Showing posts with label Howard Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Howard Books. Show all posts
Thursday, December 13, 2018

The White Christmas Inn by Colleen Wright



 

Publication: October 23, 2018
Publisher: Atria/Howard Books
Source: Publisher

Synopsis:

In this heartwarming, feel-good novel, a snowstorm brings a cast of very different characters together at a sleepy New England inn, just in time for Christmas—and maybe even in time for a Christmas miracle. 

A New England inn seems like the picture-perfect place to spend the holidays. But when a snowstorm shuts the roads and keeps them all inside, the guests find themselves worrying that this Christmas may not be exactly what they dreamed of. 

Molly just needs to keep her head down and finish her latest book, but her writer’s block is crippling. The arrival of Marcus, a handsome widower with two young girls, is exactly the distraction she doesn't need.

Hannah was hoping for a picturesque winter wedding, but her plans come crashing down when her fiancé calls everything off. She reconnects with her childhood friend, Luke, when he comes to check on his grandmother before the storm.

Jeanne and Tim don't know how they're going to keep the inn open another year—or how to bridge the distance between them in their marriage. With a flurry of unexpected guests, they'll have to work together to fix all the problems that crop up. But will it be enough to rekindle their relationship?

As the characters’ stories intertwine, they start to find hope where they thought it had been lost. With faith, and a little bit of Christmas magic, the inn—and its inhabitants—might just make it through the holidays after all.


******


This was such a sweet and inviting Christmas story. All of these characters are different, yet during the course of their stay at the inn during a major blizzard, they become interconnected. They are each facing their own set of problems, wishing for a miracle to help them through the holiday.

I was worried that with all of the different characters in this story, I wouldn't be able to keep track of everyone and it would keep me from truly enjoying it. However, I was glad to discover that wasn't the case. I liked getting to know everyone and my favorites quickly became Molly, a children’s book writer, Marcus (an architect) and his two little girls, Addison and Bailey. Those little girls practically stole the show.

The author did a great job of the describing the inn, the decorations, and the food that was prepared. Though the characters backstories aren’t deeply delved into, I felt like there was enough information to get a good sense of the character and what was going on in their life.  

The White Christmas Inn is a heart-warming story filled with love, hope, and the magic of Christmas. It felt like I was watching a Hallmark movie unfolding before my eyes while I read. If you are looking for a story that will put you in the mood for the holiday season, pick up The White Christmas Inn.




RATING: 3 out of 5.



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Friday, July 20, 2018

Heart Land by Kimberly Stuart Blog Tour!


Publication: July 17, 2018
Publisher: Howard Books/Simon & Schuster Publishing
Source: Publisher

Grace Klaren has finally made her dream of living in the Big Apple and working in the fashion industry a reality. But when she’s unexpectedly fired and can’t afford the next month’s rent, Grace does something she never thought she’d do: she moves back home.

Back in Silver Creek, Iowa, Grace is determined to hate it. She rails against the quiet of her small town, where everything closes early, where there’s no nightlife, where everyone knows each other. She’s saving her pennies and plotting her return to New York when she almost runs over a man who’s not paying attention at a crosswalk. It turns out to be Tucker, her high school sweetheart whose heart she broke when she left ten years ago. They reconnect, and Grace remembers why she fell for him in the first place.

And her career begins to turn around when she finds a gorgeous but tattered vintage dress at a flea market. She buys it, rips it apart seam by seam, and re-creates it with new fabric, updating the look with some of her own design ideas. She snaps a picture and lists the dress online, and within a day, it sells for nearly $200. Suddenly, Grace has her ticket out of here.

But Grace can’t fight her growing feelings for Tucker. Sometimes when they’re together, Tucker paints a picture of what their future could be like, and it feels so real. And when she finally gains the funding to move her new business back to New York, Grace must decide where home really is—will she chase her long-held New York dream, or find a new dream here in the heartland?

Grace is living her dream in New York. Working as an assistant to one of the top fashion houses, she is just biding her time until she can become a designer. All her hopes and dreams come crashing down, when she not only manages to impress the big boss, but she also gets fired. Embarrassed and running out of funds, Grace does the one thing she was hoping never to do. Move back home to Iowa with her Grandmother Gigi. Especially when it means seeing her her ex-boyfriend, Tucker again after she broke his heart.

I loved getting to know Grace and seeing how she interacted with Gigi, Tucker and the whole town. Even though she had hurt Tucker years ago, he didn’t really hold that heartbreak against her. They seemed to fall into an easy and loving relationship without a lot of extra effort. I enjoyed seeing their romance begin to blossom.
I could relate to what Grace was going through. It’s never easy admitting defeat, trying to start over again, or figuring out if your dream is worth continuing. As the days pass and she seems to get her footing, opportunities arise that could help her design career. But will it be something she actually needs? Or is what she’s searching for right in front of her?

Heart Land was such a sweet story full of love, faith and truly finding yourself. I thought it was the perfect summer read. It reminded me of Sweet Home Alabama in way. 
Everything moved at a nice pace and I enjoyed the bits of humor and banter sprinkled throughout the story. The small town drama was also kept to a minimum which I appreciated. This was my first time reading anything by Kimberly Stuart, but hopefully it won’t be the last time.


RATING: 4 out of 5.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kimberly Stuart has always treasured a good story and a good laugh. When she’s not engrossed in the charming chaos of motherhood, Stuart writes stories that are intended to make readers laugh often and cry once—maybe twice. Kimberly resides in Des Moines, Iowa, with her fantastic husband and their three wily children.

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HEART LAND by Kimberly Stuart
Howard/Atria Books | On Sale: July 17, 2018 | ISBN: 9781501180569 | 320 pages | $15.99



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