Fall Inn Love (Cozy Nights in Vermont, Book One)

 

ELISE KENNEDY

Stats: Kindle, Elise Kennedy Books, 2024

How acquired: BookSirens

First line: Iris Bertone snuggled into her train car seat, picturing the next two blissful weeks to calm the nervous butterflies somersaulting in her stomach.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This was an absolutely delightful little novella! One of my favorite tropes is enemies to lovers. This wasn’t quite that, as Iris and Sam weren’t really enemies, but rather had been antagonistic rivals in high school and all through college, competing for everything from debate team captain to class president. Iris is now a journalist for a leisure magazine, and excited for a two week assignment visiting seven different Vermont inns to write an article about the three most romantic places to stay. She and Jo, the photographer, the female photographer, were supposed to travel incognito, pretending to be a couple, but at the last minute Jo can’t make it, and sends Sam in her place. Sam, the very male, very hot, photographer. Who she will now have to share a bed with every night, unless she wants to sleep on the floor.

Both characters are so well written. Iris is not your typical slender svelte heroine. In high school she was a little self-conscious about her size, but as an adult she’s learned to embrace herself and she’s confident and comfortable in her own body, which was refreshing. She’s smart, she’s funny, and she’s passionate about her work. And Sam! I loved Sam from the get go. At one of the inns the proprieter offers Iris one of her chicory root or bark-infused teas, commenting that they’re great appetite suppressants, and Sam’s furious and immediate reaction was glorious.

And the inns! As they left each inn, I couldn’t wait to learn about the next one. Each one was unique in it’s own way, and I loved the author’s imagination and descriptions of each one, and of the staff working there.

This was an engaging and enjoyable read, with lots of humor, and plenty smexy tension thanks to the bed sharing, eventually leading up to some very hot scenes. I can’t wait for the next entry in the series!

*Received via BookSirens and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Iris Bertone finally landed her dream reporting assignment: reviewing the most romantic Vermont inns for a prestigious travel site. She'll travel incognito as part of a couple, but when her photographer BFF can't join, Iris's new partner greets her at the train station. It's her worst nightmare: Sam Nilsson, Iris's overly competitive, irritatingly handsome decade-long journalism rival. 

They'll hayride, they'll brunch, they'll sip tea in fussy dining rooms and eat bonfire s'mores after leaf-peeping hikes. It would be a pumpkin-spice infused dream if they didn't have to come back to the same issue night after night: Only one bed to share. 

Can these rivals keep their hands to themselves for three weeks? Or will close quarters finally break down the walls they put up a long time ago?

Nutcracker With Benefits

 

LIZ ALDEN

Stats for my copy: Kindle edition, 2022.

How acquired: BookSprout

First line: It was a goddamn Christmas miracle.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This was a light, somewhat breezy rom com, which was perfect for my mood when I picked it up. I’m not crazy about present tense narration, or about stories where two characters alternate providing the narration in first person POV, and I did not love that here. While the author’s writing was good, the narrative voice felt the same regardless of whether Clara or Nash was telling the story. But the story itself was fun, and it wasn’t hard to overlook that.

Nash and Clara are best friends who don’t see each other often, as Clara’s career has her traveling all over the world, but whenever she breezes into town they enjoy some benefits. Clara is content with the relationship, but Nash wants more, and while Clara is in town for a couple of days at Christmas he sets out to provide her with the perfect day, and show her that she can be just as happy not always being gone.

I especially enjoyed all the supporting characters - Clara’s two dads, her niece and nephew, Nash’s personal stylist, etc. Nobody is one note, and considering this is a novella, and of course the focus is on Clara and Nash, the author did a good job with making the supporting characters vivid and fleshed out.

The book is billed as a “holiday retelling rom com”. Well, I’ll admit right now that I’ve never seen The Nutcracker, and I don’t really know anything about it, but that did not hinder my enjoyment of this story in any way. Just in case you wonder if you need to see The Nutcracker first.

A fun read, with both Nash and Clara ultimately learning to compromise, and getting that satisfying HEA.

*I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and have voluntarily reviewed it* 

Goodreads Synopsis: Clara: I love my life—as a food and travel blogger I make my own hours, work all over the world, and don’t have a single regret. The cherry on top is flying home to New York City to celebrate the holidays with my family—and Nash. He’s my best friend with benefits and was just named the sexiest billionaire bachelor of the year. He’s all mine—for now. But someday, Nash is going to break my heart.

Nash: Clara can have her cake—whether its pavlova, mochi, or tres leches—and eat it too. I have twenty-four hours to convince her that she can have everything she wants right here in the city—including me.

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.