During these times we can all use a feel good Hallmark movie book. A well written sweet love story about getting beyond the past, falling in love, and looking forward.

This book is so fun! I loved the Christmas setting and the small-town location. I adored the depth of the characters and how each was written into the storyline. I especially marveled at the past heartaches the main characters were struggling with and how they brought out the best in each other. It was pure joy to watch them grow in their relationship. I highly recommend this book!

I really loved this Christmas story from Krista Jensen. I loved the setting of the book. Having grown up in WA I loved how she described the area. I also loved the main characters. I loved how they were imperfect and were both dealing with past hurts but how when they opened up to each other they could start to heal. I loved how the theme of Christmas worked into the story to help the couple come together and to heal. This was a really good book and I would recommend it to others.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

Do you like Hallmark Movies?
Do you Love books themed around Christmas time?
If you said yes two both then I recmend checking this one out!
Miracle Creek Christmas is available September 1 on Kindle and Paperback back.

Thank You Netgalley and Shadowmountian fir the ARC Copy.

Book synopsis:

"Riley Madigan escapes to the sleepy mountain town of Miracle Creek after her relationship with an A-list actor ends badly. At least for a time, she hopes her new job as a high school art teacher will bring her the peace and quiet she is looking for. The last thing on her mind is love.

Mark Rivers was a firefighter until he got trapped in a wildfire and suffered third-degree burns on his face and body. After a year of recovering, Mark is trying to piece his life back together but struggles both emotionally and psychologically. He's been a recluse until he forces himself to attend his niece's school play and sees Riley, the school's art teacher. Immediately, Mark feels a connection to her. Maybe it's the kind way she greets his niece or the way the art she created for the school play is reminiscent of his late mom's artwork. Either way, Mark feels driven to get to know her, but first he'll need to build up the courage to talk to her."

A modern Western Christmas romance with heart. Jensen's hero and heroine are likable and the villain is a stinker. A good way to get into the Christmas season.

If you like Hallmark Christmas movies then you’ll like this book. Super sweet. Of course it’s about a fireman, so I was sold even before I read it.

This is a sweet sorry about two people who’ve been hurt in the past and are trying to forget and move on. But it’s not as easy as it sounds.

So many heart flutters.

A very well written and enjoyable book to read in time for Christmas. I have only one negative feeling and that is too much of the story was given away before chapter one started. That didn't stop me from enjoying this cuddled up with a nice hot chocolate and feeling lovely and warm. I am giving this 4 stars, it would have been 5 if the story line hadn't been given away at the front.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return of an honest review.

What a perfect story to read in the winter... or for Christmas in July. It's like a cozy blanket with a cup of cocoa. There's a girl in one of my book clubs who hugs books she loves and this one needs a good squeeze and a re-read.
Mark loses his best friend and becomes a local hero in the same day. He's devastated and hurt almost two years later, trying to disguise his pain to make others comfortable. When he meets Riley, he almost forgets to hide.
Riley is running away from her parents and the drama of her Hollywood life when she applies for an art teaching job in Miracle Creek. She has few plans to stay and only wants to live for today, not tomorrow.
Mark and Riley have scars. Only his are also visible to the world. They're both lonely in a crowd of people who care for them. Both are completely relatable. My emotions felt tugged on nearly every page. I love how Riley looked past Mark's appearance to see the hurt soul and pushed to be there for him in a different way. I love how Mark was already working on challenging himself to heal before doing it for the girl.
This is my first read by Krista Jensen but it certainly will not be the last.
Thank you, Shadow Mountain and NetGalley, for the advanced copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.

A very well written romance. A good plot and great character dynamics. I highly recommend this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

I loved this story!! This has to be my favorite proper romance I've read so far. The characters are well developed and super relatable to everyday life. I can't wait for another book from Krista.

While it might seem funny to be reading a Christmas book in the middle of summer, it's definitely worth snagging now even if you don't read it until closer to Christmas. And while it is the Christmas season in the book and Mark and Riley are working on a nativity project, the Christmas element wasn't overdone; there was a good balance between that and the other elements of the story. It fit with the story and didn't feel like it was just set at Christmastime for the sake of being a holiday book.
Besides the Christmas element, I really loved Mark and Riley. They've both been burned and have scars--him literally and her figuratively--and I found both to be realistic. Riley was sometimes exasperating but in a totally realistic way; I could definitely see people I know (cough *myself* ough) in the way she was drawn to Mark but also afraid to trust and not ready to commit to anything. I adored Mark and loved seeing him come out of his self-imposed shell and find himself again. While there wasn't necessarily a ton of conflict, there was a lot of emotional action, with both characters having to work through feelings and their pasts, and I totally connected to that.
I devoured this book, even with it being 93 degrees out as I read it. I definitely recommend adding this to both your to-read list for yourself and shopping list to gift to others this Christmas.
4.5 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This sweet romance will put you in the Christmas spirit. It is full of Hallmark movie vibes.
Riley has relocated to the small town of Miracle Creek after a bad breakup. Mark is a fireman from Miracle Creek and considered the towns hero. Both Riley and Mark have been injured in their own way and in need healing. Could they be what one another needs to find happiness?
This was such a cute story and I really enjoyed all the great characters in Miracle Creek.

I enjoyed this story! It had a spunky heroine and a hero who is blind to his true worth. This was a cozy, small-town romance, especially suitable for Christmastime!

#MiracleCreekChristmas #NetGalley
A Christmas story filled with two broken people. Riley moves to a small town to get away from a relationship that ended badly. She moves into a house that needs a lot of work, in hopes that she will fill the hours, that she isn't teaching art to students in her classroom. Mark is a small town hero, and some what of a recluse. He hides behind his burns and won't let anyone get close two him. A sweet Christmas story.

This novel features Riley Madigan an art teacher who has left behind a love affair gone wrong in California and come to the small mountain town of Miracle Creek to escape and recover. There, she revitalizes the school art program, participating in creating the set and props for the school production of Peter Pan, and begins to renovate an old house she's bought.
Her art work on the set attracts the attention of Mark Rivers, a local firefighter who is still recovering from a work-related accident that left him with severe burns, as well as the loss of his best friend, another fire-fighter. Mark's mom was an artist, and she passed away from cancer when he was a teenager, but Riley's work reminds him of his mom's style and he wonders if her can convince her to help him replace a sentimental piece of his mom's that was also lost in a fire the same year he was injured.
Riley isn't looking for a romance, feeling disillusioned by her recent relationship, and she also has baggage from other losses in her life. Part of her wants to fix up the house and move on, but she has also started to make connections in town, and enjoy the setting and the people.
There is miscommunication to start, and wariness on both sides of this developing romance, but Riley and Mark have things in common and services that they can offer each other in a practical way.
I liked how Mark brought Riley out of her comfort zone, exposing her to people that needed her in a different way and to the landscape around them. I liked how Riley looked beyond the scars to see Mark as a person with his own issues. A nice read.

I enjoyed the depth of Krista Jensen's writing in this engaging offering 'Miracle Creek Christmas'. The characters were complex, but willing to grow and overcome fears. That especially coincides with the message of the Christmas season and made me feel warm and hopeful as I read the story. I highly, highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to be uplifted and cheered.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I knew this had a Hallmarky feel to it but this was so much more! The characters felt real and had a lot of depth that most Hallmark movies miss (I haven’t read their books that they’re now publishing to know if that’s different). This gets you in the Christmas spirt!
☃️
Mark, known as the small hometown hero, can’t keep living life. He doesn’t know how in this new reality. He was a fireman and badly burned and lost his best friend. Why did he get to survive when his friend didn’t. And why is the town watching him for a nervous breakdown? He can’t get donuts without it being talked about.
☃️
Riley is used to picking up and leaving so often she doesn’t know where home is. She picked the small town of Miracle Creek, WA because an artist she liked lived there and they happened to need an art teacher. Hopefully her past in LA won’t hind her here.
☃️
After a school play, Mark, wearing a hood to hide his scarred face, tried talking to Riley about her artwork. Riley misread him and threatened him with a baseball bat. It took a while for her to agree to be friends and help him with a secret project.
☃️
Mark started to feel alive with friendship again from someone who didn’t know him before the fire. Riley can’t do anything more than friends because she’s going to leave again. Can they help each other and heal each other’s scars?
☃️
This book left me completely satisfied and happy and wishing it was Christmas instead of 90 degree weather in July. I love ALL the Proper Romance series and this fits it perfectly!
☃️
I can’t wait for this book to come out in September. I received an ebook copy from the publisher Shadow Mountain and Net Galley.
☃️
Plus I love I that it’s set in WA and I love going to Leavenworth.

Er...the blurb seemed interesting. It seemed that it was my kind of book --- girl, an art teacher, has moved to a sleepy countryside to forget her past and to start a new life. A man, a recluse, who is still recovering from a terrible experience.

But sadly I couldn't connect with the story and most importantly the characters. The incidents didn't interest me. In fact, the way the protagonists meet and try to connect seemed forced. I liked Mark's Dad's character though.

Overall, I am disappointed. And I am particularly disappointed by Mark's character. As a reader, I should have felt his emotions but I didn't. And I missed the small little situations and conversations that make a story endearing.

First, I have to start by saying a huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers at Shadow Mountain Publishing for sending me an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Christmas is my favorite holiday so I was happy to get approved for this novel. In it we see a woman who’s new to town befriend a surly ex-firefighter with a painful history. Both have a lot of healing to do but can they trust each other with their hearts? This book comes out on September 8, 2020.

This year I decided to do a Christmas in July week where I read at least one Christmas book, watch at least one Christmas movie, and bake one Christmas cookie recipe. And so far it is going so well. I had so much fun reading this novel. I kept telling my husband that this book is like a Hallmark Christmas movie in book form only better. There is so much to love in this novel.

For me, the thing that had me hooked from the beginning was the setting. You get the small town feel of Miracle Creek and it seems like the setting was put together by someone who actually knows what it’s like to live in a small town. It’s not all rainbows and sunshine when everyone knows everyone else’s business. Though, the specific place in Miracle Creek that won my heart is Riley’s house. It’s an old Craftman style home that she’s working on while trying to decide if she really wants to put down roots. And the characters were so believable. It felt like all of our main characters had so much depth and that they were grounded in reality. I found Mark to be the most amazing character in this novel. He’s got PTSD and he still isn’t back to his old self mentally or physically. And it’s great to see a character who’s been through a traumatic situation who is still dealing with it.

I found the romance to be believable and adorable. I could have used more of it if I’m being honest. I think the build up was there and the moment everything comes together is beautiful, but I wish these characters--who have been in such painful situations--had a few moments to be happy before the climax of the story happened. I also loved seeing all the ways Christmas was represented in the book. I even enjoyed seeing the scenes from Thanksgiving despite not liking that holiday nearly as much as Christmas. The author managed to make Thanksgiving seem like a prelude of Christmas fun to come.

There are two things I really struggled with when it came to this novel (and they’re the reason I rated it below a 4 star rating). The first being the Christian overtones. I know that Christmas is a Christian holiday, but it wasn’t originally and also, while I love Christmas, I don’t have ties to any faith so it felt a bit alienating. Secondly, this had a conflict where--if everyone stopped being so hurt for two seconds and talked--everything could have been solved in a lot less time. I think the characters needed the time away and that pain to make the end so fulfilling, but the way it happened was disappointing. I felt like it could have been dealt with over a cup of hot chocolate in one afternoon.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and it has me in such a Christmasy mood now. Too bad we have over 5 months left to wait. This book is available for pre-order now and will be in stores on September 8th. It will be the perfect thing to read this Fall in the lead up to Christmas.

Christmas books in July? Yes!
I am getting a jump start on my 2020 Christmas books. And I began with Miracle Creek Christmas by Krista Jensen. I could not put this book down! This was such a sweet and tender love story! Mark Rivers is the exact definition of a cinnamon roll character. I absolutely fell in love with Mark and his backstory. He is so sweet and so patient with Riley. And who doesn't love a hometown hero??? Riley and Mark's meet cute was hilarious and probably one of my favorites. If you are looking for a softer, tender love story I highly recommend this one. This is a no steam, hallmark type romance. It was the perfect blend of Christmas cheer and character development.

----------------------------------

Riley Madigan escapes to the sleepy mountain town of Miracle Creek after her relationship with an A-list actor ends badly. At least for a time, she hopes her new job as a high school art teacher will bring her the peace and quiet she is looking for. The last thing on her mind is love.

Mark Rivers was a firefighter until he got trapped in a wildfire and suffered third-degree burns on his face and body. After a year of recovering, Mark is trying to piece his life back together but struggles both emotionally and psychologically. He’s been a recluse until he forces himself to attend his niece’s school play and sees Riley, the school’s art teacher. Immediately, Mark feels a connection to her. Maybe it’s the kind way she greets his niece or the way the art she created for the school play is reminiscent of his late mom’s artwork. Either way, Mark feels driven to get to know her, but first he’ll need to build up the courage to talk to her.

When Mark asks Riley to work on a special nativity, he finds himself falling for her, particularly because Riley doesn’t seem bothered by his scars. Is her affection for him real or is she simply overcompensating, pretending he’s not different. One thing’s for certain, in a small town that views Mark as a fragile hero, it’s hard to pursue a relationship without everyone in his business. And although Riley has sincere feelings for Mark, is she really ready to risk her heart?

Broken hearts and lives are mended as the town of Miracle Creek comes together to celebrate a Christmas to remember.