This was the perfect book to start off my holiday reading with (I know, it's not even Halloween yet but its never too early for Christmas cheer). This was such a light-hearted sweet read with loveable characters , second chance romance and the perfect Christmas small town setting. If you love Hallmark Christmas movies then you'll love this.

It's been almost a decade since actor Dante departed Mistletoe, Maine for Hollywood without warning, leaving girlfriend Lucy behind. She's moved on with her life and is now the town's head librarian, while Dante has reached superstar status. When he returns to film a movie in his hometown, it opens Lucy's old wounds. Can he convince her to give him a second chance at love?

If you like Christmas, small New England towns, ornery little sisters, family reunions, kisses under the mistletoe, and second-chance romance, this novel might just be for you.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Lucy and Dante were a fun second chance couple. I really enjoyed Lucy’s relationship with her family and younger sister particularly. This is the perfect book for anyone looking for a written Hallmark movie.
3.5 stars

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a wonderful, heartwarming Christmas book. I really enjoyed this fun book!

At least the weather where I live has turned cold and it snowed today which makes reading a Christmas book in October seem a little less odd. No Ordinary Christmas is an easy, cosy, holiday romance. It’s low on angst and a relatively quick read. I didn’t love it and didn’t hate it. Maybe I would have liked it more if it were closer to Christmas but it really felt like a Hallmark movie in book form. I’m sure this is going to be exactly someone’s cup of tea but it’s not my favorite type of holiday book.

The book is a second chance romance between Lucy, the town librarian, and Dante West, her high school sweetheart who left town and became a successful Hollywood actor. He’s in town to film a movie and win Lucy back. Over the course of the book they do all the holiday things like go to a Christmas tree farm and Dante gets roped into playing Santa. I’m not kidding when I say this book is very heavy on the Christmas. I struggled with the pacing of the book and at times the book seemed very repetitive. I do appreciate that both Lucy and Dante are black which is rare for a small town romance. Overall it was fine, but wasn’t my new favorite holiday book.

Thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Loved reading this book and author. First book in a new series. Loved reading it and can't wait for the 2nd book in the series

Dante left everything in his hometown without a second glance to become a Hollywood actor. Now that he's a big name he decides to come back to his hometown filming a new movie hopefully to bring up the local economy but also to fix ties that he left. Lucy was one of those ties being his bestfriend and girlfriend until he left her still heart broken she is less then thrilled but with one of the locations for the film being her job at the library she has no choice but to be near and old sparks being to fly this holiday season.

So if your here for a book that'll get you in the holiday spirit, I'd say its not quite there but there are holiday festivities sprinkled throughout the book. I love a good second chance at romance and this book was good for that. I liked that Lucy didn't just jump back into things when it came to that attraction they both had. I mean the guy broke her heart he's got a bit of work to be doing and just giving her library a bit more flow of cash isn't just gonna make everything all better but does help a bit. I loved Lucy's meddling little sister she was pretty cute at times being nosey and rooting for Lucy and Dante. There was plenty of sweet moments throughout the book, romance obvious and some holiday cheer. Thing is he's still a big shot actor turning director and he can't stay forever so it seems that a deadline is gonna mess things up and can either make or break what they are starting to get back. Overall I really enjoyed this book, if I were you Id put this on your holiday list.

I feel like I should be sipping hot chocolate and listening to Christmas carols while writing this review. Belle Calhoune's No Ordinary Christmas immersed me in all the holiday cheer and tradition of the small Maine town of Mistletoe and the second-chance story of town librarian, Lucy and hometown boy made good, Dante. You all know by now that I enjoy a second-chance romance and this one comes with all kinds of delicious complications to keep me engaged in the story and invested in the potential of a happily ever after. Though, I do have to say, I had no idea how Calhoune was going to pull it off considering the lingering hurt and mistrust from Lucy and Dante's past, not to mention the logistics of the present. But she did, and in a realistic, heartwarming fashion that had me cheering for the happy couple and shedding more than a few tears of joy.

What she has created is a sweet, thoughtful, and deeply emotional story that played out across my mind like one of my favorite Hallmark holiday movies. Her descriptions brought Mistletoe to life, with it's festive town square, Christmas tree farms, beloved library, and holiday fair. Then there are the citizens of Mistletoe. She's created a diverse community of intriguing characters with interesting back stories who are all but begging for books of their own. I enjoyed the various threads that wove in and out of Lucy and Dante's story, the family dynamics, life-long friendships, and romantic entanglements that added a richness to the overall story. I especially enjoyed Tess, Lucy's 10-year-old sister. I do hope we'll be seeing more of her as the series continues. She's a sweetheart of a scene stealer and I adored her.

This was my first book by Belle Calhoune. It sure won't be the last. If you're a fan of upbeat (closed-door) Christmas romances with humor, heart, diverse characters, and hard-won happy endings, give No Ordinary Christmas a try. I enthusiastically recommend it.

4.5 stars
*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

I really wanted to like this book - I tend to love all Christmas books, but this one really fell flat for me.

Dante and Lucy were high school sweethearts that had big plans for the future - he was going to travel to California to try to begin an acting career and Lucy was going to go with him and attend college at the same time. The only problem with this is Dante left without her - no face to face meeting - he just left. He did try to contact her six months later, but by then Lucy wanted nothing to do with him. Dante went on to become a major Hollywood star and after being gone for nearly 9 years, Dante decides to make a movie in the quaint Maine hometown where Lucy still lives. Dante does everything to try to mend fences with Dante (and with his brother as well who resented Dante for leaving him to deal with his aging parents, etc.).

I was bothered by the 9 year absence. If Dante was so in love with Lucy, then how on earth could he wait 9 years to come back to her? And I felt Lucy went back to him too easily. I also just didn't feel the connection between Dante and Lucy - it just was flat to me and was shared through the characters really talking to themselves (not to each other).

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

This was my first book written by Belle Calhoune and probably will not be my last. There is just something about a Christmas story that always peaks my interest . This story takes place in a town called Mistletoe Maine, How cute is that ? Local guy , who happens to be a famous actor comes back home to shoot a movie In is home and maybe, just maybe reconnect with his old flame.

Dante took off and went to Hollywood without a word to his sweetheart Lucy 8 years prior. No he is home to make his movie hoping to earn her forgiveness . Lucy not only is hurt but still furious with him for leaving her behind and shattering their dreams. She swears she will never forgive him, but does she ???

This was a cute and fun read. Although parts of it was a little predictable it was still fun watching Dante's and Lucy's love story grow.

Such an incredible book. Inspiring and a great way to get into the Christmas spirit!! A great first book for the Mistletoe series.

I love Christmas romances and am pretty much glued to the Hallmark Channel in December watching those movies. So when I came across No Ordinary Christmas by Belle Calhoune, I picked it up with little thought. It was my first read of Belle Calhoune, and I’m interested in checking out more of her books.

You know those games that float around Facebook around the holidays that poke fun at Hallmark movies? You know, your first initial picks the heroine’s job, your last initial picks the hero’s job, your shirt color picks the holiday activity, etc. Well, No Ordinary Christmas almost feels like the game plotted out the book.

The Hollywood star returns to his small, New England hometown to reunite with his high school girlfriend, who happens to be the town librarian. They do all those Christmasy things like visiting the Christmas tree farm, going to the local tree lighting, etc., while they’re falling in love. I mean, it feels so very much like a Hallmark movie, even down to the misunderstanding that threatens to tear them apart.

So, while the main plot wasn’t terribly original, the characters saved it for me. As this is the first book in a new series, there were a lot of characters introduced. First, you have Lucy and Dante, who are the main characters for No Ordinary Christmas. Then both of their families, friends, some co-workers, and townsfolk are all introduced as well. Some of it was just to fill out the story and town, but I’m sure a few will get stories moving forward in the series.

Lucy was very likable and relatable. She has some walls up around her heart due to Dante, but she’s the town’s sweetheart, and everyone is watching out for her. She’s close to her family and a friend to everyone.

Then there’s Dante. I kind of wanted to hate him for how he just left town and hurt everyone, and I figured he’d be this snobby movie star. But I was proven wrong, and in the end, I was cheering him on in his pursuit of happily ever after.

Don’t let the rating of 3.5 stars fool you; I truly enjoyed this story. However, it felt just a little too formulaic for my taste and knocked the rating down just a touch. However, if you enjoy Hallmark Christmas movies, you’ll probably enjoy No Ordinary Christmas.

As childhood sweethearts, Dante and Lucy made plans for their future. But his failing relationship with his father, pushed him to leave their little town of Mistletoe, ME. Flash ahead 9 years, he's an acclaimed actor and she's the head librarian. He's back in town to direct a movie he wrote about their relationship.

Can they move beyond the past to embrace a future together? Can Dante mend his relationship with his brother Troy? Can he learn to forgive himself for not visiting when his father was I'll and staying after he died?

A cute story of love, regret, family and second chances.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

I cannot wait to read this book by a fire this holiday season! This book will transport you to the stunning setting of winter in Maine. Very on brand to be a Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movie. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Appealing, tender, and sweet!

No Ordinary Christmas is a big-hearted, second-chance romance that takes you into the life of the kind, considerate, librarian extraordinaire Lucy Marshall as her world gets turned upside down when her ex-boyfriend turned famous movie star, Dante West, stirs up long-buried feelings when he suddenly returns home to film his latest movie after being away for eight-and-a-half years.

The writing is whimsical and light. The characters are charismatic, genuine, and endearing. And the plot is an engaging mix of heart, humour, family, friendship, nostalgic moments, attraction, chemistry, spirited shenanigans, movie magic, and a little Christmas cheer.

Overall, No Ordinary Christmas is a playful, charming, heartwarming holiday tale by Calhoune that is a fantastic start to the Mistletoe, Maine series with characters you can’t help but root for and a happy-ever-after ending that leaves you wanting more.

I thought this book sounded too cute to pass up and it was cute but it was also a bit of a letdown. I will say that I really liked the setting here. Mistletoe, Maine is definitely a place I'd love to be able to visit in real life and even though this book fell a bit flat for me, I'm quite tempted to take a return trip for book two because I still feel a lot of potential here. I found Lucy quite likable but I can't say I was a fan of Dante's, and that put a big damper on this book for me. I could not move beyond feeling that Lucy deserved better, Dante's family deserved better and YES!, even the town of Mistletoe deserved better from Dante than what they got. So this was just an OK book for me personally.

This second-chance romance novel is the stuff that Hallmark Christmas movies are made of! You have a small town, a boy who left to go prove himself, and the girl who stayed behind, healing her heart. You've got a secondary cast of characters who loyally support their protagonists. You've got a little crisis - both real-world and existential - and then you have a beautiful ending to their love story. The town of Mistletoe, Maine, in all its vividly-described holiday cheer, will put you right in the mood for Christmas!

The cover and the premise made this a must-read for the upcoming holiday season. I love small town romances and second chance is a favorite trope.
I think the best part of second chance is how similar it can be to enemies-to-lovers in that I get those tumultuous emotions that feel so powerful on page. I love that they often feature a feeling of overcoming the odds stacked against them. This book didn't hold that power for me as much as I would have liked. It was almost too easy for superstar, Dante, to waltzed back into the lives of those he had hurt by leaving in the first place, mostly his brother and his once-upon-a-love, Lucy.
That aside, Mistletoe, Maine, is a charming setting, and some of the supporting cast were delightful, particularly Lucy's younger sister. I think a big time actor and a librarian is a sweet combo for love interests.
The narrators, Mela Lee and Tre Hall, were really easy to listen to and I had no qualms with their performance.
Thank you to Forever for the advanced copy and Hachette audio for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Lucy and Dante have a history. They've known each other since childhood and have those special bonds that people have when knowing someone that long! However, when that relationship turned to a romantic one when they were teenagers, they thought it would be forever. Dante had a dream of being an actor in Hollywood and one day, he just left with no goodbye. It broke Lucy's heart to the point that she never got over it. Suddenly, Dante is back after almost 9 years. He's a Hollywood superstar and Lucy wants nothing to do with him. She has suffered enough. Dante is back in his hometown to make a movie and hopefully, make amends to all the people he hurt.
The Maine town in this book is written vividly and so descriptively! The author did a magnificent job of dragging the reader into the small town and making them a part of this special place. Lucy is a strong, independent woman who loves her family and her town. She wasn't going to let Dante pull her into another relationship again. Dante also loved his family but he has issues with them that needed to be resolved. I felt for him as he went around and tried to make his amends. That wouldn't have been easy to do! I connected with Lucy from the very beginning! How heartbreaking it would be to have such strong dreams and have them crushed and then have them effect your life for nearly a decade! I don't know why I didn't really connect with Dante. I know he was sincere in his desire to right his wrongs, especially make things up to Lucy, but I just never felt strongly about his character. I'm sure it was just me! I loved Lucy's younger sister, Tess! She was such a fun spark in the story! I look forward to other books in this series.

This small town second-chance holiday romance seems like it would make a nice holiday movie to have on while baking cookies. However, I didn’t feel any connection to the MC or LI. I also didn’t ever feel like there was a conflict or hurdle that made me anticipate what would come next. This wasn’t a holiday hit for me, but it has a decent storyline with a holiday vibe. I appreciate #readforeverpub promoting diversity in their holiday lineup.
Thank you to @readforeverpub and @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.