The White Christmas Inn by Colleen Wright
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday
Published by Simon and Schuster on October 23, 2018
Format: Audio/eBook (288 pages) • Source: Scribd
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In this heartwarming, feel-good novel, a snowstorm brings a cast of very different characters together at a sleepy New England inn, just in time for Christmas—and maybe even in time for a Christmas miracle.
A New England inn seems like the picture-perfect place to spend the holidays. But when a snowstorm shuts the roads and keeps them all inside, the guests find themselves worrying that this Christmas may not be exactly what they dreamed of.
Molly just needs to keep her head down and finish her latest book, but her writer’s block is crippling. The arrival of Marcus, a handsome widower with two young girls, is exactly the distraction she doesn't need.
Hannah was hoping for a picturesque winter wedding, but her plans come crashing down when her fiancé calls everything off. She reconnects with her childhood friend, Luke, when he comes to check on his grandmother before the storm.
Jeanne and Tim don't know how they're going to keep the inn open another year—or how to bridge the distance between them in their marriage. With a flurry of unexpected guests, they'll have to work together to fix all the problems that crop up. But will it be enough to rekindle their relationship?
As the characters’ stories intertwine, they start to find hope where they thought it had been lost. With faith, and a little bit of Christmas magic, the inn—and its inhabitants—might just make it through the holidays after all.
Story
I really enjoyed this one, even more than I had hoped! The story is kind of a “slice of life” that takes place at a Vermont inn during the few days around Christmas. There were a lot of characters but I think there wasn’t TOO much detail about each of them, which ended up being a good thing. I was able to really just enjoy peeking in through the windows of this inn during the story. There was just enough backstory to feel invested in each of them.
Molly, a writer of children’s books, comes to the inn in the hopes she’ll be able to finish her next book. She meets Marcus and his two girls and quickly falls for the small family. Hannah, who was set to get married at the inn over the holiday period, is sent reeling when her fiance calls it off. She luckily has her parents and maid of honor with her, as well as a reunion with her childhood friend Luke, to get her thought the heartbreak. Jeanne and Tim are the owners of the inn and struggling, both in their marriage and with the business itself.
I loved reading about everyone’s different stories and the smaller side characters who come into play, like the grumpy British traveler and empty-nesters staying there too. Again, writing all of this further emphasizes how many characters and plotlines there are in such a short book, but it was really a nice quick snapshot of everyone’s lives during this time period.
Wintery Setting & Holiday Feels
UGH the perfect setting for a holiday story! The setting was wonderful – a snowy Vermont inn with wonderful Christmas decorations and a homey feel. The descriptions of being snowed in, the decor, the FOOD (omg)… all of it really set the stage for excellent holiday vibes. The story takes place in the day or two before Christmas and brings you right through the holiday. There were so many sweet moments as these characters got to know each other and come to terms with what their holiday looked like – for many people, it was something new and different.
Overall
Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this one. The audiobook was quite nice too if you’re considering that option. I read a little bit in both formats. Despite the many characters and plotlines, I wasn’t ever confused about who was who. If you’re looking for a super quick, last minute holiday read (both formats are on Scribd), I would really recommend this one. I adored the ending, even though it was utterly predictable.
I received this book for free (hey, thanks!) in exchange for an honest review. I promise that this does NOT affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. For real.
Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory Series: The Wedding Date #4
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday
Published by Penguin Random House on October 1, 2019
Also by this author: The Proposal, The Wedding Party
Format: eARC (304 pages) • Source: Publisher
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New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory makes her hardcover debut with a heartwarming Christmas romance.
Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie's work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can't refuse. She's excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn't expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain Private Secretary and his charming accent and unyielding formality.
Malcolm Hudson has been the Queen's Private Secretary for years and has never given a personal, private tour...until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling.
Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy fling come New Year's Day...or are they?
DNF Thoughts
I have to admit that I was a bit nervous for this one. I generally have LIKED this series (minus the first, which I have not read) but have never fallen in love with the writing or even the characters. Guillory’s books are such easy, quick reads, with some decent chemistry. I went into this one cautiously from early reviews and my own feelings in general.
I decided to put this one aside about 33% of the way in. The main reason is that it was just SO boring to me – the main characters were super polite and frankly lame to read about. I just decided I’d be wasting my time. There were so many pages about them riding horses and talking about horses and hanging out in stables that I lost so much interest. I’m not a fan of horses in general, which isn’t why I DNFed obviously, but it didn’t ADD any interest for me personally.
I was intrigued that the characters were older than others in this companion series, as it follows Vivian’s mom. But dang, just because they’re 50+ years old doesn’t mean they have to be boring! I’m sure the chemistry would’ve kicked up if there were some steamy times but there was absolutely nothing grabbing me about this story. Royal stories are hit or miss for me, so that wasn’t even a big enough draw.
Overall, I’m bummed. This series has been up and down, but mostly right in the mediocre middle for me. I don’t know why I can’t seem to quit adding Guillory’s books to my TBR though!
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