Tag Archive | Melody Carlson

The Christmas Swap

All Emma Daley wants this holiday season is a white Christmas. But the

The Christmas Swap

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.

My Review:

This book was a lighthearted Christmas story that is sure to delight any of Melody Carlson’s fans. With the book being only 176 pages long it was a super quick and easy read for the Christmas season which is practically around the corner. Although I was not a huge fan of the main characters because their stories did not have enough information to get a feel for the characters, I believe that the story was a fun Christmas read for someone looking for a Hallmark movie like read.

This review is written in my own words and is my honest opinion.

Cozy Christmas Reads!

Looking for some good Christmas reads? Check out these Christmas titles I have read this year and recommend!

Seasons Readings

Christmas at the Circus by Joanne Biscoff

Christmas at the Circus - A Short Story

A short story about The Greatest Season on Earth
In 1800’s New Orleans, newlyweds Charlie and Ella Lionheart are spending their first holiday season together within the circus. It’s Ella’s first Christmas away from her mountain home and with thoughts of family and new beginnings, see what surprises the kindhearted lion tamer has in store for her on Christmas Eve.
A touch of holiday magic beneath the Big Top!

Gideon’s Gift by Karen Kingsbury

Gideon's Gift (The Red Gloves, #1)

One long-ago Christmas, Earl Gibson lost the two things most precious to him: his wife and daughter. Angry and heartbroken, he ended up living on the streets and abandoned any belief he’d once had in God. Ten years later Big Earl meets Gideon, a seven-year-old leukemia patient who believes with all her heart that “Christmas means never having to ask God how much he loves us.” Gideon is determined to reach this lonely and hurting man who hates Christmas–and he is just as determined to rebuff her. It will take a miracle for Earl to come to understand the true meaning of Christmas. But if he can accept what Gideon wants to give him, he might find that he can return the favor with a precious gift of his own.

Christmas at Whitefriars by Elizabeth Camden

Christmas at WhitefriarsMary Beckwith lives in a magnificent English castle during the twilight years of the gilded age. With the help of an American millionaire, she has succeeded in renovating her beloved Whitefriars castle into a splendid estate just in time for Christmas.
From across the ocean, millionaire Everett Wooten has spent a fortune propping up Whitefriars to add modern conveniences and rebuild crumbling old walls. Even though he’s never met Mary, they have enjoyed a lively business correspondence over the nine years they have been working toward a renovation. Now he has finally come to see Mary and the castle in person, but nothing is as he was led to believe.
Mary and Everett try to find a way forward, but red-blooded American entrepreneurship doesn’t always mingle with blue-blooded English tradition. Can a Manhattan business tycoon and an English lady come to an accord, or will their joint venture in Whitefriars result in heartbreak for them both?

Christmas in Winter Hill by Melody Carlson

Krista Galloway is not a fan of Christmas. After her rough childhood in multiple foster Christmas in Winter Hillhomes, 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?

 

Do you have any Christmas favorites?

Related image

 

Under a Summer Sky

High school art teacher Nicole Anderson is looking forward to a relaxing summer in Savannah, house-sitting and managing an art gallery for a family friend. The house is luxurious in a way that only old money could make it, and the gallery promises interesting days in a gorgeous setting. Yet it isn’t long before her ideal summer turns into more than she bargained for: a snooty gallery employee who’s determined to force her out, a displaced adolescent roosting in the attic, and two of Nicole’s close childhood friends–who also happen to be brothers–vying for her attention.
With a backdrop of a beautiful historical city, incredible architecture, and even an alleged ghost or two, combined with the opportunity for romance . . . anything can happen!
Under a Summer Sky
What a book! This book was really good and I liked it very much. Nicole was a great main character. There was only a few times I was angry at her but those were minor scenes. I liked one brother over the other. I don’t want to give any thing away but I was extremely happy when Nicole ended up with the brother I liked.
There were a few down falls in this book but nothing major. For example, Nicole sometimes just left her work place during work hours to help customers look at other art galleries or go to their houses to pick out paintings that would go with the house. That part had me cringing because I would never just get up and leave while I was on the job, getting paid. That was unrealistic to me. Other than those details, I liked the story.
I would absolutely recommend this book, especially for a summer time read.
Title: Under a Summer Sky
Author: Melody Carlson
Author’s Website: http://www.melodycarlson.com/

I received this book from the Revell Division of the Baker Publishing Group for this review.

This review is written in my own words and is my honest opinion.