I really enjoyed this book. Lucy's character was well thought out and personable. Miles was amazing, a man most women hope to meet and have fall in love with them. The interactions in the Book Club was warm and friendly. I'm not quite sure I understood why Lucy broke up with Miles toward the end of the book, except to add angst to the story. Overall this is a book I will be recommending to my romance loving friends.

In this sweet second chance romance, Lucy and Miles find their way back to one another after breaking off an engagement when they were both 18.

All these years later and Lucy has returned and inherited the childhood home she'd left behind. Since she never knew why Miles had broken things off to begin with, running into him again wasn't high on her list of priorities. But as part of the town's police force, there's no way to avoid him completely, especially when she thinks her house is being broken into one night and Miles is the officer on duty.

While there were elements of the story that were sweet and enjoyable, there were many others that were unrealistic. So, those detracted from the story and raised more questions than I'd like to have unanswered at the end.

I'm going to give examples next, so there's a bit of a spoiler to come, but I won't give too much away.

But I had issues with things like: if Lucy was on good terms with her mother prior to her death, why didn't she know her mother's plans? And why would anyone wait more than a year to even let Lucy know about her mother's unpaid bills? Neither of those things makes any sense, but are key elements of the story.

**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for writing a review**

I'm usually a sucker for a good Christmas romance, this book wasn't it for me. I found reading it to be a drag, and could only get through a couple of pages at a time before I put it down then had to force myself to pick it back up.

Neither of the main characters were interesting enough for me to care about what happened to them. In fact, the most compelling character in the book is deceased for its entirety. The pacing of the romance was off. The two main characters spend most of the book denying that they still have feelings for each other after twelve years apart, then suddenly get back together more than halfway through the book and are engaged by the end. There was too much exposition of other characters that added nothing to the story, including a side plot that was resolved in a painfully disappointing way.

My favorite type of romance book is a second chance love story, and this book did not disappoint! Lucy is a midwife who is struggling with handling the holidays for the first time since her mother has passed away. Miles is a police officer who is overly concerned with needing to hit certain milestones in life, before he feels like he can find love. These two used to date, and a weird incident brings them together for the first time ten years after they broke their engagement. Both characters have a lot to work through as they see if they still have feelings for each other, and if this time they can make it last forever. This was just the feel good story I needed in my life right now. Sweetwater Springs is such a great town, and I loved getting to catch up with characters from past books, and trying to guess which character might get their own happily ever after next! Another great story from Annie Rains! I received an ARC from netgalley, and this is my honest review.

Another winning Annie Rains book, in the Somerset Lake series. Lucy returned home to take care of her sick mother, who has passed - she is staying in her childhood home and trying to catch up on bills that had gone unpaid, and she is trying to make sense of some of the weird improvements her mother made on the house, incurring additional debt. She is hoping to make some extra money by renting the garage apartment out, but the only interested renter she has had is her ex-fiancée Miles.

Miles grew up in a home where they struggled to make ends meet, and he has been striving for financial security before settling down and starting a family. He also spends time volunteering at the local youth center and giving back to the community.

With the holidays looming, and so much distance between them, can these 2 get past their past and start something new? This is a book of second-chance love, hope, set during the fun of the holiday season - another 5 star read for me!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley to provide an honest review; all opinions are my own.

A beautiful, stand-alone Christmas Story that is part of a series. I am now going to seek out the entire series and read them all! Annie Rains is a new to me author, The Christmas Village is a heartwarming, enjoyable, and delightful second chance romance. The magic of Christmas and my romantic loving heart just gets me every time. This wonderfully written romance has it all, conflict, heartbreak, secrets, second chances and so much more! A very worthy and enjoyable read.

Thank you #NetGalley and #Forever #GrandCentralPublishing for this awesome ARC! I'll be back for more!

This novel is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. This story is about second chances at love especially at Christmas. Both Miles and Lucy were young when they broke up. Lucy is a midwife, who is grieving her mother’s passing. Miles is the a deputy. Lucy is saddled with bills from her mother’s estate. Lucy takes in Miles as a renter because she needs to the money. This story has romance, nosy townsfolk and a couple of mysteries. A wonderful feel good Christmas story. I love these characters and hope the author continues with the series. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the E-ARC. This is my own opinion.

This novel is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. This story is about second chances at love especially at Christmas. Both Miles and Lucy were young when they broke up. Lucy is a midwife, who is grieving her mother’s passing. Miles is the a deputy. Lucy is saddled with bills from her mother’s estate. Lucy takes in Miles as a renter because she needs to the money. This story has romance, nosy townsfolk and a couple of mysteries. A wonderful feel good Christmas story. I love these characters and hope the author continues with the series. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the E-ARC. This is my own opinion.

Another great feel-good, heartwarming story by Annie Rains as she returns to Somerset Lake in North Carolina. There is magic at Christmas.

Lucy, a midwife returns to her childhood home to tend her mother and is left with a huge pink albatross of a house, wracked with debt that Lucy did not know of. As the holidays approach, Lucy is still grieving the loss of her mother. Thank goodness for her bookclub friends, Tess, Moira, and Trisha. However, Lucy needs to come with funds to pay all the debt that she inherited from her mother, along with the pink house. She plans to rent the garage apartment. But who should become her tenant? None other than Miles, her ex-fiancé from when they were 18 years old. Having him nearby makes her heart all a flutter and brings much attention to the residents of the town, especially when their comings and goings are recorded in the town gossip blog. Miles comes up with a plan to rescue Lucy and fix her financial woes as well as her broken heart. Can Lucy and Miles capture the magic again during this spirit of the holidays or should the past remain in the past?

I love returning to Somerset Lake and visiting with all the residents again. The author does a great job of developing the characters and having the reader share in their lives. You can’t but help root for Lucy and Miles to find that endless love. I am hoping that Annie Rains will have us visit Somerset Lake again and again to learn the stories of Lucy’s friends. A quick read, this was thoroughly enjoyable.

Many thanks to #nnetgalley #annierains #thechristmasvillage #foreverbooks for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Annie Rains delivers with this heart-warming Christmas second chance romance. Lucy and Miles find themselves thrown back together after being apart for ten years. Through the holiday season, they rediscover their feelings and must decide if they can let go of their past. From delightful Christmas decorating contests and nosey neighborhood bloggers, this book is filled with festive cheer and small town charm that brings the joy of the season alive!

Oh my goodness Annie Raines! I loved the love story between Miles and Lucy. After many years of being apart, they finally found each other…again. What a sweet Christmas story. Thank you!!! I highly recommend this read.

The Christmas Village by Annie Rains is a wonderful story. If you love Annie Rains you will love this story.

Lucy has inherited her mother's house upon the lady's death. there is so much that needs to be done before she can either live in it permanently or put it on the market. Meanwhile she keeps busy with her midwife practice and fending off feelings for an old boyfriend who has suddenly turned up. Her mother seems to have lost control of her money sense, buying duplicate linens for the 5 bedrooms, sets of china and silverware. Lucy has no idea why, but eventually she finds out and works towards the same goal. A most satisfying read.

A story of heartbreak, lost love, secrets, conflict, second chances, forgiveness, and more. After the passing of her mother, Lucy inherits her family home and a lot of debt. She tries to figure out why her mother hired numerous contractors and bought strange things but is at a loss to come up with a reason. Just when she thought she had things paid off, she finds that the opposite is true. As if that isn’t bad enough, out of desperation she takes in her ex-fiancé, Miles, as a renter for her above-garage apartment. He broke her heart once and she isn’t going to let that happen again.
Miles sees that the sparks still fly between them and decides he’ll do whatever it takes to win Lucy’s heart again. Out of desperation, he rents Lucy’s garage apartment. Knowing Lucy’s heart isn’t in to decorating for the Christmas holiday, Miles decides to help her get her Christmas spirit back. Her parents made decorating an annual tradition and won the neighborhood decorating contest each year. All of their decorations are still around the house in storage and Miles takes on the task of decorating Lucy’s house. If they can win the contest, the prize would help eliminate some of Lucy’s debt. However, there are homeowner’s association rules that they have to get past first, or all hope is lost. Working together makes Lucy realize that Miles still holds the key to her heart. Can she get past the hurt and allow him to be a part of her life again?
I loved this heartwarming story.

It's the Holiday Season and Lucy is still missing her mom , who passed away 1 yr. ago. The first Thanksgiving and Christmas without her is sure to be rough. Lucy is trying to keep and fix up the big house she grew up in so it stays in the family. When she thinks she hears someone trying to break in, she calls for help. Little did she expect her first love and the boy that broke her heart be the officer that shows up. Miles has changed and he is such a great guy. He has a heart of gold. If only Lucy lets go of the past, she might find her happy ever after with him.

This is a sweet, feel good, heartwarming and at times emotional story. You can't help but hope for Lucy and Miles to let go of the past and be more than friends. I think we all remember our first love and wonder "what if". It's a perfect blend of family , misunderstandings, friendships, small town coziness and gossip, some humor and critters! All wrapped up in a sweet, feel good Christmas story that is perfect for reading not only during the Christmas Season, but all year long!

Annie Rains has quickly become one of my must read authors.

Sometimes first love deserves a second chance at forever. In Annie Rains's new holiday romance, Lucy and Miles receive just that. The Christmas Village is a sweet, heart-achingly beautiful tale of two people falling in love for a second time.

It’s been one year since Lucy Hannigan’s mother passed away, and with the holiday season looming and her mother’s debts almost paid off, Lucy is feeling both lighter and sadder than she’s been. The absence of her mother at the holiday season when it happened to be something she loved haunts Lucy. She wants to skip the entire season and stay locked away in her home. However, with the news that she is 12 months behind on her HOA payments, something she didn’t know about when she inherited her childhood home, Lucy is also looking for a way to earn a little extra cash and keep her home.

Rains does a wonderful job of portraying grief through Lucy. I ached for her. There are days where she thinks she has moved past her grief and can be happy, and then a reminder of her mother sends her spiraling again. I loved Lucy. She has a job she loves, friends who love her back, but she is lonely in the big house her mother left her. All of her family is gone, and the man she thought was her forever isn’t around either. It’s just her and Bella, her mother’s dog who I also love.

Miles Bruno is a deputy at the Somerset Sheriff’s department, and the man responsible for breaking Lucy’s heart all those years ago. It’s clear from his first few pages that he is still in love with Lucy which begs the question of why he broke off their engagement to begin with. This man is by no means perfect, but I think that adds to his charm. He quickly won me over. When his landlord forces him out of his home, Miles is left with two options: move in with his mom or rent the garage apartment from Lucy.

I loved reading their relationship unfold. Their chemistry and banter drive the story, and I couldn’t wait to read more of their interactions. Miles wants to help Lucy keep her home so he offers to help her win the “Merriest Lawn” contest. The decorating and being in close proximity spark new and old feelings alike, and the two will be forced to confront their past if they are to have a future.

Overall I really enjoyed The Christmas Village. This is the second book in Annie Rains's series Somerset Lake. Each book is a standalone and can be read in any order. I haven’t read book one yet, but I love the little town she’s set in coastal North Carolina so I will be reading it soon 😉 If you enjoy sweet holiday romance, I highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book as an early release.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There was love, intrigue, joy, and conflict. Not only were the main characters endearing, but I loved the little snow globe town the Annie Rains created. It was a great representation of small-town life - both the ups and downs. I would love to see this book made into a movie. If you enjoy Hallmark or Lifetime Christmas movies - I guarantee you will love this book.

Lucy Hannigan and Miles Bruno have history that goes back to when they were 18 years old and had a pregnancy scare. Now in their 30s Lucy has come home because her beloved mother has passed away leaving her the pink house she grew up in and loves even though she keeps getting bills that she is struggling to pay and decides to rent her garage room to Miles, but with a few rules! The rules seem to go by the wayside real fast as Miles and Lucy try to win the Christmas decorating contest to give her extra money to pay some HOA fees.. These two characters are perfect for each other and you just really keep your fingers crossed that this is gonna work out, though at times it seems real close, Christmas spirit seems to be pulling them together!!! A wonderful, feel good, Merry Christmas story!! #NetGalley#TheChristmasVillage

Fun Christmas read! Lucy and Miles will take hold of your heart and you'll be cheering them on, through every up and down of their relationship. In the end, you will have shed a few happy tears and be able to chalk this one up as another wonderful book by Annie Rains.
Disclaimer - I received this book as an ARC, however my opinion is all my own. I have not been compensated in any way.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book Lucy is living in her families home after her mother passed away. She is looking for an individual to rent a room and her ex is the only one willing to rent a home. Her ex Miles would like to rekindle their relationship, but Lucy wants none of that. I liked this book.