3,5 stars
Cute Story... if you saw the movie, you knew the story. I enjoyed it !

I quickly got pulled into this book. There are several smaller story lines that all connect in some way. This is a great Christmastime story, full of family and connections. I enjoyed this book

“How else did you keep memories alive other than to hang on to the places where they’d been created?”

This is the second Hallmark movie-to-book that I've read (the previous one was Journey Back to Christmas), and, again, it's heartwarming, sweet, and a bit (maple) sappy.  It's also adorably silly.  Due to their professions, there's both real estate (after being dumped, Fiona moans “what if I’m like that half duplex that just sits on the market forever?”) and food (Derek thinks she's "more pleasing to the eye than a clean kitchen at the end of the day") comparisons.  So, yeah, dad-jokes abound, but, for the most part, the book's so darn fluffy and sweet that it's hard to fault it for being, well, as corny as a Hallmark movie.

“Memories lived in the boards underfoot, in the walls surrounding you. In the ceiling that had seen years of laughter and tears.”

Fiona is constantly on-the-go, with her cellphone permanently melded to her hand, since she makes herself available to her real estate clients at all times.  She prides herself on finding them not just a place to live, but a place to make a home.  She's successful, loves her job, and content in her relationship - at least until her boyfriend dumps her.  Devastated, her friend Angela convinces her to take a vacation to her family's inn in Vermont, despite her guilt - she's much too busy to call or visit her family regularly, and she still holds a grudge against her dad for selling their family home in NYC after her mother died.

“She had caffeine addict written all over her. She’d need it to speed through her day as she missed all the greatness of Vermont around her because she was too much in a hurry to appreciate the small things.”

Derek, the new cook at her family's inn, is still recovering from his own failed relationship.  At first, they clash horribly, with a lot of smirking on Derek's part and bratty sarcastic teen behavior on Fiona's.  Despite her “big mouth and speed demon tendencies,” though, there's a spark between them, and when Fiona runs into her ex and his brand new girlfriend, she concocts a dopey plan to have Derek pretend to be her new boyfriend (without asking him first, of course).  Eventually, of course, they figure out together when to go fast (pancake eating contest) and slow (kissing).  This is even a two-for-one romance as we also get to see a relationship develop between Fiona's friend, Angela, and her brother.

“The best dishes of my life… My grandma’s wedding meatballs. My dad’s shepherd’s pie. Maple torte on my aunt’s birthday. To me, food isn’t about perfection. It’s about love…and family…and tradition.”

The plot is predictable, and everything gets wrapped up nicely in the end, of course, complete with a wedding and baby in the epilogue.  Fiona learns how to slow down, a conflict at the inn is resolved, and Fiona and her dad finally have an actual conversation, where she learns that, basically, she's been acting on a wrong assumption for years.  Besides that, I had two main issues with the book.  The first is Fiona's behavior - she really acts like an immature spoiled brat at times in how she treats her family and friends.  Secondly, I felt awful for Fiona's ex's new girlfriend, Hayley.  While I didn't think Fiona's ex was much of a catch - he definitely gave off "bro" vibes and seemed to not want to put any work into his relationships - Hayley had done nothing wrong and overall came off as a very sweet person.  She's probably better off without the jerk, honestly, but it still felt like an awful thing for Fiona to do, and I wished Fiona had shown more remorse for that.

And now, I leave you with my favorite quote from the book, Derek's thoughts when he realizes he's in love with Fiona.

“Fiona was better than a perfect pie crust, far superior to getting the right crispiness to the bacon in his maple bacon pork loin, and definitely more pleasing to the eye than a clean kitchen at the end of the day.”

Fluffy, sappy, and sweet.  Perfect book candy!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

3.5 ☆
This is my first book by Kacy Cross.

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Standalone
HEA

What I didn't like:
Fiona seemed like a teenager

I look forward to reading more from this author.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to read in exchange for a fair review. This book is based on the Hallmark movie of the same name. The author Kacy Cross is new to me and I was unable to find any other books written by her/him after several google searches I am going to assume it’s a pen name or an author hired by Hallmark to write this book. Moonlight in Vermont is the story of Fiona Rangley is a high powered, high speed, New York City real estate agent who is broken hearted when her boyfriend dumps her ...telling her he’s tired of being just one more ball in her juggling act. Fiona and her best friend Angela head off to her fathers Vermont Inn during MapleFaire to regroup and recover. Derek Price is the very good looking chef at the Inn who agrees to be her pretend boyfriend when her ex shows up in Vermont with a new girlfriend. Derek teaches Fiona that slowing down is perhaps not such a bad thing and their pretend relationship begins to feel real. The book is a sweet and enjoyable read even if they don’t seem to know the difference between maple sap and maple syrup. If you are looking for a clean and wholesome romance to start off the new year I would recommend this book. Publishing Date January 2, 2018. #MoonlightInVermont #NetGalley

If you’re a fan of those heart warming, flirty, relationship angst filled Hallmark romantic movies, you really don’t need a lengthy introduction to this storyline and will likely feel right at home with this one, folks. Derek and Fiona, the main couple, do get their HEA after Fiona finally finds closure in letting go of her hurt feelings after being dumped by a boyfriend who was pretty quick in finding her replacement. Not surprisingly, said boyfriend does pop up and presents some other man drama as he’s seen sporting the other woman on his arm. With a plot revolving around making him jealous and leaving the door open to winning him back, it all unfolds with Fiona realizing fate had other plans for her.

I personally couldn’t help but feel a little bad for the OW (who was not dating the boyfriend before or at the time of their original break-up) and even a tad bit for the boyfriend. It seemed like he had just cause for thinking he came in second place to Fiona’s career commitments/goals.

Country air and moonlight gets this leading lady to slow things down and realize she needed more than just career success to be happy. Derek’s special deal did the job in securing his future investment and the lady love he needed to get over his past, damaged heart.

Title: Moonlight in Vermont: Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie, Author: Kacy Cross, Pages: 182, stand-alone, non-steamy/romantic read, relationship angst, some OM drama, comes to her senses.

(I received a free advanced reader copy provided via NetGalley. No type of compensation was given to this reviewer, nor is there is any relationship or affiliation between the reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley. Reviews will be posted on-line on release day.)

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review,  so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
This is a story is about Fiona Rangely, she loves her fast-paced life as a high-end real estate broker in New York City. Or at least, she does until her boyfriend dumps her, claiming that he doesn’t get enough of her time.
She retreats to her family’s quaint Vermont Inn to evaluate her life...but her ex-boyfriend soon shows up with a brand new girlfriend. Fiona quickly devises a plan to win him back: pretend the handsome and laid-back head chef Derek is her new boyfriend!
 Will her ex realize what he’s missing? And will Fiona herself start seeing love—and life—in a new light?
This fun, feel-good romance includes a free exclusive recipe for Maple Glazed Sea Scallops.
This was my first book by this author,  I absolutely enjoyed every second of it. But i also enjoy hallmark movies so that could be why. It was fast paced and just alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a 4.5 star rating!