5 out of 5 stars!! Joy's Christmas wish is to give her five-year-old daughter the best holiday ever. So, in hopes of a winter wonderland Christmas they head to her in-laws house in Montana where they find that everyone seems to need a bit of holiday magic....

In truth, I was on the fence about this novel from its beginning, but I am sooo happy that I stuck with it! It is a heartwarming tale about overcoming the loss of a loved one and finally moving on. It was especially nice that Ms. Foley gives the readers so much info about all of the characters (main and secondary) that I feel I could see the "major plot situations" from all sides even though readers only read from Joy and Cole's POVs.

Joy and Cole are great characters! I loved learning about their backgrounds, while "seeing" how they connected and "watching" their relationship bloom. Even if things seemed rushed, they had plenty of background stuff that pulls Joy and Cole together quickly, making everything believable. What can I say other than I was charmed!

I recommend this novel to anyone wanting a sweet contemporary romance!!

Review By: From Me to You ... Video, Photography, & Book Reviews
-- read more of this review and a TEASER on my blog --

Great little small-town read. Hits all the right spots for a holiday love story. A good first taste of what Karen Foley has to offer.

This was a perfect holiday read! A wonderful combination of hope, miracles, and new beginnings, this story brought me to tears several times, both sad and, ultimately, happy. I loved the characters and the story line, and the hummingbirds were a sweet touch.
I recommend this story at any time of the year, especially the holidays.

This is truly one of my favorite Christmas stories of 2017. Widowed Joy wants to give her young daughter Piper a white Christmas in Montana at her in-laws home. And Piper has 3 wishes for Christmas, #3 is a doozy. She meets her late husband's best friend Cole there as well. This story has a lot of depth with multi-layered characters as they each learn to deal with grief and ultimately healing. It is a wonderful heart-tugging Christmas tale with a sweet new romance and family given a second chance at their HEA thru the magic of Christmas and a cute little girl with joy in her heart. I have never read a story by Karen Foley before, but I sure will be looking at more from her in the future. (less)

Love comes from the most unexpected places and in "A Hummingbird Christmas," author Karen Foley gave her readers just that plus a heart-tugging Christmas miracle.

Visiting her in-laws for Christmas, Joy Holliday finally met Cole Tanner, her late husband's best friend. She knew him from the stories that Matt told her when he was still alive. Joy knew that she would meet him one day. What she did not count on was the instant attraction she felt for Cole.

Cole was ready to hate Joy. After all, she was the reason that his best friend Matt left Montana to live in California to be with her. But, upon meeting Joy, Cole found his cold heart thawing. He could not stop himself from liking her.

But, there were other people to consider. First there was Piper, Joy and Matt's little girl. And there were Matt's parents, too. And of course, the memory of Matt. All of them were waiting for a Christmas miracle to make their wishes come true. Question is, will Santa grant their Christmas wishes?

A Hummingbird Christmas is Rated T for Teens. There are no sex scenes in this book.

A Hummingbird Christmas is an easy romance read. Joy is a great character; the idea of the hummingbirds being messengers was really cute. She was absolutely the highlight of this novel for me. Her daughter was strange in that sometimes she would say something you wouldn't believe a child of her age would know or say. Cole was kind of a typical manly hero. He didn't seem to think everything through, instead being rather impulsive. I knew from the overview that Cole was Joy's deceased husbands best friend and had been abandoned as a child but I didn't realize until reading the book that Joy's in-laws took Cole in. It almost felt like Joy married one man and then when he died, moved onto his brother, which is a little awkward to me. However if that doesn't bother you, I'm sure you'll enjoy this book.

If you love romance and enjoy the Christmas season and still believe in the magic of it, in the miracles, and possibilities of better tomorrows you are going to love A Hummingbird Christmas!
It has all the traditions and family fun that often is associated with the holiday season. It has puppies, adorable kids, generations celebrating together, and a small town filled with intriguing characters that you want to get to know better.
And most of all, it has heartwarming, touching, sizzling hot romance that melted my heart. Joy Holliday and Cole Tanner are so perfect together, they just fit, they get each other. The chemistry between them is spicy and fervent, the connection natural and tangible, the attraction obvious even in the eyes of a child.
Joy has built her life around her daughter after the tragic death of her husband. Her kind heart, considerate and generous mind, and love for her daughter lights her eyes and makes her easy to like and care for.
Cole's life took a turn at a young age when he was abandoned by his single-parent dad. The Holliday family embraced the young man as their own, and he grew up to be a talented, smart and kind man. The wounds from his childhood are still sore, but for the first time, he will consider celebrating Christmas, if it is with the two ladies who have stolen his heart with the first look, Joy and her daughter.
This story made me smile and sigh and swoon and put some holiday cheer into my heart. The story captures the essence of the spirit of Christmas. It gives hope, inspiration, and even has that touch of the magic that comes with childhood belief of all things are possible on Christmas
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

The book opens with Joy and her daughter driving from California to Montana to see her husband’s parents. She is a widow her husband a firefighter, died fighting one. Now she has decided that since her daughter is five that it is time for them to go to Montana and for Piper to have a white Christmas. Once there after surviving getting run off the road by Cole, her husband’s best friend who was plowing the roads. She realizes that the grandparents don’t have any decorations up and all of the pictures are gone as well. Now it is up to her and her daughter to change their home. The biggest change come in the form of Cole who was abandon on Christmas and does not believe in the whole season. What he does believe in is piper and when she is lost he finds her and he begins to change. He also begins to see Joy as someone he is attracted to and wonders if that is right or not. You see story goes along as hope about second chances and new beginnings. Will they stay in Montana, will her and Cole get together read this wonderful story to find out.

A Hummingbird Christmas is a delightful story of second chances for young widow Joy, who has brought her daughter Piper to Glacier Creek Montana to spend Christmas with her parents-in-law.
For Cole, her husband Matt’s best friend, Joy’s visit brings mixed emotions—he’s always resented her for taking Matt away from Glacier Creek. It comes as something of a shock to him to find he likes and is attracted to her, but then there’s the guilt associated with falling for his best friend’s wife.
For Matt’s parents, Joy’s visit brings healing and a new beginning as they come to deal with their grief over the death of their son.
I loved the warm inclusiveness of the Glacier Creek community and the way that Joy and Piper fitted in so quickly. The hummingbird that popped up here and there at strategic points through the story was also a lovely touch. This is a gentle, warm Christmas story that put a smile on my face early on and kept it there u til the last page.

Loved this book of Christmas miracles. Joy, widowed, has brought her daughter , Piper to Glacier Creek for Christmas with her in laws. Piper has three things on her Christmas list. A white Christmas, a puppy and a new daddy. Cole, does not do Christmas, he was abandoned as a young child on Christmas Eve, but can Piper bring miracles to all this Christmas season.

This book brought many happy tears to my eyes. Loved the hummingbird, always enjoyed! The perfect read of miracles, finding love and the importance of families. I highly recommend this read.
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This is a delightful festive read in which Joy Holliday takes her five year old daughter, Piper, to stay in Glacier Creek with the parents of her dead husband. She's travelled there after reading Piper's letter to Santa which asked for three things, the first of which was to see snow . . . . . Her arrival at her in-laws home, however, is somewhat dramatic as a snow storm and accident collude to introduce her to Cole Tanner, the man who grew up with her late husband but she'd never previously met. Their dramatic introduction has them reevaluating their preconceptions about each other and as they get to know each other, their feelings grow but will they give love a chance this Christmas?

The grief of losing a loved one is explored from a variety of viewpoints - his parents, widow, daughter and close friend are all still reacting to the tragedy in their own ways. Piper is a delightful child instrumental in many of the changes the adults experience. Wherever she goes, Joy keeps seeing hummingbirds and believes these are signs and messages to her - hence the title to the story. It is an emotive story, movingly written with additional potential tragedy having a strong impact on all involved. The community, Lucy and Montana, as well as family, all have key roles in this delightful festive romance which I enjoyed escaping into! It is the start of a new series and I'll definitely be looking out for future stories about Glacier Creek!

I requested and received a copy of this novel, via NetGalley. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.

“Santa was right! This is going to be the best Christmas ever!”
A Hummingbird Christmas has all necessary wonderful elements that I enjoy in a Christmas Romance story: small-town residents who support each other, a Christmas festival with all the events, lots of snow, Christmas decorations, sleigh rides, a person who avoids all things Christmas and a HEA. Add a small child and a dog to fully highlight the magical season. There is grieving in this story but there is also hope, love, and a promising future. I thought the Hummingbird “angel” was a perfect touch and made a believer out of me that it was a messenger from heaven. This is the first book in a new series. I see a lot of potential for this series and will check them out as they are released. This is the first book I’ve read by Karen Foley and I enjoyed it very much.

Loved loved loved this book. A story about loss and loved during the holidays. I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait for the second book. I'm going to look for more from this author.

This was such a sweet holiday story. I really loved every character and the parts they played. Thru all the sadness everything just worked out to be a great holiday. Merry Christmas

Filled with Christmas cheer and community spirit, this is a romance of fresh starts and new hope. I found it a pleasant enough read, if a little fast moving when it came to love.

Joy is nice. A hard-working widow who has travelled north to make her daughter’s Christmas as special as possible – with snow and grandparents and sleigh rides. I liked her and I loved her relationship with her daughter Piper.

I wasn’t so sure about Cole, though. For one thing his initial resentment of Joy is really harsh and it changes far too quickly, simply because he thinks she’s pretty. I also didn’t like the high handed way he was with Piper, especially when it came to the puppy. He was just a grumpy guy who much preferred jumping to conclusions over finding out the real answers.

As for the rest of the story, it was nice and Christmassy, with occasional hummingbirds. I think the romance was a bit too fast, all things considered, and I never really warmed Cole, but if you’re looking for a sweet Christmas romance with a cute kid and a hopeful outlook on love, then this may be just what you’re looking for.

Joy Holliday is way too young to be a widow but unfortunately she lost her firefighter husband, Matt, just after they’d started their lives together leaving her alone to raise their baby girl, Piper. Piper is now five and Joy wants to make this a Christmas she’ll never forget which includes giving her the wish of a white Christmas. Joy and Piper have lived in California since Matt’s passing but Joy believes this Christmas they should visit Matt’s parents in Glacier Creek, Montana.

Cole Tanner was like a brother to Matt having been abandoned at a young age by his own father and then raised by Matt’s parents. He’s a bit resentful of Joy since she had taken Matt away to California and as much as he’s wants to dislike her as soon as he meets Joy and Piper he can’t help but melt. Cole volunteers to show Joy and Piper the sights of the small town and the more time he spends with them the less he can see them walking back out of his life.

A Hummingbird Christmas by Karen Foley seems to be the first book in a new contemporary romance series, Glacier Creek. This first book held all those wonderful things I love from a small town holiday romance being set in this lovely town. There were special events and wonderful residents in this small town that made the Christmas magic just pop out from the pages of this lovely read.

I would warn that the romance within this book is one that happens at a fairly quick pace in the days leading up to the Christmas holiday. This didn’t bother me too much because it wasn’t an “instant” connection but one that built between the pair coming from their common loss and having that in common along with the joy of young Piper and making a magical holiday for her. I’m always a sucker for a young child fitting into a new relationship so it wasn’t a surprise that I loved this one.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A Hummingbird Christmas is a delightful journey toward healing for a family destroyed by grief, some left over resentment and life lessons taught far too young. Joy and her daughter Piper are heading to Montana to spend Christmas with her deceased husband’s parents and adopted brother. It should be a journey of excitement and a fairy tale Christmas, instead it’s opening wounds that haven’t healed as Joy discovers that Matt’s Mon and Dad are far different back home than they are when they visit Joy and Piper in California. Here in the beautifully rugged home they’ve built no mementos of a lost life can be found. No photos of Matt, Joy or Piper grace the mantel place, no Christmas decorations appear anywhere, not even a tree. Four years after his death, Matt’s parents are still in deep grief, their pain too intense to constantly view photos of what will never be again or to take over things that Matt always did, like picking out and putting up the Christmas tree. His brother, Cole, still resents Joy for taking Matt away from Montana to live in her California. Taking away not only his adopted brother but his best friend. On some level Cole believes that if she hadn’t lured Matt away then he’d still be alive today. It’s not logical, it makes no sense to anyone but Cole. Yet every time he looks at young Piper he sees Matt and his heart is slowly thawing.

Cole and Joy’s journey toward love and a new life is emotional, touching and filled with wonder and a touch of other-world magic. There is only one species of hummingbird that lives in the Glacier Creek area. And for some reason, even though sighting them is rare just about everywhere Joy looks she sees hummingbirds. Matt had always said that hummingbirds are messengers from heaven, passing along hope and love to those left behind. It’s a beautiful thought that Joy clings to while Cole and his parents question.

One near tragedy will set their romance back a bit, but the kind of love that can last a life time isn’t afraid to fight… and Joy will fight for what she believes is their future. Cole needs to heal from so much, and letting Joy in is the beginning of that process. All Piper wanted from Santa was a white Christmas, a puppy and a new daddy… looks like she just may get her wish.

I enjoyed A Hummingbird Christmas very much. Loss touches every life at some point. This story is part romance, part learning how to deal with loss and learn how to love once again. It’s emotional, funny, sad and Christmas-y. A perfect storm of a very special Christmas romance. I’d recommend this story to any Romance reader who loves to get in at the beginning of a new series, and loves the hope and promise that Christmas Romances can bring.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

A Hummingbird Christmas by Karen Foley is a Glacier Creek Novel. There are smokejumpers in the story but it is not a major part since it is December in Montana with at least a foot of snow. This heartwarming story is one of fulfilling a child’s wishes, love, loss and renewed zest for life. One sweet, precocious little girl and four fine adults make this a realistic read. There is a small transcendent element with the hummingbird sightings but the author leaves it to the reader to decide what it means.

The villain in this story would be death so when he comes to claim a second Holliday life the fight is on. It is a heart pounding time as the search is going on but also one that could easily happen. I appreciated that gratitude prevails among the characters instead of trying to lay blame. That pretty much sums up the atmosphere of the entire story. Yes, there is romance in the story but it is more of a family banding together to overcome grief. So the adults are still moving on from losses in their lives but find that a joyous, thankful attitude brings more joy and love to them. A positive Christmas story to enjoy at the holiday season..

A Hummingbird Christmas is a wonderful, sweet story of hope, new beginnings, and living a joyous life. It's a great story with some truly amazing characters.

Joy Holliday has decided that this is the year to celebrate Christmas with her in=laws in Montana. After losing her husband getting through each day and focusing on her young daughter has taken all she has. Now she needs to live life joyfully and fulfilling her daughter's Christmas wish list is the goal. Cole Tanner is prepared to dislike Joy. Not only did she convince his best friend to move to California but she's also made a relationship between her daughter's Grandparents and the little girl difficult by refusing to come to Montana. Disliking her is impossible though. Her warm manner and effort she is obviously making is all he needs to see. Add in the adorable pixie that is her daughter and Cole's a goner.

Definitely a book for the holiday reading list. I highly recommend it.

A Hummingbird Christmas by Karen Foley
Glacier Creek #1

Looking for a sweet Christmas romance filled with the magic of the holidays? If you believe in miracles, omens, signs sent by those departed and like a HEA then look no further. In fact, at one point I had a tingle or two in spite of having a pretty good idea what might happen next. The romance between Joy and Cole along with the festivities, family and fun all go together like clockwork and provide the perfect backdrop for this delightful story. There is one rough patch to deal with but all in all this was fun from beginning to end. And the hummingbird…well…some might think it a bit hokey BUT it works very VERY well in this story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4.5 Stars