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A review by allingoodtime
Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The town of Wishing Tree is so idyllic, especially to someone like me who loves Christmas. (I’m sure it would be a nightmare for those who are annoyed by Christmas decorations and music.) Of course, in this fictional town, everyone is quite nice and has the best of intentions, too.
Both love stories in this book are sweet and compelling. Camryn is raising her teenage twin sisters after their mother’s death. She put her life on hold to return to her hometown to do so and, although she loves her sisters, the town, and their family store, she has one foot out the door waiting for them to graduate so she can return to that other life. But then Jake’s mom sets her sights on Camryn as part of her “Project: Jake’s Bride” campaign and, even though both Jake and Camryn find it ridiculous, the chemistry between them cannot be denied.
River is new to town and is quite an introvert. She moved to Wishing Tree to be by her newly engaged sister and niece and has resolved to put herself out there more and make friends, which she has done. Said friends have put her up for the town’s Snow Queen so she will be required to attend all the town’s fun holiday events along with the Snow King, Jake’s best friend Dylan. Another instant connection, but both have their secrets and have been burned before. They need to learn to trust in each other and themselves.
Jake’s mom (and Dylan’s surrogate mom), Helen, is a force to be reckoned with. She gets people to agree to do things before they even realize what has happened. From being Snow King to attending Thanksgiving dinner, she always seems to get her way. Her intentions are always for good, but sometimes her meddling backfires or gets people’s hopes up. She’s so much fun, though! Helen kept the narrative going, popping up throughout the story to be the voice of experience.
All of the relationships in this story are lovely. From the romance to the sisters to the friends. Sometimes I found things to be a bit uneven, feeling the chemistry between the couples in one scene but not the next. But I still enjoyed all of their journeys. There were also some scenes with River’s sister that made me feel as if there is another book, maybe in a crossover series, in which her story was told. Almost like there was a puzzle piece missing, yet it didn’t affect the overall story of River or Camryn for that matter.
I’m looking forward to finding out whose story will be told next in this perfect little town. I know whom I’m rooting for anyway.
Both love stories in this book are sweet and compelling. Camryn is raising her teenage twin sisters after their mother’s death. She put her life on hold to return to her hometown to do so and, although she loves her sisters, the town, and their family store, she has one foot out the door waiting for them to graduate so she can return to that other life. But then Jake’s mom sets her sights on Camryn as part of her “Project: Jake’s Bride” campaign and, even though both Jake and Camryn find it ridiculous, the chemistry between them cannot be denied.
River is new to town and is quite an introvert. She moved to Wishing Tree to be by her newly engaged sister and niece and has resolved to put herself out there more and make friends, which she has done. Said friends have put her up for the town’s Snow Queen so she will be required to attend all the town’s fun holiday events along with the Snow King, Jake’s best friend Dylan. Another instant connection, but both have their secrets and have been burned before. They need to learn to trust in each other and themselves.
Jake’s mom (and Dylan’s surrogate mom), Helen, is a force to be reckoned with. She gets people to agree to do things before they even realize what has happened. From being Snow King to attending Thanksgiving dinner, she always seems to get her way. Her intentions are always for good, but sometimes her meddling backfires or gets people’s hopes up. She’s so much fun, though! Helen kept the narrative going, popping up throughout the story to be the voice of experience.
All of the relationships in this story are lovely. From the romance to the sisters to the friends. Sometimes I found things to be a bit uneven, feeling the chemistry between the couples in one scene but not the next. But I still enjoyed all of their journeys. There were also some scenes with River’s sister that made me feel as if there is another book, maybe in a crossover series, in which her story was told. Almost like there was a puzzle piece missing, yet it didn’t affect the overall story of River or Camryn for that matter.
I’m looking forward to finding out whose story will be told next in this perfect little town. I know whom I’m rooting for anyway.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent