Christmas in Winter Hill ~ Review

Christmas in Winter Hill
By Melody Carlson

You just know Christmas is soon to be upon us when Melody Carlson's annual Christmas offering is released. Her books are easy to read and a perfect excuse to curl up in a cozy corner and read away a chilly, rainy, blustery Saturday afternoon. If you like Hallmark movies this is the book version that always your mind to fill in the background details.

Christmas in Winter Hill finds Krista Galloway and her daughter Emily moving to the Washington state community just weeks before Christmas. Krista has been hired as Winter Hill's first City Manager and she is more than a little surprised to learn that the annual Christmasville Festival is one of her most important first tasks. But when you've never been a big fan of Christmas this is a less than ideal job. But Krista's Emily is behind herself with anticipation - she LOVES everything Christmas and Winter Hill is perfect in her opinion.

With the help of the Harris family, Krista and Emily begin to settle into their new home. Nut change is never easy and when Krista raises some concerns she soon finds herse;f on the wrong side of small-town gossip/ Can Krista show that her concerns are legitimate while preserving the Christmasville Festival and finding her own Christmas spirit?

As with all of Melody's Christmas books, you know everything will end on a positive note, maybe not the way the main characters expect or even how the reader is anticipating. I like getting to know Krista who is the main focus of the story and whom we learn the most about. And Emily is a delightful eight-year-old who has a hope within her that just shines throughout the story and one that she wants to share with her mother.

This is a contemporary Christmas read. There is a hint of romance but more than anything this is a story of family, friendship, and finding where you belong. this book is 164 pages with a decent sized font so you won't need to squint your way through tiny print.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher - Revell, with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.



About the Book:

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