This holiday story reminds us that there are two sides to every story. Jemma Banks hasn't seen her father since he left the family for another woman at Christmas when she was a teenager. She and her sister also have not celebrated Christmas since then. The last place she wants to be is in a picturesque small town decked out for Christmas taking care of the father that abandoned her. But, her father broke his pelvis and there is no one else to help him at home, so she checks into the Graff with plans for short visit and as little talking as possible. Even the best-laid plans go awry as Marietta weaves its magic and she gets to know both her father and his friend/Physical Therapist.
EJ Corpa is prepared to dislike the daughter of the man who is his friend and has been like a father to him. Raised in foster care with no family, he can't completely understand why his daughters won't have anything to do with him.
As the holiday and the town weave their magic and the more time Jemma spends in Marietta, the closer she and EJ become. Will they have the strength to put aside the baggage of their pasts and find their HEA?

I just loved Christmas at the Graff! Kaylie Newell has a way with words. She’s written a story that could have been really intense and angsty but instead it’s light and fun and had me smiling again and again.
Jenna is a gorgeous heroine. She’s in Marietta to help the father who walked out on her mother when Jenna was fifteen and while she cares about him there are years of bitter resentment to overcome.
EJ is a product of the foster care system having been abandoned by his parents as a toddler. Neither of them does relationships yet they both feel an inexplicable pull towards each other which has them questioning their values and their outlooks on life.
I know Christmas is over for another year but this is seriously good, light and entertaining reading and in my opinion it’s good for any time of the year. Thoroughly recommended!

This is another lovely Marietta based festive read. Many of the characters and Christmas events described in other stories from this publisher are also featured in this heart-warming story and it is great to revisit them.

The focus in this story is on Joe Banks, who left his wife and two children to start a new life with a new love. Now, more than a decade later, he’s wanting to reconnect with his two girls, but both are reluctant to have anything to do with him. A fall and a broken pelvis give him the excuse to ask for their help and Jemma reluctantly agrees to come to look after him. Get ready for angst and turmoil as problems for the past, the need for open communication and love all play their part in their attempts to rekindle their father/daughter relationship.

Intertwined with this is the relationship with EJ Corpa. He spent most of his childhood in foster care, with little stability in his life. when he moved to Marietta he met Joe and the two have become close, like the family EJ had never had. He’s wary of Joe’s daughter but the chemistry between them is there from the start. Can love help melt the icy walls around their hearts to let love stand a chance?

Get ready for plenty of festive events - from tree decorating to ice-skating on Miracle Lake - this story is a great addition to those based in Marietta. The town, its characters and events are brought vividly to life in the story and I thoroughly enjoyed visiting there again in my imagination. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series in future!

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

Do you ever read a book and think, “Ok, moving on...?” That’s all I could think once I finished it. It wasn’t terrible, definitely wasn’t great. Didn’t make me feel much of anything.

Jemma Banks hasn’t seen her father in over a decade since he divorced her mother and moved in with another woman. Jemma and her sister have not forgiven their father and have had very little contact but when he is injured he asks one of them to come help him when released from the hospital. Jemma knows her sister will never make the trip to Marietta, MT where their father is living and since she can work remotely she grudgingly volunteers.

After arriving in Marietta Jemma meets her father’s physical therapist, EJ Corpa, who seems to be very close to her father. EJ had bounced around foster homes as a child and finally put down roots in the small town and found himself becoming friends and looking up to Jemma’s father. Seeing her father through EJ’s eyes Jemma tries to finally mend their relationship all the while spending time with the sexy physical therapist.

Christmas at the Graff by Kaylie Newell is the second book in the Holiday at the Graff series by various authors. The series is set in the charming small town of Marietta, MT at their local hotel with each book featuring a new couple coming together on a different holiday. The series can be read as standalone books if choosing to although there are always glimpses into the small town that is featured in many romance series.

As much as I wanted to love this book set in Marietta since I normally do enjoy the read centered there this one just wasn’t for me unfortunately. I found myself getting off on the wrong foot with Jemma with her constant complaining about her father. The theme was that he had left his daughters behind but Jemma was the younger of the two at fifteen and I would think since he had tried keeping in touch at some point they would have seen that divorce did not mean leaving them but an unhappy marriage. It just rubbed me the wrong way to still harbor ill feelings when he’d done his best but had been pushed away. In the end I’d give this one 2.5 stars but I’m sure others would still enjoy the romance a bit more than I did.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Jemma is in Marietta to help take care of her dad who she has not seen since she was a young child and he left. She hopes that she can keep her heart intact and help her dad and get back home to her sister. EJ didn't have the best childhood however he picked the best thing up, which is helping people heal. When he is set to help Joe his best friend with Physical therapy it seems he gets a lot more then he expected. Can they both find healing in the most unlikely of places

This book will definitely put you in the Christmas spirit. Bob is hands down my favorite in the book I agree with EJ he is everyone who loves Christmas "spirit animal". I feel like the characters were fun and easy to follow. I really enjoyed how EJ was a "free" by fun and independent spirit yet was really willing to help those who needed it the most. I love the town of Marietta it seems that no matter what time of the year you are reading a book Marietta seems Magical. Two broken people with a past history of people letting them down and hoping to find healing one. This book will not disappoint. This book does have strong and adult language.

The prodigal daughter returned to Montana to take care of her failing father - the father who abandoned her and her sister when she was 15, just days before Christmas. Jemma Banks knew it was a tough choice to make, but somebody got to do it, so she went to her father's side to help, but couldn't offer more than that. Not love, not forgiveness, not even Christmas. Until she met her dad's physical therapist, EJ Corpa.

A man dedicated to his patients and snowboarding, EJ wasn't really into commitments, not after he had been abandoned by his own parents when he was born. But one look at Jemma, and his tough facade melted down. It looked like he had finally found the one who would help him up with his Christmas tree this year...

I couldn't ask for a nicer holiday read after Christmas at the Graff. I'm back to Marietta, Montana, my second most favorite place in the (book) world, next to Hogwarts. At least in Marietta, we get to meet real nice people, always helping out others who are in need, always looking out for each other, without the flick of a wand. The Graff, the majestic hotel in Montana which I've come to love after reading tons of stories about it, is even more magical during the winter holidays. Jemma and Ej forged a bond in this hotel, coupled with their love for the ill patient Joe, and amusement with the resident good guy, Bob.

This story is about forgiving the one who had wronged you, while listening and understanding his reason. I love that Jemma Banks still valued her family after everything that has happened to them. I would love to know more about her sister Justine. She sounds like a very formidable woman full of angst. She needs to soften up. A great guy like EJ might just be good for her. Too bad Jemma had already laid claims on him. I approve of Ej and Jemma though. I think they make a really good pair. A match made in hell - like what Ej said.

Christmas at the Graff is a perfect read to heat up your holidays! Don't just take my word for it.

Fun dialogue, interesting characters (main & supporting), written so you feel/see the Christmas magic throughout charming Marietta. Puts you in the Christmas mood. Words flow easily and keeps your attention. The main leads are wonderful together with their witty dialogue and similar abandonment/commitment/broken family issues but they’re different. EJ is an easy going, snowboarder/physical therapist while Jemma is closed-off, chilly accountant who has no intention of reconnecting with her father. I enjoy holiday stories where someone has lost their Christmas spirit and has it returned. This is a wonderful holiday romance that includes a charming setting, healing a broken family, community togetherness and fundraising, falling in love, and a HEA ending. I hope we get to see Jemma’s sister story in a future book. First book I’ve read by this author and will check out her other books.

this turned out to be a great story. The story line really flowed well and the ending was very subtle. I could not put this down. Merry Christmas to All.

Very cute quick read, I loved Gemma and EJ both so damaged by similar situations but they brought out the best in each other

I LOVED EJ Corpa's character. He's such a live-in-the-moment kind of guy and exactly the partner Jemma needs. What a number her mom did on her and her sister. How can you not get caught up in the spirit of Christmas? It was as though she had been waiting her whole life for the opportunity to let her inner child free. I love how she makes every effort to break through the walls she's built up over time and give her father and her heart another chance. I like these two together. Looking forward to reading her sister's story in the future.

Christmas at the Graff by Kaylie Newell
Holiday at the Graff Series #2

Jemma Banks has gone to Marietta, Montana to help her father recuperate with the assistance of physical therapist EJ Corpa. Jemma’s father Joe is hopeful that her time with him will open a door for dialogue to put the abandonment she and her sister feel behind them while providing an opportunity for a relationship between father and daughters in the future. When EJ asks Jemma to help out with a Christmas tree decorating contest the town is holding to raise money for a needy cause she agrees and comes up with an intriguing idea for the two of them to work on together. The time they spend together is fun and filled with winter and holiday events but whether or not they will have a future or win the contest is up in the air as is the question of whether or not Joe and his daughters will make up.

This was a fun small town holiday romance and I would like to thank NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

I’m really enjoying the holiday at the Graff series from Tule, which does a great job in developing multiple series around Marietta Montana. This was a sweet story of Jemma - who reluctantly comes to help a father she believes abandoned her as a teen - and EJ, her dad’s physical therapist who has formed a close almost father/son relationship with the man. The two are thrown together as they each work through their abandonment issues and learn more about Jemma’s father, forgiveness and rebuilding - all while decorating a fabulous Christmas tree for a great cause!

There is something magical about the Marietta, Montana stories, especially the Christmas ones. Each author has brought so much of the heart and joy to the stories, this one most of all. Ms Newell certainly has a knack for giving a story something special, and that is to breath life into it.

EJ and Jemma's story touches on so many of the wonderful things that make the perfect holiday story. There is forgiveness, second chances, new love, friendship and the caring only a small town's people can give. And so much more that resides right below the surface that leaves a warm feeling in your heart.

I'm just waiting for more of the Holiday at the Graff stories to come out. I'm anxious to see whose life will find the kind of love that seems to only be found in Marietta.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

When Jemma Banks is guilted into returning to her fathers side to help him recover from injury she doesn’t expect to reopen her heart to him or the Christmas season. Physical Therapist EJ Corpa is determined to help the father and daughter renew there relationship while she’s there. Once she agrees to help the clinic decorate a tree for a charity fundraiser Jemma and EJ find themselves spending a lot of time together and falling for one another in the process. Will the past get in the way or will they both find a way to enjoy this Christmas?
I loved this book! Jemma and EJ’s characters were perfect and the story flowed very well!

Jemma Banks isn't going to be in Marietta for long. She's just here to help the father who abandoned her as a child. To say she has mixed emotions is an understatement. And meeting her father's friend/pysical therapist, EJ Corpa doesn't help her sort those feelings at all.

The man is handsome as heck and really seems to see Jemma's father as, well, a father-figure. And while he says repeatedly that he's not interested in long-term relationships, he seems to have a heart as big as the mountains they climb to find the perfect Christmas tree.

This was mostly an okay book except that EJ was sort of a creepy person. He was controlling, never even tried to see Jemma's side of the story, and kept having thoughts about how to kidnap Jemma. I soldiered through to the end of the book but it was a near thing.



This book came out November 1

Two stars

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

WOW, OH WOW!! Christmas at the Graff by Kaylie Newell, book two in the Holiday at the Graff series, is amazing story that I just loved. I even stayed up late so I could finish it, which is not something I often do.

Jemma Banks arrives in Marietta, Montana to assist her estranged father during his recovery from a broken hip. Neither she nor her older sister had seen or talked to him since he walked out on her mother eleven years ago and was unsure if she was ready to forgive him. When physical therapist extraordinaire, EJ Corpa, meets Jemma he fears she will hurt his friend and father-figure, Joe Banks. These two end up spending a great deal of time together, getting to know one another as Jemma steps in for her dad helping EJ choose a theme and decorate a tree for the Mischief and Mistletoe charity auction. What these two learn is that they share a lot similar hurts and insecurities as their attraction grows toward love for one another.

I really loved enjoyed this book and had trouble putting this book down, reading this book in one day. Kaylie Newell is a great story teller able to draw her readers into her stories. I definitely recommend this book to other readers and look forward to the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

The Graff has been a prominent feature in Marietta, Montana so it is only fitting that it gets its own series. The amazing motivative from the first book is carried on in this second Holiday at the Graff book, Christmas at the Graff by Kaylie Newell. It is a heartwarming romance, of forgiveness, opening up your heart and finding delight in life.

Not everything bad from our past can be forgotten, but forgiveness is possible is a lesson to be learned by us all. I enjoyed seeing this played out in the life of returning native, Jemma Banks. By doing so gave her the ability to count on love for the present to be there in the future too.
Stand-alone romance that again allows the reader to enjoy the festive holiday season in Marietta.

A holiday romance not to be missed.

Jemma Banks was in Marietta, Montana, to help her father recover from an injury. She never forgave her father for leaving her family when she was younger, but she felt a sense of duty to take care of him now.

EJ Corpa grew up in foster care and never really had a place to call home until he settled in Marietta. He befriended Joe Banks and over the years came to consider him family. When Joe's daughter arrived to help care for Joe, EJ had no idea how he would feel towards Jemma since she never visited her father. But as soon as he met her, he felt the pull towards her. EJ knew he shouldn't think of Jemma in any way other than just Joe's daughter, as she would soon be leaving Marietta. But the more time EJ spent with Jemma, the harder it was for him to get her off his mind.

When Jemma heard Joe always helped EJ decorate a tree for a hospital fundraiser, but now couldn't because of his injury, Jemma offers to take his place. Together, Jemma and EJ come up with the perfect theme for their tree and along the way they discover something they never thought would happen. They fell in love.

This magical romance will open your eyes to what is right in front of you and help you realize your past doesn't predict who you will be in the future. And forgiveness is always important.

Christmas At The Graff delivers an emotional story, one that is far too common. A family estranged, parents giving two far different versions of the truth and children left with anger, sadness and confusion when reality comes into their lives with situations they are not prepared for. Jemma and her sister Justine have had years to build their anger and resentment toward their father. He walked away from their mother and from them. Forgiving him is not an option for either woman, the damage done is too painful to allow for anything beyond resentment and unanswered questions. Their mother became an embittered woman who had nothing but hatred toward their father. There were casualties from their parent’s break up… one of them was Christmas.

Now Joe needs help. After a broken pelvis, their father has asked for help which Jemma is grudgingly providing. Justine will have nothing to do with the situation, but Jemma made the trip to Marietta, she’ll do her daughterly duty but she’s determined to not budge on forgiving her father. His handsome physical therapist can sing Joe’s praises, but Jemma’s not buying it. She knows what her father is like, EJ has no clue.

Jemma and EJ are both wounded souls for slightly different reasons. Neither trusts in lasting love or happy ever afters. But what they both will learn over the days leading up to Christmas is that truth is often two sided, depending on who is telling their version of the truth. Jemma will slowly discover that she’s not been given the entire story behind the dissolving of a family, and while her father was to blame… so was her mother and the version of truth she made the choice to tell her daughters. A near tragedy will change everything, and maybe forgiveness isn’t as difficult as she once thought.

The historic hotel The Graff is all decked out for Christmas, and this building is as much a characters as everyone else. I can remember reading the story surrounding the Graff being remodeled, brought back to life once again – and it’s fun for me to see just how well this particular character of a building has grown over time.

I enjoyed this touching romance. I hurt for both Jemma and EJ – their lives have not been easy, and both have created walls that it will take some life changing events to tear down. But watching them discover that love is a possibility for them, that the past can be left behind and a new future forged was a delightful experience. I would recommend Christmas At The Graff for any Romance reader who enjoys digging deep into emotions, finding answers that aren’t easy and finding a love worth fighting for.

*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.*