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emileereadsbooks's review
4.75
Tess didn't foresee get arrival back in town being punctuated by getting trapped in bathroom in one of the oldest buildings in Charleston, but here she is. Thankfully the EMS guy Drew keeps her calm as she's waiting to be rescued. And when she is set free, what a sight for sore eyes he is!
Drew all the sudden has gotten a reply to the Santa letter he wrote as a kid. And he is enjoying corresponding with this woman who reminds him an awful lot of Tess, the woman he had now blown off twice, for good reason.
Will Christmas magic unite these two lonely hearts?
_____
The secret pen pal trope is hard to pull off, but I enjoyed every second of this holiday read. Tess and Drew are both contending with the world's their parents bequeathed them with, and the way they navigate that isn't heavy handed, but still gets to the heart of the issues. Plus the way they seem to be magnetized to each other was very fun to read.
_____
This is a closed door, kisses only rom com.
Thank you to the author for the book to review. All opinions are my own.
Drew all the sudden has gotten a reply to the Santa letter he wrote as a kid. And he is enjoying corresponding with this woman who reminds him an awful lot of Tess, the woman he had now blown off twice, for good reason.
Will Christmas magic unite these two lonely hearts?
_____
The secret pen pal trope is hard to pull off, but I enjoyed every second of this holiday read. Tess and Drew are both contending with the world's their parents bequeathed them with, and the way they navigate that isn't heavy handed, but still gets to the heart of the issues. Plus the way they seem to be magnetized to each other was very fun to read.
_____
This is a closed door, kisses only rom com.
Thank you to the author for the book to review. All opinions are my own.
ak107's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Adorable Hallmark movie/ You've Got Mail romance
emily_loves_2_read's review
4.0
The Christmas Letters
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Jenny Proctor
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from Jenny Proctor and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Can an old letter spark a new flame?
When Tess Ravenel gets herself stuck inside a bathroom stall in one of Charleston’s most historic buildings, she isn’t exactly thinking about her dating life. But then the paramedic who comes to her rescue has a voice that sounds like butter and enough charm to make her forget she’s seconds from having a panic attack. If only he were interested. Andrew McKay has a mysterious Christmas pen pal, a woman who replied to a newly found letter he sent to Santa back when he was a kid. After weeks of correspondence, it’s clear she’s funny, smart, interesting...and an awful lot like Tess Ravanel—the woman he’s already blown off twice for good reason. Tess and Andrew couldn’t be more different, but when their worlds collide, fate (and a little Christmas magic) set them on a crash course for love.
My Thoughts: This was originally published in 2019 but Proctor has significantly revised and refreshed. I did not read the original but love this version. This was short novella. It was the perfect amount of holiday cheer with a romance that is curated organically, such a rare circumstance in today’s online world. One of the best novellas I have read. Tess first meets Andrew when she is stuck in the women’s bathroom at a cafe, having a panic attack. His voice calms her and eventually gets her out. Tess does some volunteer work addressing Dear Santa letters and when she finds one from Andrew many years ago, it spurts an old fashioned writing journey. When their worlds collide, even though they are from different worlds, will this be enough to bring them together? Or will the worlds being too different matter? This follows the tropes of friends to lovers and forced proximity.
The story is a dual narration by Tess and Andrew, in their respective perspectives. Tess comes from money and her parents laid out her life at birth, she does not want to live that life and walks away from most of it. Andrew is hardworking and cares for his grandma. Their meet cute meeting during Tess’s panic attack was truly epic, where social status did not matter, the only thing that mattered to Tess was Andrew’s soothing voice. The characters were developed well in the short story with witty banter, tension, chemistry, and creatively woven throughout the story. The characters are well liked and extremely relatable. The supporting characters were amazing and added another layer to the book, especially Grandma Pearl. The author’s writing style was closed door, swoony, funny, and kept me invested the whole ride.
This was a perfect short read with some old-fashioned letter writing, some funny moments, with some heartfelt moments. I love this author, so will read a thing she puts out. If you liked the movie, You Got Mail, then this will be up your alley with similar vibes. I highly recommend picking up this short novella.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Jenny Proctor
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from Jenny Proctor and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Can an old letter spark a new flame?
When Tess Ravenel gets herself stuck inside a bathroom stall in one of Charleston’s most historic buildings, she isn’t exactly thinking about her dating life. But then the paramedic who comes to her rescue has a voice that sounds like butter and enough charm to make her forget she’s seconds from having a panic attack. If only he were interested. Andrew McKay has a mysterious Christmas pen pal, a woman who replied to a newly found letter he sent to Santa back when he was a kid. After weeks of correspondence, it’s clear she’s funny, smart, interesting...and an awful lot like Tess Ravanel—the woman he’s already blown off twice for good reason. Tess and Andrew couldn’t be more different, but when their worlds collide, fate (and a little Christmas magic) set them on a crash course for love.
My Thoughts: This was originally published in 2019 but Proctor has significantly revised and refreshed. I did not read the original but love this version. This was short novella. It was the perfect amount of holiday cheer with a romance that is curated organically, such a rare circumstance in today’s online world. One of the best novellas I have read. Tess first meets Andrew when she is stuck in the women’s bathroom at a cafe, having a panic attack. His voice calms her and eventually gets her out. Tess does some volunteer work addressing Dear Santa letters and when she finds one from Andrew many years ago, it spurts an old fashioned writing journey. When their worlds collide, even though they are from different worlds, will this be enough to bring them together? Or will the worlds being too different matter? This follows the tropes of friends to lovers and forced proximity.
The story is a dual narration by Tess and Andrew, in their respective perspectives. Tess comes from money and her parents laid out her life at birth, she does not want to live that life and walks away from most of it. Andrew is hardworking and cares for his grandma. Their meet cute meeting during Tess’s panic attack was truly epic, where social status did not matter, the only thing that mattered to Tess was Andrew’s soothing voice. The characters were developed well in the short story with witty banter, tension, chemistry, and creatively woven throughout the story. The characters are well liked and extremely relatable. The supporting characters were amazing and added another layer to the book, especially Grandma Pearl. The author’s writing style was closed door, swoony, funny, and kept me invested the whole ride.
This was a perfect short read with some old-fashioned letter writing, some funny moments, with some heartfelt moments. I love this author, so will read a thing she puts out. If you liked the movie, You Got Mail, then this will be up your alley with similar vibes. I highly recommend picking up this short novella.
behappyreadbooks's review
5.0
This book was the perfect Christmas theme book. Such a cute holiday read with all the warm happy feels. My only complaint is it is pretty short and I would have liked to have more pages because I was obsessed with this story.
I will definitely be buying this book to have on my bookshelf for another read.
I will definitely be buying this book to have on my bookshelf for another read.
rene_garner's review
5.0
Sweet Christmas hallmark movie book. Loved it!!!! Great storyline. Highly recommend for a fast, feel good Christmas read.
bookishkenyannerd's review
4.0
Tess got stuck in the bathroom of one of Charleston's historic buildings. Drew, a paramedic, was part of the team that came to pull her out. I loved their meet-cute, and that they connected even before seeing what the other looked like. She was drawn to him, but he was clearly not interested, or so she thought.
Tess went on to sign up for a Christmas project that involved replying to kids letters to Santa. Little did she know that responding to a letter from decades before would change her life.
A little Christmas magic and fate definitely conspired to get Tess and Drew together. I loved watching them being torn between each other and their anonymous penpals, not knowing they were one and the same.
This was a cute Christmas novella, and I'm grateful to the author for an ARC.
Tess went on to sign up for a Christmas project that involved replying to kids letters to Santa. Little did she know that responding to a letter from decades before would change her life.
A little Christmas magic and fate definitely conspired to get Tess and Drew together. I loved watching them being torn between each other and their anonymous penpals, not knowing they were one and the same.
This was a cute Christmas novella, and I'm grateful to the author for an ARC.
maecar's review
4.0
This was a sweet and perfect Christmas read. It had a fun You've Got Mail vibe and I loved how the characters met. Tess and Drew were so funny. I appreciated that Tess didn't back down from being true to herself in all situations, including those with her family.
shannonsbookcase's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
The Christmas Letters was my favorite read of the holiday season! I absolutely loved it! Jenny Proctor quickly became one of my favorite Indie Authors of 2023!
Tessa is the "black sheep" of her wealthy family. She walked away from her rich fiancé because she just didn't care for that lifestyle. She wanted to go back to school to get a business degree. In order to have access to her trust fund to pay for school, she has to do volunteer work so she takes on the task of replying to Christmas Letters to Santa for the local children.
Drew is a paramedic. He lost his parents to a boating accident when he was a kid and went to live with his grandma. The year that they had passed he wrote a letter to Santa asking for his parents to come back. It was a letter that was never answered…until now.
Tess & Drew meet each other when She gets stuck in a bathroom stall at a restaurant. He talks her through a panic attack. Once she is rescued and he realizes that she is wealthy, he wants nothing to do with her because of a past experience. But their paths keep crossing!
I absolutely loved these two MCs together. Their chemistry is off the charts! Drew did drive me crazy with his stereotyping but thankfully Grandma Pearl was full of wisdom and pushed him to follow his heart. This novella is full of great supporting characters. The writing is top notch, the character development is superb. I absolutely loved everything about it!
If you haven't read any of Jenny's books, do yourself a favorite and grab one!
Ⓦⓗⓐⓣ Ⓘ Ⓛⓞⓥⓔⓓ:
✨️The Bathroom Scene
✨️Grandma Pearl and her wisdom
✨Chloe was a great support
✨️Drew watching RomComs with Grandma Pearl
Ⓦⓗⓐⓣ Ⓘ Ⓓⓘⓓⓝ’ⓣ:
✨️I wish the book didn't end so soon! Loved it!
𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℍ𝕒𝕤:
Christmas Penpals
Friends to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Dual POV
Hallmark movie vibes (Tess loves them!)
You've Got Mail vibes
Closed Door Romance
𝐂𝐖: Loss of Parents, Mental Illness (panic attacks)
Thank you to @jennyproctorbooks the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.