Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy, by Janice Lynn.
This is a wonderful Christian romance that brings all the joy and warmth of the Christmas season straight into your home. I enjoyed this book so much!
Small town quilt shop owner, Sophie, comes across a journal written by an active duty soldier. She is deeply affected by what she reads. He is a former Marine struggling with PTSD, now a fireman. The story is about Sophie's conviction to reach through the hard protective shell to find the man beneath. The relationship is a slow build for him-- but she is connected to him from the start. I liked the values portrayed and will read more by this author.
The audio version brought this story to life!
Thank you to #HallmarkPublishing#Dreamscape for allowing me to listen to and ARC of this lovely book. The opinions expressed are my own---I always review books I enjoy so my friends can enjoy them ,too.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook for this novel compliments of the publisher and NetGalley. It is fitting that this is published by Hallmark Publishing -- several times as I listened, I felt like the book is ripe for the plot of a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie, and would be perfect as one! I know its one I would enjoy watching. The story is very wholesome. Former marine with demons in his past, and the small town girl who learns his history, and is also thrown together with him as they work on the annual toy drive for needy kids. Our heroine is a quilter, and I was actually working on a quilt myself while I listened into the book, which made it all the more relatable to me! Quilters will appreciate some of the fabric and sewing related details that are included (but its not so much that someone who doesn't quilt would mind). At times I felt like the story dragged a bit too far into the self-loathing territory, but on the whole this was a very nice story.

To be clear....I am very picky about my audio books. This audio was not for me. At. All.
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The, and I hesitate to say actors, sounded robotic. I could not get past the first chapter.
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It might be a lovely story that would play out differently if I was physically reading it, but sadly. This was not the audiobook for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. This slow burn romance was such a heartwarming story. I realized after listening to this story that this was book two in the wrapped up in Christmas series, but I hadn’t read book one and don’t think it’s super necessary to read this book. While I enjoyed the two narrators, most of the time, I didn’t like when the female narrator would do the voice of the male character and vice versa. Since there were already two narrators, I wish they equally split the roles.

I loved this book. The story was good and yes I was hooked from the very beginning.

I do recommend this one.

I love Christmas stories and it is my tradition to try to ONLY read them through the holidays. I received this one from NetGalley as one of their first audiobooks to review. It was everything you would expect. A pretty setting, a sweet family, and a town with holiday traditions and of course that extra magic that seems to happen to people who meet during the season. It was a great story. As a side note...and because NetGalley asks for an honest review, in the audio the man's voice is dreamy but the female threw me off each time she spoke. It was fine when she was reading but when she spoke she sounded like a grade-schooler and even seemed to lack intelligence that was not true if you went by who she was the rest of the time. That's why I gave the story 4 stars, but it wasn't really the story it was the female reader.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for my copy of the Audiobook for Wrapped Up In Christmas Joy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was adorable! It was clean and wholesome, and had a very sweet romance. I do enjoy a small town romance that you can see unfolding in your head as you read. And this one had the perfect small-town feel to it with all the local shops and townspeople coming together for the Toy Drive and the parade. Sophie was such a positive character that had the biggest heart with pure intentions. Cole is an ex-marine turned Firefighter that suffers from guilt and PTSD. Their instant connection was believable and not over-done. I enjoyed how the story played out and they found their HEA.

The meddling Butterflys were a sweet touch, too. They were behind the scenes, gently nudging Sophie and Cole together, sometimes subtly and sometimes not so much.

I also loved the underlying patriotic theme of the book! The whole town was supportive of Sophie's cause, The Quilts of Valor. The storyline touched on the hardships of veterans in such a respectful way.

The narration was well done, I did feel that Cole's character was a little stiff at times though.

This book is a Hallmark Publishing book so you know the storyline will be good. Not sure if it is being made into a Christmas movie or not but it should be. This story includes two of my favorite things, Christmas and quilting. A former Marine comes to a tiny town in Kentucky to thank the older lady that sent him a quilt of valor when he was recovering from injuries. What he finds is not an old lady but a very young Sophie. Sophie is trying to update her aunt's house to open it as a B&B. She would like the updates and repairs to be finished by Christmas Eve for an open house. Well Cole can't tell her the real reason he is in town, the quilt. So he sells himself as a handyman there to work on the repairs. Well like all good Hallmark movies they fall in love but can't tell the other and one leaves without saying goodbye. Now does Cole come back to declare his undying love for Sophie? Does he tell her he wants to help her run the B&B? You will have to read to find out.

Sophie, a cheery local quilt shop owner, finds the military journal of Cole, a fireman and ex-Marine who suffers from PTSD. She reads the journal to find out who the owner is, and ends up reading the entire thing. After reading the journal, she feels like she knows him and wants to break in through his tough exterior.

This is a Christian romance so religion and God are mentioned quite a bit, which I enjoyed. I did feel the writing was a bit simplistic Although their relationship is a slow burn, it still felt like insta love on her part. I feel like Sophie should have been stronger and was unbelievably cheerful. The story was sweet and did touch on an important and difficult topic.

I really enjoyed this sweet story about Cole, a man who doesn’t believe he deserves good things in life because of things that happened during his service to his country and Sophie, a woman who brings joy and light to everyone around her. Try as he did, Cole couldn’t stay away from Sophie. As drawn as he was to her, he believed that she pitied him because she read his journal, which he had written shortly after leaving the military.
Sophie is an optimist, but every time Cole pushes her away and rejects her it becomes harder to try the next time. Little by little she succeeds in bringing him into the light. Unfortunately, every small step forward creates a new obstacle. The quilts of valor that she is a part of is a great addition to the story and I loved how that portion of the book played out.
The narrators did a fantastic job bringing all of the characters to life. There were a lot of times when I couldn’t tell if she was doing the female voices in all chapters (even his POV chapters) or if he was doing all parts and vice versa. I can’t wait to see Cole and Sophie brought to life when and if Hallmark makes this into a movie.
I received an ARC audio copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

Thanks to NetGalley for this listen. It was just what I needed. It had a sweet and patriotic premise, albeit a bit cheesy. I thought main characters’ roles were a bit too defined and rigid for the magical evolution in the end. Ultimately, this was a Hallmark special and it delivered as such.

I didn’t read the first book but didn’t feel lost at all in the story. I really enjoyed the christmas feel from listening to this story. A hallmark movie brought to life. The only issue I had with the narration was when Cole was narrating and the male narrator was talking for Sophie, he made her sound less strong of a person like she was ditzy or something. At first I thought I imagined it but then I would listen to the female narrator and was like nope that’s how she should sound. And when the female narrator did his voice it sounded more in tune with how he did his character voice

A Christmas story about a woman whose virtue is joy. She meets a veteran who copes with PTSD and at first, he doesn’t want anything to do with her. But they work together on a toy drive and get to know each other better.

I don’t necessarily mind cliches in books. They’re comforting and cozy, which is definitely something I like in a Christmas story. But I do need a little more.

I had trouble getting into the book. I liked the parts with the main female character and the cat. They were humorous.

What I didn’t love was how PTSD was portrayed. I understand they could not delve into it deeply, because that wouldn’t be very cozy, but it didn’t feel very real. I struggled with how pushy Sophie was. I cringed when she would talk to Cole. All I could think was how, if I were him, my baggage would cause me to turn tail and run. He waffled a bit, but I didn’t find his turnaround, while expected, to be believable.

A word on the narrators -- there were two, a male and a female. I didn’t care for the switching between the two.

Star rating: 2.5, rounded up to three

3.5 stars

Wrapped up in Christmas Joy is the first Christmas book I've read in a long time and I'm excited to read a few Christmas-y books after this one. I'm curious to see what there is out there as I was never really interested in them before.

In this book, you'll follow Sophie and Cole. One loves Christmas, the other don't. To him, it's just another day. When Cole forgets his journal in the donation pile, Sophie ends up reading it because she couldn't find a name to give it back until the end. Upset, Cole hates that Sophie knows what he did in his military days. Especially since he likes her.

Overall, a nice read. There were some pretty fun moments and I had a smile on my face listening to those. This book also had a few Christmas activities and it was cute but I found the "wrapping up" a little old-fashioned but it was alright. I almost forgot to mention the sides characters, they were funny & interesting.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

Sophie is Christmas joy! She loves life, spreads cheer, and always thinks positively about everyone. She is at church digging through a box and finds Cole's journal. Cole is an ex marine who is exactly the opposite. Life doesn't have much meaning for him, and he can't find happiness in anything he does. Sophie brings the journal to return it to Cole only to discover he doesn't want it, or anything to do with her. Slowly, she is able to help Cole find joy in life, and feel valued and complete. This Hallmarkish book is just lovely!

I volunteered to read this book, through netgalley in exchange, for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. The narrator's did a fantastic job reading this book.  When listening to this book you feel like you are in a movie and that you are the characters. The pacing of this story is good. The romance is sweet and slow. It is well read and definitely well written. This audiobook is in stores now for $24.99 (USD). I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I can't wait to listen to more books narrated by Alexander Candese and Rachel L. Jacobs.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. The cozy romance evokes the spirit of a smalltown Christmas in Kentucky. Sophie Davis owns a quilt shop and finds joy in sewing. But her real passion involves sewing quilts for the Quilts of Valor project. When she discovers a former Marine's personal journal in a box of church donations, she can't stop herself from reading it.

What she reads breaks her heart. And in many ways, it heals her heart as well as answers questions about her father's experiences. Sophie wants to befriend the Marine and takes the journal to the firehouse where he works. Where she discovers he never wants to see the journal or her ever again.

Cole Aaron can't believe he accidentally donated his journal to the church rummage sale. Even worse, Sophie Davis shows up on the firehouse doorstep to return it to him. His mortification is complete. He never wants to see her again, because he hates pity.

But she keeps showing up in his life, and the meddling old biddies of town keep throwing them together. Cole and Sophie call a truce when they end up partners for the annual Christmas toy drive. Despite Cole's resistance to all things Sophie, she starts to get under his skin with her joyful approach to life.

This is the second book in a series about Pine Hill and Quilts of Valor. told from both Sophie and Cole's perspectives by a male and a female narrator, makes the perfect companion to baking Christmas cookies or stringing lights.

I liked the concept of a firefighter dealing with PTSD from his time in the Marines wrapped in a Christmas story.

I wish the love interest was more equipped to help him thrive and heal instead of just survive. Instead, Sophie comes off as stalkery, obsessed and very naive. She's relentless in her pursuit of both Cole and the stray cat in her neighborhood. I felt bad for Cole as Sophie kept inserting herself into his path all doe eyed and sappy. She needs some girlfriends to tell her that this isn't junior high.

If she mentioned that her father had similar struggles when she returned his journal, maybe Cole would be compelled to open up to her as an empathetic friend. Instead he rightly assumes that he is a pity project to Sophie. She clings to the notion that just "wrapping Cole in a quilt of love" will make everything all better.

I did enjoy The Butterflies, the septuagenarian ladies who know all the scoop in town, and the charm of the quilting shop that coordinates the Quilts of Valor project and other sewing classes in town.

Is this book part of a series? Because I liked the supporting characters a lot better than Sophie and Cole. It seemed like they had detailed back stories that could have come from previous books.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*

This is such a cute book! I listened to the audio version of the book, and I enjoyed that the story is told from Sophie and Cole's perspectives- plus there are different narrator voices.

I read this novel on Veteran's Day, by chance, and it was perfect timing because Cole is a military veteran. He is a firefighter who has a past that isn't without mystery, intrigue, and sadness.

Sophie is such a kind hearted character. She cares about her entire community, her sister (and their quilting store- how quaint is that!?) and of course, Cole.

This was an adorable story of Cole pushing Sophie away, and her continued kindness through it all. Perfect holiday heart warming read!

Thank you to Netgalley for the early reader copy of Wrapped Up in Christmas joy. by Janice Lynn

This is a very sweet romance. This is a small town romance between Bodie and Sarah. Bodie is a veteran (which was perfect to read on November 11). The romance is so sweet and they only have eyes for each other. If you are looking for a romantic comedy that is set around Christmas, this may be the book for you.

This was Christian fiction that was set in the United States. It was smacking you over the head with both the Christian aspects of this story. It was also hitting you over the head with the love for the United States. These were both a little bit much for me. So just be aware.