone is about to lose a farm and there's a hunky neighbor ready to save the day or at least lend an ear.  The same is true with this offering.  It's a fully enjoyable read that will fill an afternoon when the reader needs a break from the cares of daily life.  

Four Stars  

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

The Paris Gown

From the Amazon description of the book: 

Paris, 1955

Three friends—Claire, Gina, and Margot—who parted as very young women with their whole lives ahead of them, reunite in Paris years later, determined to start life anew.

Parisian Claire has been working hard to become a Michelin-starred chef one day, but ever since the heady time she spent in the company of socialites Gina and Margot, her dream has been to own a Dior gown. This seemed like a far-off fantasy, until the eccentric and wealthy Madame Vaughn, who lives above Claire’s family brasserie, abruptly leaves Paris, asking Claire to mind her apartment. More bafflingly, Madame Vaughn also makes Claire a very special gift: a stunning Dior gown.

Meanwhile Gina, a cool American blue blood, lands on Claire’s doorstep nursing a broken heart and a broken engagement after her father lost all of the family money in a risky business venture. A journalist aspiring to be a novelist, Gina has returned to Paris in the hopes of pursuing her dream. But when her father begs her to attend the United States Embassy ball in the hopes of persuading Hal Sanders, her former fiancé, to invest in her father’s new business venture, she is torn. She wants to help her father, but seeing Hal again will be exquisitely painful. And what on earth is she going to wear?

Warm-hearted Claire insists Gina wear the Dior gown to the ball, and after some hesitation, Gina accepts. At Dior for Gina’s fitting, who should assist them but Margot, the friend they thought had gone back to Australia to be married. But Margot is living in Paris and working at Dior under an assumed name, and clearly, she is not happy to have been found.

Is their close friendship at an end? Or will the wonder and delight of the Dior gown bring these young women back together?

Gorgeous, perfectly fitted, lustrous and luxurious, the Dior gown has the power to change lives—as these three remarkable women are about to discover…

Christine Wells has written a riveting novel that describes the lasting nature of friendship and how friends will give anything for friends.  Her characters are crisp and the settings are quaint.  There are faults and foibles to uncover, characters who will anger the reader, characters who will endear themselves to the reader, and overall this is a book worth reading.  

Four Strong Stars.

William Morrow provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

The Booklover's Library

This book seems to be a sequel to another book with the same kind of plot, but the two books were written by different authors.  In The Booklover's Library, Emma has to find a job even though she is barred from working because she has a child.  Her widowhood means nothing in this situation.  She tells the manageress of the subscription library that she does have a child, but she's running out of money and needs the work.  Because she and her father ran a bookshop, she is hired because she knows how to recommend books to the patrons.  

After her training, she is allowed to help B-list subscribers and has to move her way up to working with A-list subscribers.  She does an excellent job of working with the patrons and learning their idiosyncrasies.  Mr. Beard says he does not like mysteries, but that's all he'll read.  Mrs. Chatsworth comes in and talks incessantly but will read a wide variety of books. 

There is a mystery within the library where books are being mis-shelved.  No one knows who is making the mistakes but one of the assistants insists that it is one of the workers not paying attention.  Because this novel takes place during World War II, there are a lot of reasons for the books being out of place that wander through my mind. I laughed out loud when I found out the true cause.  I love that Madeline Martin worked that into her plot.  There is a bit of romance in the book, but it is not the over-arching topic.  The best part of the plot is the relationship between Emma and her daughter, Olivia.  Emma had a hard time allowing Olivia to go to the country for her own safety.  Olivia had just as hard a time leaving home and leaving Emma, to the point she ran away from where she was staying to go back to Emma.  

This is a five-star book with two thumbs up and a homemade jumper a size too small. 

Harlequin Trade Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.