I can honestly say I enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to! I thought it would just be a sweet holiday romance (and it is) but it had much more depth than just that. I think what I appreciated the most about it was that the characters actually talked to one another rather than letting misunderstandings cause unnecessary drama. If you have ever read a book and found yourself yelling "just talk to one another!" or "just ask what was going on!" then you too will find this book refreshing. Dani and Matt are adults and they act like it. I even forgive Matt for him trying to push Dani away toward the end of the story because it made sense within the situation he was in. Dani's family are the perfect comic relief and I loved the scenes of all of them together. This book also gets bonus points for the "choo-choo-choose you" reference (a classic Simpsons moment).

Write Before Christmas was such a fun holiday read! It was like a Hallmark Christmas movie in book form. Both Dani and Matt were great characters. I loved how they were each struggling with their careers in their own ways, and redefining their own definitions of what it means to be successful. I thought it was especially relatable since they are both older (for romance heroes/heroines anyway!) and kind of going through a second wave of careers. Mostly, I really loved how they related to each other, and how they took care of each other. And Matt being an author was fun because as an author myself, I love reading about other writers. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read!

Matt is an author who takes off to a small midwest town to work on his next novel, that needs to be done quick. His assistant insists on hiring someone to cook for him. Enter Dani, a recently divorced mom of a college age kid looking to support herself and her daughter.

This book was so cute! I love characters that cook/bake, Dani was relatable and funny. Matt was a bit grumpy and reclusive, but also so loveable. The thing I loved most about this story was how mature it was. The characters are in their mid forties and their romance and life in general was more mature than reading about 20 somethings. There was minimal drama, and their hurtle they had to get over was legitimate. Overall a super fun, cute, mature and festive romance!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

An adorable forced proximity romance about a newly divorced unemployed single-mom falling for her boss, who just so happens to be a famous fantasy writer. This is a cute and quirky Christmas read and Hammerle is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Dani just divorced and needs to find a job, and fast. From the prompting of her sister-in-law, Dani applies to cook and clean for a famous fantasy writer. The two start a whirlwind short-term romance, because as soon as Matt finishes his book, he’s headed back home.

Even though Hammerle’s books are closed-doored steam scenes, I’m always drawn into her stories. Her writing flows really well and her characters are loveable. In this one we have a grumpy, anti-social writer and a down on her luck divorcee who needs to rediscover herself. The two form a fast bond and I love the whole winter setting with decorating cookies and trivia night. An adorable and festive holiday romance that’s perfect for a cozy night of reading!

A clean-cut romance with minimal drama between characters. Perfect for the holidays for a nice, cozy read. It focuses mainly on Matt’s growth as a famous author and him rediscovering himself that he lost once his books became a tv show. I really loved the scene at the end when they all played Yankee Swap! This really reminds me of a Hallmark movie type of story.

An enjoyable, cute festive romance but not as Christmasy as the title may suggest, but still loved it. The characters, an author and a divorced mother are very likeable. Matt is very focused on writing his next fantasy book which has been made into a TV series. He finds it difficult to trust. Dani is finding herself again, wanting a new job and not wanting to rush into a new relationship. An entertaining read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Entangled Publishing and Julie Hammerle for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
If you’re on the hunt for a clean, sweet romance with two very likeable main characters, holiday magic and the perfect HAE, this one's for you! I’m such a sucker for a cute romance that gives you all the butterflies! The leads are both middle aged which I feel like we don’t see enough of in new contemporary romances! I’m only 25 and engaged so there were certain parts of their stories that I just couldn’t relate to and maybe would’ve made me like the story more if I had? THe plot line is a *little* cheesy and predictable but sometimes that is exactly what I’m looking for!
Matt is stuck. After writing a successful fantasy series that turned into an even more successful TV show, he’s feeling the pressure to produce his next work. And he has nothing. When his assistant rents a house in the middle of nowhere to get away from the distractions and hopefully write, he’s skeptical. Recently divorced, Dani needs a change. Her career as a teacher just doesn’t give her what she needs anymore. She decides to take a job as a caretaker for a guest staying at a local house. Will Danie be the muse that Matt has been looking for and can Matt give Dani what she’s been missing?

A quick, cute Christmas read about an author and the woman hired to be his personal chef.

I thought the premise was really entertaining and I did like the characters were older than what I've read in most romance lately. I liked, too, the holiday aspect and how their relationship developed as the story progressed. This was a nice holiday read!

A sweet, charming easy read which was thoroughly enjoyable. A standalone told in dual POV by Matthew “Matt” Bradford and Danielle “Dani” Cooper. They are both 45 so it’s an interesting story following an older couple. Neither of them are looking for a relationship. Matt is too busy writing and Dani is trying to get her life back on track.

Matt a fantasy author who writes as M.C. Bradford has spent the last year working on the last book in his trilogy but has writer’s block. He has rented a house in the remote resort of Wackernagel hoping to get inspiration to finish his book because he now has a deadline to meet.
He is constantly thinking “What comes next?” as he tries to complete his book. Each chapter gets us nearer and nearer to his deadline as the author counts down the 19 days he has left.

There is a story within this story as we also get to read about his trilogy ‘The Bastyn Saga’ which is all about the Bastyn siblings. A year ago a TV company optioned his books and made a TV show called The Saga. The second series is about to premiere which is causing him stress and frustration as they need the manuscript for third season, hence the deadline.

Matt isn’t happy about becoming famous and finding it all hard to cope with. He hates how hard it is to go out anonymously these days after years of just being a writer in obscurity, now everyone knows who he is. He has always been a loner and a bit of a recluse but since a video of him at Comic Con went viral, he has locked himself away. His confidence is gone and he has lost all his trust in people since ‘The incident”. Women usually befriend him to see what they can gain from him and people always want something from him theses days so he very wary meeting the cute stranger while out jogging.

Dani has no idea who Matt is when they first meet, she just thinks he looks like Brad Pitt. She hasn’t read his books or watched the show. She is newly divorced and spent the last 20 years bringing up her daughter. Much to her embarrassment she is back living with her parents and looking for a job. She loves to cook and is persuaded to take a job as a house keeper and cook.
The scene when she finds out who she is working for is hilarious. How she affects Matt is cleverly woven into this story and what he writes in his new book .

Matt and Dani are well supported by an array of characters. I particularly liked Jane, his assistant, Una, Dani’s sister in law and Ralph Waggum ,the matchmaker.

One of the things I found really interesting was the author’s description of how the TV show was adapted from Matt’s books. The differences between them, how much influence the TV company had and the changes they wanted him to make. Also the pressure put on him by the producer needing to keep ratings up and pleasing the fans versus the writer trying to please the book fans.

It was lovely seeing a newly divorced woman grow in confidence and it was a nice change to read about an older couple. There are some very funny scenes amongst the angst and I loved the epilogue. I did note that the author does leave a few tit bits about some of the other characters which could lead to a book about them. I would recommend this book both as a good read but also because as an avid reader it was fun to read about an author fighting writer’s block.

Write Before Christmas by Julie Hammerle. 4 stars

This is a mature romance - both main characters are middle aged. Dani is a divorcée trying to discover herself after 20+ years of marriage. She has to find a job that will pay the bills. Matt is a fantasy writer that has recently struck fame and fortune after his books are made into a tv series (think a handsome George R R Martin type). Matt is up against a deadline for his third book and he is having a bout of writer’s block. His assistant, Jane wants to help him and hires Dani to cook and clean for him. This is a perfect set up for sparks between two individuals trying not to be attracted to each other. Both of them are trying to protect themselves - Dani because she was replaced with a younger woman and Matt because women have been attracted to his newfound fame and not to the writer that labored in obscurity. The supporting characters Jane, Matt’s assistant and Una, Dani’s guru sister-in-law provided comic relief and a needed push to stubborn people.

I didn’t quite know what to make of this book at the beginning. At first I thought rom-com, but this is deeper than that. It is a realization that you have to be true to yourself and willing to fight for what is right for you. This was a fun read and I hope to read the author’s next book.

Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for this ARC.

This Christmas Romance is Cooking Up Laughs

Matt is sometimes surly author who writes a fantasy series that’s been turned into a popular TV series. In working to meet his deadline, he rents a house next door to Dani’s family, where newly divorced and broke Dani and daughter are living temporarily. Dani, who wasn’t an especially daring person before the divorce, is just finding her way, which leads her into some surprising situations. Dani needs a job. Matt needs a personal chef/housekeeper.

A very entertaining novella full of wonderful characters, engaging dialogue, and some laugh out loud scenes, I loved watching these characters evolve. The supporting characters were also well-written and I have a clear picture of them in my head. Julie writes characters so well, that this story played out like a movie with easy transitions between each scene.

I think one of my favorite passages was where Dani gets caught with Matt’s wallet in one hand and his dirty underwear gingerly hanging from the other.

This story definitely had a Hallmark quality to it except for the bedroom scenes, which weren’t graphic at all. Also noted:
• No bad language
• No triggers
• Secretly a famous writer trope

Lots of Christmas cookies were mentioned so the only thing I would have liked to see was a recipe added at the end. 😊

Write Before Christmas is reminiscent of a Hallmark movie with its quaint setting and friendly cast of characters. The romance between leads Matt and Dani is fairly straightforward. It builds slowly with their initial mutual attraction and eventually evolves into something more than they bargain for. The relationship is refreshing, characterized by honesty and communication. While there are multiple opportunities for miscommunication to be invoked by Hammerle to move the story forward, thankfully that doesn't happen. Although the beginning of the book was a bit slow, it eventually did pick up, allowing me to enjoy the story. Individuals who enjoy Hallmark movies will enjoy Write Before Christmas.

As a writer myself, this resonated, strongly.

I expected this to be a lot longer than it actually was, and I was actually kind of sad when it ended!

Matt is a famous fantasy author whose books have been turned into a popular TV show. He’s on a deadline to get his final installment out as soon as possible, but the problem is...he can’t write. Even a change of scenery isn’t helping his cause...until Dani comes along.

Dani is a recently divorced forty-five year old who is scrambling to make things better for her and her teenage daughter by becoming independent. They’re living with her parents right now, but Dani knows she can’t be dependent on them forever.

Through chance meetings, vision boards, crazy yoga classes, and one very endearing life-coach, Dani lands herself a job working as Matt’s personal housekeeper so he can focus on finishing his book without being distracted by other things. As it turns out, he’s still distracted, but this is a distraction that kicks Matt’s motivation into high gear, and he finishes the book!

But naturally, the TV writers aren’t happy with it, and in the midst of premiere party planning, Instagram accounts, Christmas games and a fast approaching deadline for Matt to leave the small town to go back to Indianapolis, he and Dani go through quite a few things while trying to make the most of the time they have.

The only thing that they hadn’t counted on...was love.

I loved Dani so much. She was level-headed, calm and the way she wasn’t completely familiar with most things social media was very cute. Some of the food she made was making me hungry by the end of it! I also loved the way her and Kelsie’s relationship seemed less mother-daughter and more like friends. Matt, on the other hand, had tear-my-hair-out-with-this-block moments that are so familiar to anyone that’s tried to pen anything down and I found myself relating more to him than I thought I would. Watching him take control of his own life was also *chef's kiss*

I did think it was a little incomplete in regards to the divorce storyline, because it didn’t seem like Kelsie had completely come to terms with it at the beginning, and I found myself looking for where that would be discussed. Regardless, this was an amazing, quick read!

[Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review!]

A special Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for the free advanced copy! As always all thoughts are honest and my own.
In the aftermath of a painful interview disaster, writer of a famous fantasy series becomes a recluse and moves to a small town for the holiday. His assistant insists on a personal chef to keep him fed while he works on the next very anticipated book of now not only a book series, but also the next season of an acclaimed tv show. As luck would have it, his only inspiration comes when she's around. Dani Cooper is a newly divorced and broke mother, she quickly becomes way more than his employee, she becomes his muse. Will his Christmas deadline also be the end of this couple?
This book was so beautiful! I loved every single character. The story was such an amazing representation of second chance at love, and how it's never too late. I loved how realistic this book was, because everyone know grand gestures can sometimes leave you on your butt. I loved the maturity of the characters, and I didn't think I would, but it made this already fantastic read that much sweeter.
This wonderful Christmas Read releases on the 30th of November 2020 and I promise you won't regret grabbing a copy! It's the most wonderful read for this time of year!

A sweet and light-hearted holiday theme book about two people in their mid-40s who meet in a resort town right before Christmas. Dani is recently divorced and searching for a new job, and Matt is a famous author hiding in a rental house while he finishes his book series finale. There are lots of interesting secondary characters. There wasn't overwhelming chemistry here, but it was a good story.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

M.C. Bradford (Matt) is the author of a best-selling fantasy book series turned into an even more popular television series. But right now he's under deadline to finish his next script before the production crew begins filming in just a few weeks. Problem is, he's stuck in a writer's block. A writer's block made worse by the fans who hound him, wondering what will happen next in "The Saga" series. The stress is on, and he's made it worse by some scandalous remarks he unwisely made at the Comic Con.

So on the advice of Jane, his personal assistant, they escape to the small Illinois town where she grew up; a place where he won't (supposedly) be recognized. A place where he can lock himself in the office in a rented home and knock out the script in short order.

His rental is a mess and he's not eating well, so Jane hires a cook and housekeeper. Enter Dani, the newly-divorced 40-something who recently returned to her hometown with her teenage daughter. Dani is trying to figure out what to do with her life now that she's no longer married. Word gets around that she's a great cook and baker, so Jane hires her to temporarily cook and clean for Matt so he can finish his deadline.

Dani seldom watches television, so she's probably the only woman on the planet who hasn't heard of M.C. Bradford. Because of this, Matt feels drawn to her; she's someone who doesn't want fame, fortune, money or anything from him. Her mouthwatering meals and snacks and their long discussions gradually help Matt overcome his mistrust of people and cynicism against the world. He has a renewed enthusiasm for writing thanks to Dani. An attraction grows, but they both know it can't last. Matt plans to return home to Indianapolis as soon as the script is finished, and Dani will go on with the new life and career she's creating for herself in the small Illinois town.

But it's never as simple as that when the heart becomes entangled, is it?

The book is set up in a unique manner. On chapters that are told from Matt's point of view, the chapter heading includes a "deadline countdown.' For example, when the book opens in Chapter 1, we're told it is "nineteen days before deadline." This element adds anticipation to the story, as we see the days disappear and wonder if Matt will finish before the deadline, especially when the writer's block and other challenges crop up.

I loved the fact that this book features a hero and heroine in their 40s -- people who have lived a full life but find themselves at a crossroads due to circumstances beyond their control. And I like the fact that they move beyond those circumstances and evolve beyond the person they were in their 20s and 30s, and become a better version of themselves in their 40s.

My only disappointment with the book I thought it would be more holiday-festive since the word "Christmas" is in the title. I thought we might experience a small-town Christmas through the eyes of Matt and Dani, but in most cases the author missed the opportunity to sprinkle more holiday spirit in the story. Nonetheless, it is a light-hearted read with some whimsical situations that will make you laugh.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for providing an ARC of this book in return for a fair review.

Two mature adults navigating a relationship with the aid of modern technology. Matt knows how to write a happy ending but not how to get one in real life. Dani is trying to rebuild her life after divorce. The story is witty and humorous. As a mature couple the relationship building takes on a different sense of urgency. The characters are full bodied and vibrant.

On Wednesday morning (before starting all of my Thanksgiving cooking), I finished another Christmas romance and it was definitely cute! It wasn't like the rest that I've read recently- Write Before Christmas features older main characters (Matt and Dani are in their 40s) so that was a nice change and it was shorter- so more like a novella.

Write Before Christmas 4/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads: You’ve probably heard of me.
Reclusive fantasy author turned famous when his series got developed into a mega TV hit.
Except now I’m way behind deadline, and the whole world is waiting to see what I’ll write next.
The pressure is getting to me, and I. Can’t. Write.
Cue: small town where people don’t recognize me.
Cue: my assistant insisting on a personal chef to keep me fed and nothing more.
Cue: finding the first bit of inspiration I’ve felt in months whenever she’s around…
Am I a walking cliche now, or what?
Dani Cooper seems to have her own hurdles to jump this holiday season. Newly divorced, looking for her next move. She’s the first person who’s seen me for me in way too long. And I see her, too--as way more than just an employee, a divorcee, a cook. She’s becoming my muse…
But when my Christmas deadline hits, will it spell the end of us, too?
Overall, I thought that Write Before Christmas was a quick, fun read. I liked how Dani was pulling herself up and becoming who she wanted to be after her divorce (and after her ex-husband left her penniless). Matt was not my favorite character or love interest, but he was fine. I really liked all of the side characters like Una and Kensie and the twins (haha their names made me laugh every time I read them) and Jane- I freaking loved Jane. I'd love to read spin off books about Jane and Kensie for sure. The plot of the book was enjoyable and I didn't really feel like it ever dragged in a way that was too detrimental to my reading experience. I feel like I would have loved it if we would have gotten some of Dani's recipes, but that's mainly because I love cooking and baking and I'm always looking for new things to try. Overall, this was a quick, fun, enjoyable read and if it's a novella that begins a series for more of the characters that were mentioned within the book, I would be super happy.

Dani is a divorced and adjusting to her new life, while looking for a new job to support her and her 19 year old daughter. Matt is a fantasy writer whose series has been made into a TV show (very reminiscent of Game of Thrones), but he has writer's block and he rents a holiday house to make the deadline for the final book in the series. Matt feels the pressure from the TV show to finish the book or they'll finish the show without his manuscript and guidance. Matt's assistant hires Dani to be Matt's chef and housekeeper. Dani has no idea that Matt is a famous writer, nor her future boss, which makes things interesting when she kissed Matt, a stranger to her, one night while walking her dog.

This was a quick read and it pulled me in from the start. It reads like a Hallmark Christmas movie or festive rom-com. There wasn't too much drama or tension, which I liked, but there was enough momentum and character likeability to keep the story moving.

Thank you to Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an e-arc of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars

There's something about a romance involving an author that just entices me and makes me want to pick up a book and that was certainly the case here. For some reason this year I have been really interested in Christmas romances with a couple involving an author but they hadn't been making the mark for me. So I was pleasantly surprised when this one was keeping my attention and I was seriously enjoying the romance.

The book in question being written during the story gave me major feels of Game of Thrones especially with the show being based on the series but the final book not out yet. I think over all I'm actually really glad that this story didn't dive into the book being written other than mentions of the plot line and a few pieces here and there. Personally, I think it was a good choice as it really wouldn't have fit into the actual story being told so it was a good choice to keep the information to a minimum.

In the beginning, I wasn't sure what I was going to think of the romance especially since the romance starts after they already know that he is her boss but other than the initial uneasiness, I quickly grew to enjoy the romantic aspects and them as a couple. I also think that the story did a good job of balancing humor and seriousness throughout the story and never felt like the scale was tipping in one direction too much. Overall, this was a really cute Christmas romance and definitely recommend giving this one a try.