A Quilt for Christmas

 

MELODY CARLSON

Stats for my copy: Hardback, Revell, 2022.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First line: Vera Swanson used to love Christmas.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I always enjoy Melody Carlson’s Christmas novellas, and this one was no exception. Vera is a widow, who sold her house and downsized to move into a condo near her daughter and her family, and then her daughter’s family has to move out of state when her husband is transferred by his employer. Now Vera lives in this new town where she doesn’t know anyone and has not made any friends. Until she meets little Fiona from across the hall, and suddenly her life becomes very busy and full.

I loved the relationship that developed between Vera and Fiona, as well as Fiona’s brother and sister. It was never labeled as such, but in my eyes Vera became a surrogate grandmother to the kids. Children bring such purpose to your life, and thanks to Fiona, Vera got out of her condo and started meeting people and making friends, as they formed a thrown together quilting group to make a quilt for Fiona’s mother.

The members of the group are all as different from each other as night and day. None of them have experience quilting, so Vera is also cast in the role of teacher and leader. I’ve never sewn, beyond fixing a hem or sewing up a torn seam on a stuffed animal, but I’ve always thought if I did sew I would want to learn to quilt.

There is some friction in the group, as one of the members is haughty and disdainful. Vera worries at times that having Eleanor in the group will bring down morale and pull the group apart. But everyone has a story, and when she finally learns Eleanor’s, it’s heartbreaking. Eleanor’s turnaround was a bit hasty, and seemed to happen very quickly and out of the blue, but then again, it’s a novella, so there isn’t time to drag things out.

This is a fairly quick and easy read, full of Christmas spirit and friendship, plus a romance for one of the members. A great addition to Ms. Carlson’s annual holiday novellas.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and have voluntarily reviewed it*

Goodreads Synopsis: Christmas should be celebrated with family. But for Vera Swanson, that's not an option this year. Widowed and recently relocated, she is lonely in her condo-for-one--until little Fiona Albright knocks on her door needing help. With her mother seriously ill and her father out of town, Fiona enlists Vera's help, and when she finds out her new neighbor is a quilter, she has a special request--a Christmas quilt for Mama.

Vera will have to get a ragtag group of women together in order to fulfill the request. Between free-spirited artist Tasha, chatty empty nester Beverly, retired therapist Eleanor, and herself, Vera has hopes that Christmas for the Albright family will be merry, after all--and she may find herself a new family of friends along the way.

Looking for Leroy

 

MELODY CARLSON

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2022.

How acquired: From the publisher via Revell Reads.

First line: “Hey, if you want to believe in fairy-tale endings, go for it.”

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I’ve previously read four books by Melody Carlson, but this is the first one I’ve read that was not Christmas themed. I didn’t even read the synopsis first, I saw her name, and loved the gorgeous cover, and that was all I needed to know.

I think one reason her books appeal to me is they aren’t always about young twenty-somethings. Brynna and Leroy are closer to my age. Not that I don’t mind reading about younger characters, but I guess I just appreciate a good romance with characters a little easier for me to relate to.

Brynna and Leroy had met at a summer camp the summer before college. They spent all their time together, and after camp was over they wrote letters. Until Brynna wrote Leroy that she wasn’t going to write to him again. Now, some thirty years later, Brynna is an elementary school teacher, and divorced. One of her colleagues has planned a camping trip, and talks Brynna into joining her. Where do they end up the first night? At the same camp where Brynna met Leroy. As those memories come back she tells her friend, Jan, and Mike, who they meet at the camp, about Leroy, and Jan and Mike decide that Brynna needs to look for him.

Throughout the entire book, I pictured Leroy as Mark Harmon. You know, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. (From NCIS, for those of you who don’t know.) He’s a widower now, running the family vineyard with two of his daughters and his son-in-law. The story really got going when Brynna arrived at the vineyard, and found herself agreeing to take a job in the office, as Bree. That whole situation was almost a little ridiculous, but I still loved it. And loved Sophie, the daughter who hires her. They develop a wonderful friendship, and watching that happen was heartwarming. Since Brynna used her nickname with Sophie, and still carries her married name, Leroy, having only seen her from a distance so far, has no idea who she really is. It was amusing watching Brynna avoid him, though I began to wonder if their paths would ever actually cross!

Brynna and Leroy were both wonderfully written characters, as were Leroy’s daughters, especially Sophie. I saw a couple of reviews that described Brynna as being easily led or not having a mind of her own, but I disagree. Yes, her friends did push her into searching for Leroy, and pushed her not to give up, but when she truly did want to just give up, they supported her. And then she doesn’t give up, and I think she was actually very courageous to stay at the vineyard in the office job and face Leroy. If I were in her position, I don’t think I would have had the guts. Actually, I don’t think Jan could have even talked me into going on the camping trip with her in the first place!

The ending was, of course, a little predictable, as well as a bit abrupt, but the journey there is what matters, and it was an immensely enjoyable journey.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and have voluntarily reviewed it*

Synopsis from Goodreads: It's official: Brynna Phillips is done with men. They only break your heart. But just when she makes this declaration, her friend Jan convinces Brynna to join her on a camping vacation in Sonoma Wine Country. As they wind their way toward their destination, spanking-new mini camper in tow, Brynna recalls her teenage camp romance with a boy named Leroy. How can it have been nearly 30 years ago? All she remembers is that Leroy was a genuinely good guy and that his family owned a vineyard--in Sonoma. She doesn't even remember his last name. Jan insists they look for him, and the search begins.

Beyond the slim chance they'd ever be able to find him are questions that have haunted Brynna for decades, including What is the point of digging up the past? and Can Leroy ever forgive me for losing touch?

Bestselling author Melody Carlson invites you on a trip to rediscover the carefree days of youth and, just maybe, to get a second chance at love.

A Christmas in the Alps

 

MELODY CARLSON

Stats for my copy: Hardback, Revell, 2021.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First lines: Simone Winthrop knew all about loss.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: I’ve previously read three of Melody Carlson’s Christmas books, and loved all of them, but this one just didn’t quite live up to those others for me.

While cleaning out her deceased grandmother’s home, Simone finds a letter addressed to her, from her great-grandmother, who shared her name. The letter tells Simone that her great-grandmother left a treasure behind when she fled France, and beseeches Simone to retrieve it, but does not say what the treasure is. After some pushing from her best friend, Simone, who is terrified of flying, finds herself on a plane to France.

I did enjoy the first part of the book. Kyle is Simone’s seatmate on the plane, and when she starts to have a panic attack he talks her down and helps her get over the worst of it. I liked Simone and Kyle well enough, though I didn’t really feel any chemistry between them. I loved their conversations and how thoughtful Kyle was, and when Simone learned that they had different destinations and would be parting company at a layover, I was just as disappointed as she was. But they make tentative plans to meet again in Paris, and Simone continues her journey alone.

Once Simone arrives in Avre, the little town where her great-grand-mother grew up, I became less enchanted. I think a part of that was due to the fact that Simone was not very fluent in French, and from that point on there was much less actual dialogue. Instead, it was the author telling us that, for instance, Tante Estelle spoke very rapidly in French, to fast for Simone to follow along, and then Noel, who was acting as an interpreter for her, explained to her that the older woman said this or that. It was just narration.

Speaking of Noel, I really liked him. He and his mother owned the inn where Simone was staying. He obviously had a little crush on Simone, and went out of his way to help her get around and meet people and interpret for her when she was unable to keep up with a conversation. I knew from the synopsis that Kyle was the male protagonist, but I wouldn’t have minded at all if Simone had fallen for Noel instead.

Unfortunately, the story just lagged a bit for me from that point on. I enjoyed the scenes where Simone was just spending time with Noel or Kyle, but her search for the unknown treasure and her interactions with her French relatives weren’t as engaging to me. Despite that, I did still love the author’s writing, and her descriptions of Paris through Simone’s eyes, and of the little town of Avre and the home where Simone’s great-aunt still lived. And I’m still keeping an eye out for books from the author’s backlist and looking forward to more of her Christmas novels.

Synopsis from Goodreads: After a time of heartache and loss, Simone Winthrop discovers a tantalizing letter from her French great-grandmother, which seems to suggest that she is heir to a family treasure. Ever practical, Simone assumes the claim is baseless, but her best friend encourages her to find out for sure. Despite her deep-rooted fear of flying, Simone boards a jet to travel to Paris at Christmastime to uncover the truth.

During the long flight, Simone meets the charming Kyle Larsson, who's on his way to France to become an apprentice clockmaker. Though they abruptly part ways, an unexpected rendezvous in the French Alps at Simone's family's clock factory may lead to the discovery of the family treasure . . . and so much more.

For anyone who is wearying of staying home, Melody Carlson invites you to spend Christmas with her in the beautiful French Alps this year. So pull on your mittens, tie your scarf tight, and prepare yourself for a magical mountain holiday.

The Christmas Swap

MELODY CARLSON

Stats for my copy: Hardback, Revell, 2020. 

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program - received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed.

First line: Emma Daley had always loved Christmas as a child, but...not so much as an adult. 

(For the Goodreads synopsis, scroll to the bottom of this post.)

My thoughts: Emma spends every Christmas with her best friend and her family, but this year she's looking forward to spending the holiday in her own home. Except Gillian's family have planned a house swap with someone in Colorado and, expecting Emma to be with them as she is every year, Gillian's parents have already bought her plane ticket. Emma reluctantly gives in and joins the trip to Colorado. Quite a change from Arizona! 

West isn't happy that his mother and stepfather planned a house swap with someone in Arizona, turning HIS house over to the visitors. On the way to the airport he realizes he left a briefcase with his music in it, laying out in plain sight on the dining room table. Not wanting the visitors getting into it, he goes back home to get it. When Gillian sees him, she mistakes him for the caretaker, and the shenanigans begin. West is actually a very well known song writer, and it's hard to know if a woman likes him for himself or for who he is. But to Emma and the others, he's just a caretaker, and he relishes that anonymity. 

I loved both Emma and West. Now that Emma is in Colorado she's completely enchanted by all the snow and the thought of learning to ski. When West offers to give her lessons, she agrees, though she also worries that he'll get in trouble with the homeowner for shirking his duties to go skiing with her. For his part, West is immediately enamored of Emma, and keeps putting off getting another flight to join his own family in Arizona. 

I personally do not care for snow or cold weather, but I do love reading about it, although I feel like I now know more about skiing than I ever thought I would want to know! The immediate friendship between West and Emma was delightful, and I loved their interactions. For best friends Emma and Gillian could not be any different. Gillian's family is rich, and she's spoiled and arrogant, looking down her nose at the “caretaker”. I often wondered how the two girls could be friends when Gillian was so awful to Emma. 

I like Ms. Carlson's writing, and she's good with dialogue. Despite the book not being very long (163 pages), we still get to know both Emma and West, and the supporting characters are also well written and unique enough to feel real. I don't want to say much more as I don't want to give away the plot, but I very much enjoyed this novella. 

Goodreads synopsis: All Emma Daley wants this holiday season is a white Christmas. But the young teacher and struggling musician sure can't find that in sunny Arizona. Luckily, there's someone living in a perfect mountain home in the Colorado Rockies looking to make a vacation trade this year.

Tyler Prescott is an in-demand songwriter and talented musician who put his own singing career on hold to write songs for celebrity acts to perform. When his mother convinces him to do a vacation trade for Christmas, he never imagined one of the houseguests would be so sweet--or so strikingly pretty. Naturally, he decides to stick around, and, to get better acquainted, he poses as the house's caretaker. But when Emma's friend Gillian discovers his true identity and sets her sights on him, things get...messy. 

Christmas in Winter Hill

MELODY CARLSON 

Stats for my copy: Hardback, Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 9/3/19.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First line: Krista Galloway didn't usually second-guess herself, but as she slowed down the U-Haul truck on the outskirts of Winter Hill, she was assaulted with some serious doubts.

My thoughts: Definitely Hallmark movie material, and that's a good thing! This slim hardback (164 pages) is a sweet feel good story. Krista and her young daughter move from Phoenix to Winter Hill, Washington, where Krista is starting a new job as the city manager. Krista is a realistic portrayal of a single mother trying to provide a better life for her daughter. She's not a fan of Christmas, which I often feel quite bah humbug about myself. Her reasons are much different than anything I could come up with though. Emily, on the other hand, loves the holiday season and is so excited to live in a town that goes all out to celebrate Christmas. I loved the relationship between the two, and how wide eyed and earnest little Emily is. And I enjoyed seeing Emily strike up such a friendship with teenage Anna. And of course, watching the friendship blossom between Krista and Anna's father.

I thought this was going to be a romance, and while there is some romance, it's definitely more about Krista and Emily starting this new life. Which was fine, it was quite enjoyable and I breezed through it in a couple of days. And the ending, oh gosh, I was literally crying. It almost makes me want to live in Winter Hill, except that I hate snow and cold weather. But it might be worth it to be a part of such a wonderful community!


Goodreads synopsis: Krista Galloway is not a fan of Christmas. After her rough childhood in multiple foster homes, the holiday season just brings too many bad memories to the surface. But when she accepts a job as a city manager in the mountain town of Winter Hill, Washington, Christmas is part of the deal. The small town is famous for its Christmasville celebration, something that the city manager . . . well, manages.

As she tries to make her tiny new apartment feel like home for her and her eight-year-old daughter, Emily, Krista begins to wonder if this move was a mistake. She doesn't always feel welcomed in the close-knit town, and Emily continually wonders, "Where's the snow?" Can a friendly stranger and his family help restore Krista's Christmas spirit before the big day?

Bestselling author Melody Carlson invites you to spend this holiday season in a town you'll never forget--and never want to leave.