Every year Lila and her three closest friends go away and spend Christmas together. The photos look idyllic and they are excited for the festive getaway. The four friends are disappointed to find Fireside Cabins is quite run down these days and not what they had in mind at all.

Not to be deterred, they set about in making the cabin as festive as possible but as more obstacles get in the way of their girl’s week, Lila finds herself alone and re-evaluating what is important to her.

Lila is on a mission and determined to try and help cabin owner Eleanor and mysterious new friend Theo to enjoy the festive season also.

This was a gorgeous read, so festive and warm. The descriptions of the lovely festive goodies and treats really gave the Christmas feels.

This was such a beautifully written cosy and romantic Christmas story and one that made your heart melt while reading. This would be the perfect read curled up in front of a roaring fire with a hot chocolate in hand. This is my first book by this author and won’t be my last it had a lovely mixture of warm fuzzy content And Christmas cheer whilst making you think about love and relationships and what the important things in life are and how being kind and seeing the good in others is such an important quality. This was an all round feel good book that is sure to put a smile on the face of anyone who reads it

Initial Thoughts: Halloween may be around the corner but in my book world, Christmas has arrived! This is one of the first Christmas novels I've picked up to start off the season. I’ve read books by Jenny Hale in the past and enjoy her writing. Her books are perfect for Hallmark lovers and one of her books was even made into a Hallmark Channel movie!

Review Notes:

Jenny Hale has such a lovely writing style and dare I say, this new novel could certainly be a contender to be made into another Hallmark movie! Hallmark movies are the epitome of the type of women’s fiction/romance novels I enjoy reading for entertainment. You’ve got romance they weren’t expecting, heart-warming situations, difficult or tragic pasts, and holiday spirit all around, and 'Christmas at fireside cabins' hits all those marks for me.

Reading this book made me yearn to get out and explore a small town. I would love to visit a town like this and experience the things they got to on their trip; Main Street, a small independent bookstore, Christmas confections and so much holiday fun! If it weren’t for the current pandemic, this book would’ve inspired me to book a holiday vacation with my hubby. It reminds me of the holiday spirit we loved when we went on our honeymoon two years ago in Vancouver. I love me good sweater weather vacay filled with holiday spirit and cozy décor!

Themes & Elements: Topics and themes: friendship, friends that feel like family, feeling the loss of a parent(s), losing a spouse and growing old without them, connecting with the community and neighbors, finding purpose in life.

In a Nutshell: Overall enjoyable Christmas filled lovely novel. Perfect for the Hallmark Channel movie lovers!

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read the ARC of Jenny Hale's Christmas at Fireside Cabins.
I discovered Jenny Hale through Netgalley last year, reading another of her Christmas themed novels, so I know I was in for a treat when I got to start her latest!
The author has a great sense of detail which allows you to be immediately transported to the scene she describes. Whether it's a sunny beach side or, in this case, an enchanted little village called Pine Woods, Tennessee.
It's the perfect comfort read as well, especially in the trying times we are facing right now. It certainly provided the escapism I longed for!

Waitress Lila Evans lives in Nashville after ending up there following her then boyfriend to the music city. Razz wanted to pursue his dream of becoming an artist there but when the relationship ends Lila decides to stick around in Nashville.
Having lost both her parents, she has no family to return to. Her 3 girlfriends are the closest to any relative she has and the women support each other through thick and thin.
Fearing their strong friendship might unwillingly fall apart now her friend's careers are taking flight, Lila is set to organise a memorable Christmas getaway for them. Each year they spent a week celebrating Christmas together and for this year Lila has made reservations for a snug cottage in the idyllic Holiday resort of Fireside Cabins.
However, when the women arrive, the soon notice that the promising pictures on the website are not up to date. Both the grounds and cabins are pretty dilapidated with maintenance long overdue.
Feeling sorry for the charming owner, widow Eleanor, they decide to stay nevertheless and do all they can to spread some festive cheer. The local coffee place can also do with some more Christmas decor and atmosphere. Although barista Theo is a sight for sore eyes, he's also incredibly cold, distant and rude.
On the odd occasion he does put his guard down, Lila sees an entirely different man and is set to discover his story. But does she really want to know and get involved despite her friends warning her off. Lila has to decide whether to go with her gut or her head...

Must admit that it took me quite a while to warm up to Theo and I didn't really get why Lila kept putting time and energy in getting to know him. He was so closed off and invested in his own problems... In general, I didn't really get Theo's storyline. It was all a bit vague to me and the ease of how his tremendous problems and disturbed family relations were solved in the end felt a bit to quick and rather forced. However, Jenny Hale did manage, once again, to paint a perfect picture of small town, country life with sweet characters, stunning surroundings and cozy atmosphere. The Christmas spirit dripped from each page and in the end that's what counts!

This was a nice change of book to read. I enjoyed finding out about the friends during their holiday in the log cabins. It was easy to pick up and finish. I recommend if you want a light hearted read then read this book

This is a sweet love story but I did find Lila to be a little too “Pollyanna-ish” to be believable. When the story ended at 95% I thought there was either an extended epilogue or an excerpt from another book. What there was were pages of blurbs about the author’s many other books. They all sounded like Hallmark movies and some of the plots I know I have seen on TV. It explains a lot about Lila’s character and the ease of Theo’s melting for her.
I DID enjoy this story. It is uplifting in many ways and has a very nice ending. It helps if you know what you are getting. Would I read more from this author? Absolutely.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

This book is such a cozy and perfect read for the holiday season. It incapsulates the magic and beauty of Christmas and I truly enjoyed reading it; it put me into the holiday spirit and mood instantly! The writing of this book is gorgeous and I love the lush descriptions and cozy feeling this book offers.

What a wonderful heartwarming Christmas story!! I just love this Author's writing! I always look forward to her new books!!

Lila's friends are her family, and every Christmas they get together and spend a week somewhere reveling in the Christmas spirit. This year, which may be their last, Lila finds a quaint small town that Hallmark movies are made of in Pinewood Hills. The plan was to spend the week in a cabin, participating in town events and hiking in the mountainside of Tennessee. So imagine their dismay when they arrive to find their dwelling is falling apart, and everything was not quite as advertised.

The cabins are falling apart, the trails no longer exist, and the local coffee shop owner is anything but friendly. As Lila decides to stay to help Eleanor clean up the cabins, she finds herself intrigued by Theo, the coffee shop owner. But he comes with many secrets. All the while, Lila is trying to find herself and her place in life.

Deck those halls and trim those trees, because these girls are decorating the town in the color of Christmas. But this isn't just any ole Christmas - this is one where the girls go all out. One by one, they leave Lila alone, and Lila begins to get to know Theo. Theo's story was what really kept me turning the pages. I was intrigued by what his secret was, and why he would disappear on a whim. Where was he going? What was he running from? I didn't go into this book for a mystery, but I was here for it.

The festive holiday spirit was contagious, and the spirit of giving was definitely alive and well, which is something that's almost required of a Christmas tale.

The one sticking point of this book that had me saying "I liked it" instead of "I loved it" was the character development. Ok - maybe that's more than one. Hear me out.

Lila: She was written to be "empathetic" and focused on helping everyone. She wants to help Eleanor clean up the cabins. She wants to help Theo with everything under the sun. She does this to avoid her own problems. BUT, the way she goes about it is extreme. When people tell her no, she does it anyways. It's very offputting that everyone is so appreciative of this. When does no really mean no? And why does she not respect this? No one ever calls her out on this - her friends give "gentle reminders" and then excuse away her behavior.

Lila's friends: speaking of Lila's friends, they were a bit too one dimensional for me. It felt like they were only there as her Greek chorus of enabling her screwball behavior.

Theo and Lila: This pair...never did I think this pair was meant to be together. I'm sorry - I just didn't. They met and in like 2 days Lila was begging him to let her in and share his life story with her. He told her no, but she persisted. Flip those genders, and there would be many angry reviewers. I get that Hale was trying to show he had walls up and Lila was pecking away at them, but to me she just read STALKER! And stop decorating for Christmas when people say no! Not everyone celebrates Christmas and it is very narcissistic to assume everyone will love what you love.

For those who love pure romance books, without the sex scenes, this one may be for you!

*Book provided by the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Jenny Hale has done it again and she is definitely the queen of Christmas books!

In this story we follow Lila Evans, who has lost her family very early and Christmas is never an easy time. She has her three best friends and the go away the Pinewood Hills for some Christmas magic.

The start isn’t easy though, because the coffeeshop owner Theo is rude and doesn’t even have almond milk. Their cabin is not what it looked like and things start to break and on top oft hat one of her friends has to leave again soon.

Eleanor Finley ist he owner oft he cabins and Lila soon warms up to her. Eleanor is all alone and Lila knows exactly how that feels. She wants to help her and bring some Christmas cheer tot he village. It isn’t easy, especially after her other friends leave as well and then there is Theo, mysterious Theo. Nobody knows, who he really is and seemed to have built up a wall around himself.

Lila somehow feels a connection to him and doesn’t give up, she wants to get to know him better and find out what is behind it all. Their chemistry is electric and at one point even he can’t deny that anymore. He is running away though and doens’t make it easy for Lila.

The whole storyline is full of magic with a wonderful variety of characters. I was routing for Lila and Theo from the start, despite the fact that we didn’t know a lot about him. I absolutely adored their scenes and moments and I think Jenny Hale captured their connection beautifully. The book is full of ups and downs and I just couldn’t put it down, I was absolutely hooked.

The setting is amazing, especially after Lila takes the initiative to include some Christmas magic in the village. Jenny Hale just has a gift of creating stunning settings and including so many wonderful details.

The story has it all: passion, love, festive cheer, friendship, family, a beautiful place and so much more. The book also life and all the struggles that can occur.
It’s the perfect Christmas book and I was really sad when it ended, I really wanted to stay with the characters.

Little Rex warmed my heart as well ;).

AMAZING!!!

3.5/5 ⭐ Many thanks to the publisher for the free review copy.
I recently read Home For The Holidays by Sara Richardson, and fell in love with books surrounding Inns/hotels, so I was eagerly looking forward to reading Christmas At Fireside Cabins! I didn’t love the book as much as I wanted to, but it was a really cozy and festive read nevertheless.

The book takes us on a tour of Lila’s life when she visits Fireside Cabins in the small town of Pinewood Hills for the Christmas Holidays, with four of her closest friends. Being in Pinewood Hills (fictionally, urgh) put me in such a festive mood! I loved all the Winter/Christmas themed events that happened throughout the book :’) Jenny Hale has a really beautiful style of writing. The vivid descriptions of festival food, games, etc. were really enjoyable to know about.

The friendships were definitely the highlight of reading Christmas At Fireside Cabins for me. Seeing Lila’s relationship with her best friends melted my heart. I think my favorite part of the book was seeing the blooming friendship between Lila and Eleanor, the owner of Fireside Cabins. The conversations that they shared throughout the book, about life, people and experiencing change , were really sweet. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Lila was a really lovable character, but her “pushy” attitude really annoyed me at times. Her character development throughout the book was remarkable though. She found the best version of herself by being with the people in Pinewood Hills, and I loved being a part of Lila’s journey towards her self-discovery.

Lila’s relationship with Theo was adorable as well. Both of them had tragic pasts, so seeing them find each other and realizing that that being with each other was the missing piece their life needed was really heart-warming. I wanted to see more of their moments as a couple though. The mystery surrounding Theo’s life overpowered the romance in the book, in my opinion.

These are some of my favorite quotes from the book –
🌻 “What she wanted was to create a life where she could be around the people she loved most. In the end, that was what it was about for her: people. She was so happy to be with her friends, both new and old. ”

🌻 “‘Lucky’ is the key word there. I think we all have paths we take in life, and as long as we’ve prayed for them and tried to do what’s right, we are on the correct one. But contentment isn’t a guarantee. ”

🌻 “We started our day by finding a person who understands us. Maybe it’s the first day of our happy ending.”

🌻 “Lila felt friendship and camaraderie, coziness and good cheer–– even when he was in one of his foul moods.”

🌻 “Your life can’t start until you let go of whatever is holding you back.”

🌻 “ She realized that she didn’t require a place to call home— she just needed a person who felt like home.”

If you’re looking for a festive/cozy book with a touch of mystery, Christmas At Fireside Cabins will be a great choice for you then.

Having just returned from a vacation in Tennessee I could clearly picture all the descriptions in the book. Tennessee is a state that draws you in with it's natural beauty just like described in the Fireside Cabins and once here you'll want to stay.
Friends are vacationing in the rugged mountains of Tennessee in cabins that have seen better days.
After her husband dies the property owner is in deep debt and can not afford all the costly repairs to the cabins but can't give them up either due to the memory of when they were fresh and new and her husband ran them.
Lila Evans knows that vacationing at Fireside Cabins will help alleviate the pain of losing her father but what she doesn't count on is falling for the local coffee shop owner and getting involved in the mystery surrounding him and then finding out who he really is.
Can these cabin vacationers work a little holiday magic before the cabin's proprietor is forced to close for good right at Christmas time?
Heartwarming holiday magic you'll want to read. I enjoyed it a lot.

Pub Date 14 Oct 2020
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Have you ever just needed a feel good book? No deep thought, no trying to figure out who the killer is. Just something warm and fuzzy, where you know what the ending will be and enjoy every word like a warm fire with hot cocoa on a cold night?

Well, let me tell you about Christmas at Fireside Cabins by Jenny Hale. Every year, Lila and her friends take a trip at Christmas time and celebrate the holiday together. They bring food, lots of wine, a tree, and all the trimmings. This year, it’s an adorable cabin getaway in the hills of Tennessee. However, when they arrive, the cabins aren’t quite as nice as they looked online (isn’t that always the case?). But that’s ok, they’ll make the best of it and they absolutely adore the owner, an older widow. They figure they’ll just bring the Christmas spirit and cheer the place up a bit.

When the gals go into town for some coffee, they meet the rugged, curmudgeon owner of the shop. He seems to loathe people and yet runs a coffee shop. He hates conversation, seems to hate everything and so Lila tries to get him to talk. It doesn’t go so well. And here we have the meet cute. Will they? Won’t they? What follows is Hallmark Christmas Movie-esque and I mean that in the best possible way.

There will be snow, girl time, wine time, new friendships, love, drama, and an adorable little boy. What more could you ask for? In times like these, sometimes we need a book where, yes, we can probably guess the ending. It’s an amazingly heartwarming escape and I’ve never wanted to go back to Tennessee more.

So grab your wine (or cocoa), settle in with your favorite blanket, and get ready to binge Christmas at Fireside Cabins. It is the balm on your soul that you need right now.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A heartwarming festive read set in a gorgeous location, just right to curl up on the sofa with, cup of hot chocolate in hand and a log fire burning.

Four friends, a pre-Christmas week away together at the idyllic looking Fireside Cabins in Pinewood Hills, Tennessee . . . . the start of an holiday where what can go wrong, will go wrong! Get ready to discover the internet can lie, make the most of the situation with laughter, friendship and fun. Help an old lady find joy, a reclusive man come out of his shell, discover new friendships and find true love whilst bringing a family back together again in this magical adventure.

This is another fabulous festive read from this fantastic author, with great characters who it is easy to empathise with, plenty of surprises, fun in the snow, a lovely, cute, five year old to put a smile on your face and a brilliant community, too. The author is a talented wordsmith, painting pictures of the landscape and events in the readers' imagination, bringing this gorgeous story vividly to life and I have absolutely no hesitation in highly recommending it to anyone looking for a fun, heartwarming, festive read.

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I voluntarily read, thoroughly enjoyed and have honestly reviewed.

Christmas at fireside cabins by Jenny Hale is one of those books that makes you taste the words, and by the end you are craving for Christmas food like never before. Imagine every little thing that reminds you about Christmas in one book? This is it! The story has a lovely-cute-cheesy romance that fans of Hallmark movies love so much. They could easily make a movie out of this book.
That being said, I wasn´t a fan of her writing. Not that it was bad, but she tends to overwrite it sometimes, detailing too much or constantly repeating facts about the characters that are already clear. She also describes every action scene like a cookbook. I´m not a fan of this type of writing, I think you can ‘show more, describing less’ and still makes a clear connection with your reader.

But again, it wasn´t bad, it´s just not my favorite type of writing. But the characters were consistent and lovable. And if you are a fan of the Holidays like I am, this is a nice book to get you in Christmas mood.

I absolutely adored this book.
I loved the characters and their relationships.
It was a perfect book to be reading at the moment. It is cheerful and festive and romantic .

A lovely reminder of how the Christmas spirit really works.
I've been drinking peppermint latte since I first started reading!
I will definitely be reading more from this author, and plenty more Christmas books now too.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

She’s back! The author of Christmas and Summer romances, Jenny Hale, is back with a brand new Christmas book that is sure to not only get you in the mood for Christmas, but also provide the perfect dosage of romance!

This book is about four best friends spending Christmas together, but primarily focuses on Lila. After losing her parents, she would find herself alone every holiday if it weren’t for her best friends. Knowing three of them are about to embark on new chapters in their lives, she plans a Holiday getaway in the small town of Pinewood Hills, staying at a cabin. After their arrival, and not-so-friendly encounter with the owner of the only coffee shop in town, Theo, Lila realizes this Christmas is the start of a new adventure for her too.

Lots of ups and downs are contained in here, as romance begins to unfold. And, Lila’s heart is put to the test a couple of times. She is a very likeable character who has a heart of gold and is always willing to help anyone and everyone, even before her own needs are met. Like Jenny Hale’s other books, there are also minor characters who steal the show! I loved the cabin’s owner, Eleanor. She also has such a sweet heart.

Probably the best part was the scenery. The author has a way or transporting the reader into the little town to where you can almost feel yourself walking along side the friends in the snow. It’s no surprise that two of her books have been made into Hallmark Christmas Movies! For another great feel-good story, this one is sure to please!

For Lila Evans, Christmas is the toughest time of year––a heartbreaking reminder of losing her father, and just how lonely she is… This year, she’s organized a blissful getaway with her closest friends: just the remedy for the December blues.
The friends all get to Fireside Cabins. The crumbling cottage is falling apart, and the owner, a widow named Eleanor Finely, confesses that the cabins are on the brink of closure.
They all go to the local coffee shop hoping to find some holiday cheer but the owner is not so nice.
Lila is not giving up though and determined to make this visit fun for all of them.
The location sounded like a great place to visit and once they got to town and seeing the locals then that made it sound like a great community to live in.
This author makes the holidays all warm with friendships and locations.

Love a Jenny Hale Christmas story & this one was beautiful. I want to go to Pinewood right now please, it sounds like Christmas heaven! Wonderful setting, great characters as always & a lovely happy ending. That is Christmas in a book! Loved it