Review: Sleigh Bells at Moonglow by Deborah Garner

Deborah Garner's Moonglow Christmas series is a cozy small town Christmas series with lots of warmth and holiday spirit. 

All the books are currently available to read on Kindle Unlimited.

The series centers around the Timberton Hotel and the eccentric chef, Mist. The hotel is a magical place where people can come to heal and to celebrate the joy and magic of the holiday season. 

Sleigh Bells at Moonglow is Book 11 in the series and absolutely doesn't have to be read during Christmastime. They can be read anytime. I highly recommend them all!

About the Book

Christmas in the small Montana town of Timberton is always filled with heartfelt camaraderie, exquisite cuisine, and holiday cheer. An old-fashioned sleigh ride through the forest this year promises to bring plenty of joy as well as a sense of community for both visitors and townsfolk as they celebrate the season.

Resident artist and chef, Mist, always finds a way of bringing inspiration to those around her. Add in the traditional Christmas Eve feast in the Moonglow Cafe and the sweet gathering for Betty’s Cookie Exchange, and it’s guaranteed to be a holiday to cherish. As always, no one leaves Timberton without renewed hope for the future.

My Review

I am absolutely enamored with the Moonglow Christmas series and I enjoy visiting this quaint Montana town during the holidays. 

The series is centered around the town of Timberton and the local hotel where every guest is welcomed like family. Mist, the quirky and eccentric proprietor of the Moonglow Cafe inside the hotel puts her special touch on everything from the decor, to personalized gifts for the guests, to the food, and infuses Christmas joy into everything she does. Working alongside the innkeeper Betty, Mist makes every guest’s stay special and somehow has a “knowing” of just what each guest needs to make their holiday brighter. 

This year, the town has added a sleigh ride event to the local Christmas festivities and it’s simply enchanting. The townsfolk are all welcoming and everyone helps out each other. There is such a community and so much love and care that I just want to live inside Timberton with everybody else. 

As always, the author has several pages of holiday cookie recipes that’ll make you smile and keep your belly full and happy.

Sleigh Bells at Moonglow is a perfect addition to your holiday reading list. I highly recommend the entire series! 

Purchase Links*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Deborah Garner Website

About the Author

Deborah Garner is an accomplished travel writer with a passion for back roads and secret hideaways. Born and raised in California, she studied in France before returning to the U.S. to attend UCLA. After stints in graduate school and teaching, she attempted to clone herself for decades by founding and running a dance and performing arts center, designing and manufacturing clothing and accessories, and tackling both spreadsheets and display racks for corporate retail management. Her passions include photography, hiking and animal rescue. She speaks five languages, some substantially better than others. She now divides her time between California and Wyoming, dragging one human and two canines along whenever possible. Learn more at deborahgarner.com

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.

Review: Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop by Sharon Booth

The second in the comforting, feel-good, romantic series with a dash of fantasy that started with Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall. ☕️

About the Book

An enchanting, cosy and feel-good romance Perfect for fans of Heidi Swain, Lucy Jane Wood and the hit BBC series Ghosts!

The beautiful Cotswold village of Rowan Vale is run as a living museum, allowing tourists to see history in action. But there’s more to the place than any visitor would guess… ✨

Fifty-something Shona grew up in the village and now runs its vintage, 1940s-themed teashop. Not everyone knows that the previous manager, her great-aunt Polly, still lives there too… as a ghost!

When newcomer Max arrives, hoping to find out more about the place where his German grandfather was a prisoner of war, both Shona and Polly are unsettled. Shona, because handsome, interesting Max is the first man to catch her eye since her divorce, and Polly, because she must finally confront the terrible truth about her past.

A 1940s-themed weekend planned for the village brings the families’ connections to a head and tragic secrets to light.

Can Shona help her ghostly great-aunt to find love and forgiveness once more, while also creating her own happy ever after?

My Review

Full of whimsy, ghosts, and history!

I really enjoy reading about the quirky village of Rowan Vale where history is alive… and so are the ghosts!

In this book we get to learn more about Shona who runs the local teashop and her family, including the ghost of her great-aunt, Polly. I love that there’s a town full of ghosts and that they have everyday lives, hold grudges, fall in–and out–love, take care of each other, and contribute to the betterment of Rowan Vale. 

In Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop, there’s mystery, surprises, and loads of history surrounding World War II. It’s such a treat to read.

I was able to relate to Shona so well and her life as a single mom. She’s resilient and brave and deserves all the happiness in the world. The ghosts of Rowan Vale are lovely and steal the spotlight again in this delightfully whimsical story.

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links*

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play

Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop is currently FREE to read on Kindle Unlimited!

About the Author

Sharon Booth writes feel-good stories set in quirky villages and market towns, including the ‘Tuppeny Bridge’ series. Sharon writes cosy romances with a magical twist for Boldwood. She lives with her husband in East Yorkshire, England. Learn more at www.sharonboothwriter.com

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.

Review: Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall by Sharon Booth

The first in a delightfully warm, cosy and romantic new series with a fantasy twist, for fans of the BBC series Ghosts.

About the Book

Can Callie give some needy ghosts their happy-ever-afterlife, while making Rowan Vale her own forever home?

When single mum Callie visits Rowan Vale with her daughter, she is enchanted. The beautiful Cotswold village is run as a living museum, allowing tourists to see history in action. But there’s more to the place than meets the eye…

To the residents’ surprise, Callie is observed talking to several villagers she simply shouldn’t be able to see – as they’re ghosts.

The elderly owner of the village, Sir Lawrence Davenport, then makes an astonishing offer: to sell Callie the whole estate for a tiny sum, if she agrees to protect the village’s present tenants and its headstrong spirits.

With a spectral lord of the manor and his imperious wife, a naughty 1940s schoolgirl and William Shakespeare’s former tutor among them, it seems Callie’s role as owner wouldn’t be easy.

And that’s without the added complication of Sir Lawrence’s disinherited grandson, the gorgeous Brodie.

Rowan Vale and Callie may need each other. But is this a match made in heaven or hell?

My Review

Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall is a magical mystery tour of delight that tickles your fancy and tugs at your heartstrings.

I was completely swept away into a world where ghosts are real, have real lives, and are accepted as citizens of Rowan Vale. Not everyone can see them, but people know they’re there and that they are cherished and most welcome. I absolutely loved learning about all the ghosts and where (and when) each one was frozen in time. 

The backdrop of this lovingly crafted story is beautifully illustrated through the eyes of Callie and the people of this charming English village. The book is utterly enchanting. The characters are vibrant, their storied pasts holding secret pieces of history, wonder, and whimsy. 

The romance is a gentle breeze that lingers in the background of the story, but is no less powerful. Callie and Brodie have past hurts that have fundamentally affected them. It has made Callie skittish and caused her to tightly guard her heart. She also has a daughter to think about and doesn’t want her to experience the pain that Callie went through growing up. 

Callie and Brodie’s relationship throughout the story is a tug-of-war of sorts as they struggle with their new realities, their futures uncertain. My gut clenched with every awkward encounter… until things stopped being awkward and started developing into something meaningful. 

I couldn’t put the book down! I want to live in Rowan Vale to help Callie and Sir Lawrence ghost wrangle. This book is so special and discovering all the pleasant (and not so pleasant) surprises. I can’t wait for the next book!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links*

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Books-A-Million

Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall is currently FREE to read on Kindle Unlimited!

About the Author

Sharon Booth writes feel-good stories set in quirky villages and market towns, including the ‘Tuppeny Bridge’ series. Sharon writes cosy romances with a magical twist for Boldwood. She lives with her husband in East Yorkshire, England. Learn more at www.sharonboothwriter.com

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.

Review: A Scottish Christmas by Emma Bennet

It's Christmas in October

A Scottish Christmas is heartwarming, festive, and full of charm!

It's a delightful read and I highly recommend it to every reader!

A Scottish Christmas is currently 99 pennies on Amazon or you can read free on Kindle Unlimited!

About the Book

THE BRAND-NEW FEEL-GOOD, CHARMING, FESTIVE ROMANCE.

Fall in love this Christmas. 

Working the festive period in a pop-up Christmas shop was not how Rose Aldridge was expecting to spend December. But neither was she expecting to meet a handsome, brooding, Scottish businessman. 

Alistair Duncan hates Christmas. His wife left him and his daughter on Christmas Eve. To make matters worse, his family have announced they are coming to stay at his sprawling Scottish estate. He needs help planning a big family Christmas. 

Alistair braves the holiday rush in search of an events company. But instead he finds himself standing in a Christmas pop-up shop, offering the job to the quirky shop assistant. To his shock, she accepts. 

Rose wastes no time Christmas tree shopping and party planning, and before long the Duncan family estate is a mass of ribbons, presents and twinkling lights — even the family goat Houdini gets into the spirit! 

But planning the family Christmas means being involved in Alistair’s life, especially his 12-year-old daughter Isla. And the more Alistair sees how Rose fits into his family, the more the ice around his heart begins to thaw. 

As Christmas Eve approaches, and Rose is due to return to London, it’s time for the Christmas magic to weave its spell . . . 

My Review

Rose and Alistair’s meet-cute begins when Alistair picks up Rose’s Disney Princess Elsa crown that’s fallen from her blonde wig at the Christmas shop she’s working at. Super cute, right?

Anyway, Alistair is in desperate need of a Christmas miracle because he’s put off several important holiday events until the last minute and has no clue where to begin planning. You see, Alistair has a strong aversion to everything Christmas and keeps himself busy throughout the holiday season so he doesn’t have to remember the past. So busy, in fact, that he’s run out of time this year and decides to pop into a cheery shop to garner some inspiration getting things sorted.

Alistair finds out Rose has been an event planner at her previous employ and on a whim, offers her a job for three weeks to plan a few Christmas parties for him, including decorating his home in the Scottish highlands. Alistair hands Rose his business card, giving her a few hours to think about it. Pretty crazy right? Don’t worry about stranger danger, this is a Hallmark-type story, so it’s safe for Rose to accept. 

Rose is shocked to get a job offer from the handsome Scotsman. With her job prospects dried up around London–and after an extensive Google search on him–Rose accepts Alistair’s offer. Twenty-four hours later Rose is at Alistair’s estate with him, his 12-year-old daughter Isla, and a cute escape artist goat, aptly named Houdini. 

Oh my goodness, this story was so much fun to read! The storyline is lovingly written. The characters are crafted with care and purpose. The romance gave me butterflies.

If you’ve got a case of the holiday blues, A Scottish Christmas is the perfect remedy!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links

Amazon US

A Scottish Christmas is currently 99 cents!

or

You can read for free on Kindle Unlimited!

About the Author

Emma grew up and lived in London, before falling in love and moving to Wales to marry her own hero. Emma now lives with her husband and four children in a small Welsh market town. She can often be found in rivers attempting to control two overexcited chocolate Labradors, whose snoring features in many of her YouTube videos.

Emma likes (in no particular order): cake, books, Cary Grant films, coffee, chocolate, guinea pigs, knitting, quilting, and happily ever afters! Learn more at www.emma-bennet.co.uk