"Christmas Angels" would make the perfect Hallmark Christmas Movie. Absolutely LOVED the characters and the story.

Nancy Naigle's description of this small mountain town of Antler Creek makes me want to pack up my bags and move there. This is a story about following your dream, and watching that dream come to life, angel by angel. I'm hoping for a Hallmark movie, and a sequel next Christmas. I'd love to see how things develop between Liz and Matt and what the future holds for them.

This is a sweet romance that will warm your heart.

Liz Westmoreland makes a rash decision one morning and wins an auction on the house her grandparents used to own and operate as an inn. As the "big city" Charlotte girl moves to small town in North Carolina to renovate and reopen the inn that she grew up in, I loved watching Liz reconnect with her past and learn about the people currently living in the small town and the impact that the inn would have on them all.

This was another Christmas book that I would love to see be made into a Hallmark Christmas movie it had just the right heart and small town charm mixed with a great love story. Liz and Matt were just great! Liz renovating something that was close to her heart and Matt having a connection to it as well was just the best story to read. With their connection from the past, it helped the book feel less like insta love and more like a true fall in love story.

My favorite part of the story was when Liz the always in control individual takes a major fall and has to hand over the "reigns" and let someone else take over. This part reminded me of myself so much. I am a planner and like to be responsible for everything, so I related when watching Liz have to let Matt take control and how that could feel when you want to do it all.

There was one part that felt a little out of left field and that was when Matt's sister showed up out of left field, I wish the author had done some prep work with some phone calls or text messages between the characters, it would have just made her appearance a little more smooth. I love the piece that she was a part of the story, just would have loved a little warning that she could come!

This was a great Christmas story to dive into during this season. It was perfect and sweet.

4 Angel Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
This has everything you could want in a holiday-themed story.
We have a woman with sweet, warm, reassuring feelings when remembering her grandparents' inn. How she loved it there. It was a small town but never small in love. This woman grows to be successful, capable and has the means to follow her own dreams.

Dreams which were not to happen. When the grandparents sold the place she adored she wasn't able to make any type of offer. Now she is in that position and has decided she will create her own inn. She goes online, sees a property that seems just right and makes the bid without even going to see it in person.

Is that a bit Cray Cray...Yes, and everyone she has talked to about this endeavor agrees, NUTS.

But our gal knows deep down inside, if this is meant to happen she will get the bid. She gets the bid and true to her vow, off she goes to that small town she loved, leaving the big city behind for a while.

Our gal wasn't the only one bidding on this property. The fella who was the only other viable bidder lives in town has his property right next to the inn he wanted and prays the one who won the bid is not going to keep the place modern and cold as the last owners.

When the new owner comes to claim the place, she has a huge shock. It was gutted, literally, and everything she loved about it is gone. She is determined to bring it back to its old glory but she is going to need some help. Lucky for her, the neighbor remembers her as the teenage crush he had and bids the project to help.

Love comes to us in all ways...through restoring an inn, having two people find each other, and in this case...Magical Tree Topping Christmas Angels guiding the way.

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

Liz did not have the typical childhood that you would expect and this has influenced the way she lives her life. She loves her parents but it was her grandparents that instilled the importance of family and what a family really means. Her best memories from her childhood were centered around her grandparents and the inn that they ran in their small town.

When she finds that the inn is up for auction, she bids for it and is successful. She does this against the advice of her friends, colleagues and even her own parents. There is something about the property that makes her feel at peace and at home. Nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to see. The previous owners gutted and tore out so many features of the home that she loved. She is devastated and unsure if she can accomplish everything that needs to be done.

When all seems impossible enter Matt – sweet, kind and thoughtful (he melted my heart!). He had a huge crush on Liz as a child and is more than happy to help her with her new project (and you can see how much he still cares for her even if Liz has blinders on). He wants her to remember her family, the good in people (you can rely on others) and the joy in the simple moments.

This is an absolute beautiful novel that makes you laugh, cry and hope for the best. Family is so important and this novel reminds you of all those cherished memories from years ago. You are rooting for Liz and Matt – you want her to find her happiness and dreams, even if she is stubborn to see it right in front of her. It is a beautiful story of starting over, finding happiness and peace in the storm of life. It not only makes a great holiday read but a fantastic year round read.

What a charming book.

Both Liz Westmoreland and Matt Hardy bid on a piece of property that is up for auction. Liz wins the bid and she is surprised that it is the Inn that her grandparents owned years prior. It was always her dream to take over the running of the inn, but her grandparents sold it.

Now that she is the owner of this piece of property, she must decide what to do with it. The previous owners turned it into an art gallery and left the place a mess. Matt, who is her neighbor and the other person to bid on the property, recognizes Liz from his childhood. He is determined to help her turn it into what it once was.

Liz begins to doubt herself and what she is doing, but the town is behind her. Is it enough to make her turn her thoughts around? And they angels that keep popping up all over the place......are they a sign?

A delightful read that will definitely put you in a jolly holiday mood.

5 stars

My Review: I have really grown to love Naigle's Christmas books, they always have that Hallmark movie, cozy, happy feeling. This might end up being my favorite holiday read of this year. I loved the slight twist to the classic tropes, instead of inheriting the family property she purchased after it had left family hands. I adored Matt, though I don't feel like I got the full story of his background, I kind of hope that we get another story involving him and his family. Of course, the small town community tops it all, there is nothing like a small community coming together to support one another or just for holiday celebrations! Definitely the warm, cozy, feel good story for the holiday season.

Christmas Angels is a sweet Hallmark-esk Christmas Romance it's an easy romance and it I read through it in no time, I thought it was a lot shorter than 300ish pages. I really enjoyed this one it really leaves you with a Christmasy feeling. The main characters both love Christmas and have so much in common. Liz Westmoreland grew up in the city but she's a small town girl at heart all she has ever wanted was to run the Inn her Grandparents owned. Matt Hardy loves his hometown of Antler Creek he's never wanted to leave it he came back after college and lost his fiancee because she didn't want to live in such a small town she wanted the big city and all it's perks.

By sheer chance Liz finds her grandparents Inn up for auction and bids on it sight unseen, well recently unseen. Liz is the winning bid she takes a leave of absence from work, it helps that her best friend is her boss. It seems like every other person thinks Liz is crazy for doing this but Liz is determined this is the life she wants. Liz's heart drops when she walks into the Inn to find it gutted the previous owners ripped just about everything out and turned it into an art gallery. Matt recognizes Liz almost immediately and since he didn't get the winning bid for the Inn he's glad it went to her. When they were younger and she would come to visit her Grandparents he had such a crush on her and now she's back hopefully to stay; to help with that he puts in a bid to fix the Inn and the connected cabins. All of Antler Creek is happy to have Liz there and that she's bringing back the Inn. When ever Liz is in doubt about her choice she seems to find one of her Grandmother's angels laying around and it gives her hope that this is what she's supposed to be doing, until disaster strikes and Liz really begins to doubt herself it's up to all her new friends and Matt to show her she's exactly where she needs to be.

Overall, it's such a sweet read. I really hope Hallmark picks this one up. I can just imagine how beautiful Lights at the Lodge would look. It's a great heartwarming story with great characters and I hope we aren't done with Antler Creek yet it's place I'd love to visit again.

It is only October but I am in the Christmas spirit!

Liz has always dreamed of running the inn that her grandparents used to run in Antler Creek. When their old inn ends up on an auction sight, she takes a risk and buys it sight unseen. Matt has grown up in Antler Creek and is back for a while, mourning the death of his father. He also happens to be a contractor which is exactly what Liz needs.

I was a bit unclear of Matt’s backstory. I know that in Hallmark movies, and Naigle novels, that the male characters don’t always get completely fleshed out, but I hoped for a little more. He apparently lives and works in Chicago, but he also lives and has a dream home in the North Carolina mountains. The death of his father also seems to come and go as necessary to the story.

Liz on the other hand is definitely more fleshed out. She is a successful big city realtor who decides to move to the mountains to open her grandparen’t sold inn. Unfortunately, the last owners tried to turn it into an art gallery and as a result, tore it down to the studs, leaving Liz in more of a hole than she originally intended. She does, of course, have a male best friend who does not believe that she is capable of getting this project off the ground.

When this book is adapted into a Hallmark movie, which for sure it will be, I will not be surprised when the male best friend/co-worker is turned into a co-worker/boyfriend. Part of the reason I keep comparing this book is not just because she mentioned Hallmark by name on 5 separate occasions, but because it follows the classic Hallmark formula. As a Hallmark movie lover, I greatly enjoyed this aspect.

The town comes to life in this book which is wonderful. The small town aspect is the perfect amount of warmth for a Christmas story. I love that even though it did have the aspect of the angels, it never got to be super religious. Also, if I’m being completely honest, it didn’t even get completely Christmassy until the end. This book could’ve happened at any time of the year and I appreciated that.

If you are looking for a feel good Christmas book to read curled up by the fire with a cup of coffee or tea, this is the one you should pick. It moves quickly with lovable characters in a lovable setting. There aren’t any completely ridiculous twists or conflicts. Just pure love and romance and joy. I don’t remember liking Christmas Joy as much as this one, so I would recommend Christmas Angels first, but I am definitely looking forward to more Christmas stories by Naigle!

Reading this story has me in the Christmas spirit. I enjoyed Liz, Matt and all of the towns people. This definitely should be a Hallmark movie and I'm hoping to read more about this town.

Set in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, “Christmas Angels” is about you guessed it – Christmas angels, as in the ones you decorate your tree with and the ones that you put on your front lawn for your holiday display.

It follows Liz Westmoreland, a Project Manager from Charlotte and Matt Hardy, an architect from Chicago. Both have roots in the small mountain town of Antler Creek. While Matt had already built his house there and already contemplating of moving to Antler Creek permanently, Liz was still on the fence.

Liz bought her grandparents’ old inn and it was while renovating that Liz met Matt and the community of Antler Creek. Between renovations and reconnecting with the townspeople, Liz keeps on finding Christmas angels in the property.

Were the angels little miracles? Were they signs for her to stay? Or were they messages from her dead grandparents?

In “Christmas Angels” the angels were presented as the Christmas angels in a Christmas tree. But, they are more than that as you get to know Liz, Matt and the townspeople of Antler Creek.

A heartwarming Christmas story filled with the magic and miracles of the holiday season by USA Today Bestselling author, Nancy Naigle.

Growing up, Liz Westmoreland dreamed of taking over her grandparents inn located in the small mountain town of Antler Creek only for it to be sold before she ever got the chance. While browsing the internet, she stumbles upon a listing for what looks to be the picturesque inn and it’s set to go to auction. Liz places a bid, and by a miracle, wins the auction. But when she gets there she finds the property in significant disrepair.

When Matt Hardy narrowly lost the inn and property that butted his land, he just hoped it wasn't another city slicker coming to make matters worse after the previous owners gutted the place for an art gallery. But the minute he recognized the sweet, freckle-faced girl from his childhood and heard her plans to reopen the inn, he jumps at the chance to help his childhood crush restore a place where he made so many fond memories.

While working on repairs, Liz and Matt discover her grandmother’s collection of angels in one of the cabins. When the angels start mysteriously showing up all over the inn, she begins to look at them as reassurance—that restoring the inn is what she's meant to do. But when an accident leaves Liz feeling like she made a mistake, will Matt—and the residents of Antler Creek—be able to show Liz that she's found a home? And possibly true love as well?

Christmas Angels reads just like a Hallmark movie. A sweet story about Liz and Matt who knew each other as kids and both had nostalgia reasons for wanting to own the inn. The story is predictable but sweet nonetheless. Perfect read for the holiday season. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

A well written perfectly paced story pulling you in from the start. This one about Liz and her dream place and how Matt helps her with her dream. Since it is a small town it comes together to help as only you can by living in a small town.

She always dreamed of taking over her grandparents inn located in the small town of Angels Creek only for it to be sold before she ever got the chance. Accidentally stumbling upon a listing for what looks to be the picturesque inn, has Liz Westmoreland placing a bid and winning the property that she finds in significant disrepair. Matt Hardy narrowly lost the inn so he jumps at the chance to help his childhood crush restore a place where he made so many fond memories. When angels start mysteriously showing up in all over the inn, Liz looks as reassurance that she’s doing what she’s meant to do, but an accident has feeling like she made a mistake.

This wonderfully heartwarming and sweet romance is a perfect read to put any reader in the holiday spirit as the residents of a small town and a spunky canine work to show Liz that she has not only found a home but true love as well. The chemistry between Liz and Matt sizzles with lots of heat and the romance itself is powerfully sweet as the work on restoring the inn together and bring back the Christmas spirit that they both remember. Lots of emotions flowing from the pages ensure that the readers really get to know the characters and become caught up in their story.

The plot is steady paced, informative and full of romance and holiday spirit of every flavor with lots of wonderful secondary characters supporting the hero and heroine in their endeavor and in a few ways that really share the special meaning of the holidays bringing warmth and melts even the coldest of hearts in this delightfully magical holiday romance.

Liz Westmorland has only good memories of spending time at the inn her now deceased grandparents owned and ran in the small mountain town of Antler Creek. Liz is a wonder kid when it comes to turning non-performing or disaster in the making building of retails and has a large number of successes behind her. One day, she chances to find that inn and its property is up for auction, and puts a bid in. After successfully buying the property in the auction, Liz takes a leave of absence from her job and takes off to see the property. However, once she arrives on-site, Liz finds that the former owners, gallery operators, have gutted and re-built a lot of the inn, and, since their departure, things have fallen into disarray. Liz is determined to restore the inn to its former glory, re-opening the town’s only overnight place for travelers and/or guests who are taken in by the town’s location and activities it offers. To restore the inn, Liz employs Matt Hardy, who, unknown to Liz, was the main person she bid against for the property in the auction. Matt is the “town’s angel”. Matt helps everyone out all the time and is considered the town’s biggest fan. Together, the pair begin to bring the inn back to what it once was, as their closeness grows into something neither of them envisioned it would.

This is a good holiday romance. From the start, I figured Matt and Liz would end up together, so the ending was no big surprise. I liked the way the people of Antler Creek pitched in to help Liz in any way she needed it. Both Matt and Liz were great people, as were the towns folk. Their romance was interesting to watch, as each worked to figure out what was going on and to overcome their individual histories. This is a good holiday story that will definitely bring out the holiday spirit. I agree with one reviewer that it has Hallmark made-for-TV movie written all over it. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

Nancy Naigle's Christmas Angel was a charming, hopeful story that will melt your heart and put you right into the holiday spirit. I enjoyed the writing. The characters had wonderful chemistry. I absolutely adore the small town feel.

If you're looking for a heartwarming, cozy read with all the Christmas feels, I recommend Christmas Angel.

This was such a cute holiday read! But you definitely have to suspend your belief in terms of the romance as well as the convenience of events because it was definitely unrealistic. This is definitely a hallmark kind of novel where things worked out absolutely beautifully with a hot guy to boot.

That being said, this was the book that can get you into the holiday spirit because it was incredibly atmospheric. I got memories and vivid images of drinking hot chocolate in a snowy background. It also gave me nostalgic vibes and now I can't help but want to do something snowy for Christmas as well.

Overall, this was adorable and a fast read. I definitely cannot wait for the holidays now!

Super cute read! I can definitely envision this one as a Hallmark movie. Cozy, inspirational and well written! An inn, a supportive Town and a Head Contractor all add up to a sweet yet fun tale!

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read this wonderful story, setting in motion my holiday reading!

When St Martin’s approached me about reviewing this book, I was pretty excited to dive into it. I’m a huge fan of Christmas-y books and it reminded me of a hybrid of a Hallmark movie and the show Gilmore Girls. Unfortunately, this book had a much stronger resemblance to a Hallmark movie than to the long running show about a small town - if you’re looking for a light, shallow story about two people falling inn love (pun intended) in a small town, this is the book for you.

Given the premise - I was really hoping this small town would have a Star’s Hollow vibe (a la Gilmore Girls). For those of you who haven’t seen Gilmore Girls (go watch it!) the show is set in a small town and the show gives complex and important storylines to all of the residents that are given air time. Everyone is an important part of the story and you start to find yourself heavily invested it their intricacies. Unfortunately, this was not the case for the the town in this book. Matt and Liz were the main players, and the only time you heard from secondary characters was when their story contributed to Liz and Matt’s. This really defined the distinct lack of side plots and definition in any of non-main characters.

As I said before, this book reminds me a lot of Hallmark movies I’ve seen. Reading the book for the first time, the story was already very familiar. There were no surprising twists or major conflict. That’s not to say the story wasn’t enjoyable - on the contrary, it was a fun, cute story about two people falling for each other. One thing I wish had more clarity on was the two main characters’ relationship when they were growing up - it never really got explored, which felt like a lost opportunity. It felt like the novel was building to some big revelatory moment, but it never delivered. The writing was of a lower quality than I would have hoped for. It was especially apparent in the dialog - it was really clunky most of the time. Also, there was a distinct lack of synonyms - the book’s diversity in vocabulary was really lacking.

At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about Liz - right off the bat she makes a decision to quit her stable (and lucrative) career to buy an inn in the middle of nowhere, sight unseen, in the time frame of less than a week. Not to mention, everyone around her is telling her that this is a bad idea and is trying to bail them out. It was the most ludicrous of impulse decisions, based only on childhood nostalgia. It was hard to understand her motives and to relate or believe in her as a character at first. She ended up winning me over via her bouts of insecurities - she had legit moments of reconsidering her choices and concern about her uncertain future that really humanized her. Matt, on the other had, was less complex. He was your typical brooding tough guy who has been pining for the leading lady for years. There wasn’t a ton more to him. Their romance was pretty by the numbers. It had sparks and heat, but was not a groundbreaking love story. 

The concept for this story had a lot of potential, but unfortunately the lack of development in the side characters, the lack of subplots, and the predictability and cliche of the main story stunted the memorability of this book. If you go in with adjusted expectations, or want something akin to one of the many Netflix/Hallmark/Lifetime holiday movies, this is a good read. I’d highly recommend reading it during the holiday season (ideally while it’s snowing out with a cup of hot chocolate). 3/5

This was a really sweet book about following your dreams. The story was gentle and kind, with very likable characters that have issues, but work through them nicely. There’s no big build up, or suspense, just smooth development to the desired HEA. It’s nicely paced, and well-written. Really enjoyable. I received a complimentary copy of this book. This is my freely given, honest review.