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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
Christmas in Winter Hill by Melody Carlson is a sweet Christmas novella. I look forward to reading this authors latest Christmas story each year and I was not disappointed with Christmas in Winter Hill. It is well-written with relatable characters in realistic situations. It moves along at a steady pace and can be finished quickly (only 164 pages). Krista Galloway is looking forward to starting over in Winter Hill. She has not had the easiest life growing up in the foster care system and the last few years have been difficult. Her daughter, Emily is looking forward to having a white Christmas and she wants a real home with a backyard. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned for the duo. Emily, though, does enjoy living in Winter Hill and makes friends right away. I enjoyed Emily’s enthusiasm as she embraced all the Christmas festivities. The little girl wants her mother to love Christmas as much as she does and comes up with a plan (I just loved it). The townspeople enthusiastically embrace Christmas and their Christmasville activities. Winter Hill is a quaint town who came up with a clever way to revive their dying city. It is the tenth year for their Christmasville celebration, and they have big plans. Unfortunately, there are a few hiccups along the way. I enjoyed the subplot with Winston Palmer who is the town’s grinch (bah humbug type of guy). Christmas In Winter Hill has new beginnings, a cute little girl, crime, a touch of romance and cheery Christmas festivities. The story has a good moral. We learn that we get what we need in His timing, not when we want them (it can be hard to be patient though). The ending was a delight and left me with a big smile on my face. My favorite phrase comes from Krista who said, “I like to think our troubles make us stronger.” Christmas in Winter Hill is a heartwarming, uplifting story with apartment anguish, Christmas catastrophes, elf escapades, a great giveaway, and holiday high spirits.
badseedgirl's review against another edition
2.0
It must be the spirit of Christmas that persuaded me to give this book 2 stars because I'm pretty sure i did not care for this book all that much.
My first gripe is in 2019 when this book was written how could someone applying to be a City Manager not do even 2 seconds of internet research to find out the the entire town is based on a Christmas theme!
There was absolutely no attempt a subtlety as far as character development. All the towns people walk around with smiles on their faces saying "aw shucks" and blushing. Except the villain, who wore a black cape, black top hat and a handlebar mustache well waxed that he twirled on a regular basis.
But it is a Christmas story and I did like the mother daughter relationship, so VERY generous stars.
My first gripe is in 2019 when this book was written how could someone applying to be a City Manager not do even 2 seconds of internet research to find out the the entire town is based on a Christmas theme!
There was absolutely no attempt a subtlety as far as character development. All the towns people walk around with smiles on their faces saying "aw shucks" and blushing. Except the villain, who wore a black cape, black top hat and a handlebar mustache well waxed that he twirled on a regular basis.
But it is a Christmas story and I did like the mother daughter relationship, so VERY generous stars.
positivewoman2013's review against another edition
3.0
Short read about the workings of a small town.
erincataldi's review against another edition
3.0
Short and sweet, this inspirational holiday read is a light palate cleanser - good for when you'er getting stressed around the holidays. Single mom Krista and her daughter Emily move from Arizona to Winter Hill Washington and they're in for a treat. Krista isn't one for Christmas cheer but that's about to change when she takes over as city manager and has to help out with Christmastown. Everyone in the small town gets involved and it's a month long festival. This year is even more special as they are giving away a "Christmas house" - a lovingly refurbished historic home to the best essay (see where this is going yet?). Krista and her daughter have made lots of new friends (her assistant's son isn't hard on the eyes) but she's also made some enemies as well. The town's finance manager has a bone to pick with Christmastown and he takes out his frustration on Krista. Was moving to this town a good idea? Will she survive without a car in a small apartment? Is she happier? A quick read with a happy ending all wrapped up in a bow.
kdurham2's review against another edition
4.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Krista Galloway has escaped to a small town in Washington state with her daughter to start brand new life, but moving to a small town that makes a big deal out of Christmas isn't her best idea. She has had a bad string of horrible Christmas seasons, so she would just rather skip it all and get into a new year, but maybe this town will change her mind about the whole holiday.
I loved the balance in this book between Krista's professional life and a bit of romance. With the limited pages, I always get nervous that there will be some instalove, but Melody Carlson was able to write it in a way that felt that the two characters had enough interactions to naturally fall sweetly in love! I also loved the little bit of mystery that took place in her professional life - it was a great addition that gave the book depth.
Krista Galloway has escaped to a small town in Washington state with her daughter to start brand new life, but moving to a small town that makes a big deal out of Christmas isn't her best idea. She has had a bad string of horrible Christmas seasons, so she would just rather skip it all and get into a new year, but maybe this town will change her mind about the whole holiday.
I loved the balance in this book between Krista's professional life and a bit of romance. With the limited pages, I always get nervous that there will be some instalove, but Melody Carlson was able to write it in a way that felt that the two characters had enough interactions to naturally fall sweetly in love! I also loved the little bit of mystery that took place in her professional life - it was a great addition that gave the book depth.
letrod94's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
mamaroe93011's review against another edition
3.0
The perfect quick read on Christmas Eve. It’s like a hallmark Christmas movie wrapped up in a a book! Story wasn’t my favorite, but cute Christmas themed story for the holidays.
tobyyy's review against another edition
3.0
A mediocre but sweet romance set at Christmastime in a little town in Washington state. I enjoyed the side characters the most; Krista, the MC, was an okay character but I never found myself fully rooting for her. I did enjoy her 8-year-old daughter, Emily, though; Carlson did an excellent job writing her character.
bethreadswhat's review against another edition
3.0
This was a cute book. I liked the giveaway aspect in the story but I figured how it ended before reading it.
esthery_rn's review against another edition
2.0
This novella had the ingredients for a fun, fast read, but the pacing seemed off and I struggled to get through it. It’s like the author took a full length book and chopped out a ton to make it a novella. This is my fourth Christmas novella (this week) by this author and the others were far better than this one.