Thought this holiday romance was super cute and very relatable. There were many moments that I personally related to Nessa’s anger, stubbornness, and apprehension. I understood every emotion, not simply because I have lived several of these situations, but because it was so well written. Descriptive, but not overly so. I thought this was a great, quick holiday read.

Christmas in Rose Bend by Naima Simone was a great read. I spotlighted it as book of the day on my social media platforms, and I included it in a monthly roundup of new releases on my Black Fiction Addiction blog.

Although not a book I will be ordering in my professional life, it is a title that I will be recommending in my personal life! Enjoyed it so much that I purchased the first book in the series!

Christmas in Rose Bend features a really fun small town (Rose Bend) going all in for Christmas featuring Nessa, a woman really going through it and also a Grinch, Nessa's half-sister, Ivy, whom she has guardianship over after their father passed away, and Wolf, the lumberjack-esque man with a loving family and some hidden scars/depths. What I love about this book is that Simone really captures the way a small town gossip mill can run (perhaps slightly exaggerated) and how a community can really come together, while showing how sometimes people stay more on the outskirts. It just feels very true to life and the characters all feel like real people, although that one Jenna person does feel a little like a caricature of a mean girl. Anyways, setting that aside, I really like the small town portrayal in this book a lot. All of the events sound super fun and maybe a little over the top, but also, I would vacation in Rose Bend in a heartbeat.

Besides the setting of this book, Simone really crafts an intricate character web here with this intense distance between Nessa and Ivy, who experienced their father completely different from one another. For Ivy, her father was loving and present, whereas for Nessa, her father walked out of her life when she was 12 (I think) and it felt to her like he never really looked back. So the two have a very strained relationship between them. Meanwhile, Ivy warms up to Wolf and the other Dennison's so quickly and she really starts to explore this town and have a ball. Nessa, on the other hand, is a little bit wary. She's convinced that she's going back to Boston at the end of this trip, that she'll return to her job at the ER and hopefully those pesky panic attacks won't come back, and is just hoping she and Ivy can make some in roads. What she wasn't planning for was the way that Wolf keeps breaking down walls between them and there are real feelings there even though there shouldn't be. Wolf is actually dealing with the return of his ex-girlfriend and feels very drawn toward Nessa while his ex-girlfriend's return heralds the very real danger he knows exists for falling for Nessa. He's already been left by one woman who wasn't content to stay in his small town. He's also carrying around some guilt over the death of a friend.

So, basically, what I'm saying is that there are a lot of feelings happening in this book. The sense of community is so strong and there are a lot more stories waiting to be told in this town. I look forward to reading more in the series in the future!

A sweet Christmas read that was a bit of tearjerker but still a good read. I recommend having tissues handy as you read the book.

Reading Christmas In Rose Bend instantly gave me all the holiday feels from the beginning of the story. The reader will feel as if they’ve been transported into a Hallmark movie as Rose Bend is a quaint little town full of festive vibes. It is a place where the magic of Christmas shines with its numeous decorations and fun holiday-themed activites for town to celebrate. Nessa and Ivy get off to a rough start to their bonding trip. Both are struggling to reconnect but heavy feelings of grief and resentment prevent them from opening up to each other. You can feel the heavy tension between the two and hope they can start to mend things once and for all.

While Holiday Romances can be full of happily ever afters and many fun festive moments it’s also a time where most of us relfect on the past. We think of loved ones who are no longer with us, strained familial relationships, and traditions lost. Though the loss of their father racks Nessa and Ivy with grief he wanted to try to make up for lost time and become a real family through experiencing Rose Bend. The tight-knit community of town has such welcoming arms and a cozy feeling thst makes anyone feel at home. This magic of the town is what helps the sisters slowly break down their barriers and confront their fears. Its also a chance for them to open up about the things that are weighung them down.

The romance between Nessa and Wolf is equally sweet and steamy throughout the course of the story. I loved watching the two instantly connect and how they lean on each other to work through obstacles. There is some angst in their relationship and generally throughout the story, but Simone does an excellent job balancing out the festive mood by having her characters deal with some very real things that readers can relate to. It’s a cozy book that I highly recommend for the holiday season and I can’t wait to revisit Rose Bend in other books.

Christmas in Rose Bend is a sweet read, or rather, a bittersweet read. It's mostly about grief and it's kind of heavy because of it. And stories about grief are not my particular cup of tea, so the enjoyment I could get from it naturally diminished. One thing that really bothered me were the pop culture references, it felt forced - I could have done without them. I also could have done with a different haircut for our main character... The half-shaved head felt very... 2013. Aside from that, it was a heartfelt Christmas story. Wolf's a sweet man and Nessa is a woman building herself up again after a lot of loss and trying to connect with her younger sister.
4 stars.

This is the second book in the series and can be read as a standalone story, but it's so much better to read them in order.

Read and her half sister Ivy arrive in the small town in the Berkshires after the seat of Ivys father. Nessa is also keeping secrets. She had an anxiety attack at work as an ER nurse and her boss out her on extended leave to get her act together.

From the moment they arrive Wolf make quite I impression that's hard to resist. Can Nessa accept the past and move on to embrace the future? It was fun to reconnect with the extended family and I look forward to the next book in the Rise Bend series.

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

THIS WILL BE POSTED NOVEMBER 10, 2021

So it seems I'm in the very much the minority on this book.

I did not finish it because it felt like the emphasis was on Nessa's loins rather than the story of grief, loss, and redemption. Also, the big secret revealed in book one is withheld here with vague comments about Nessa's "terrible secret." This is book two of the series, we should have the secret told to us and watch as the ramifications unfold but no, we're not told what this "terrible secret is in the first 25% of the book, just Nessa's moaning about it existing. While I'm sure the secret would probably be given to us at some point, I read another review of this book and the secret was dropped. LIke I said, book two in a series, the early chapters of the book should play a quick catch-up for those just tuning in.

So the slow burn wasn't really a slow burn but a pound in your face hot sexy times that began on page 3. this reminded me a lot of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita the Vampire Slayer series where the up to around book eight or nine, we have a paranormal mysteries going on with some romance and sex thrown in, which is what I totally signed up for but in the later books, Antia couldn't move a foot without banging someone and it got tiresome.

I don't like tiresome in my sex scenes and unfortunately with Christmas at Rose Bend, that's what I got which bored me to tears. The editing was also super choppy which was distracting. I'm not sure if it was because what I read was an ebook ARC but I found it took away from the writing.

I saw a conversation on Twitter recently amongst various authors that as a general rule, authors shouldn't clutch pearls if a reader doesn't like their book because often times, the reader will read something else by the author that may appeal to them. I find this way with Simone. I found enough in her snark and sass, which I always appreciate, to read her other stuff. But truth be told, this book just didn't fulfill the promise it offered up.

Christmas Romance With A Touch Of Preachy Politics. This is *mostly* a Hallmarkie Christmas Romance that would *mostly* fit right in with a typical Hallmark Christmas Movie. So for fans of that kind of story, you're going to love this one. That noted, it does have a moment or two of getting particularly preachy about the author's politics here - enough that when reading through that section (an extended one early and a few other comments here and there) there was debate within my head about a star deduction. But ultimately even the preachiness was more spice than actual substance here - kind of a cilantro. Some will LOVE it. Others will HATE it. No matter which side you're on here, know that it truly doesn't form the actual meat of the tale here, and the rest of the tale really is a solid story of the type described above. This is marketed as Book 2 in a series, and honestly with the various backstories provided it almost seems like it could be even deeper than that - and yet the story here still works as a standalone by itself. Ultimately a solid Christmas Romance, and very much recommended.

I’ve fallen in love with Rose Bend and this series by Naima Simone. This contemporary romance series set in the Berkshire Mountains is centered around a wonderful blended family and the townspeople who make Rose Bend interesting and special. Christmas in Rose Bend reads like a sexy version of a holiday television movie and contains the magic of the season and even a couple of miracles for the two main characters.

Nessa and her teenage half-sister, Ivy, arrive in Rose Bend to stay in an inn for the month of December, a dying wish of their dad. Following her mother’s death and shortly their after her father’s death, Nessa has taken a leave of absence following a panic attack in the ER at the hospital where she is a nurse. Dealing with being the guardian to Ivy who she doesn’t know well and who seems to despise her has further complicated her life. Nessa has suffered a lot of loss of people she knew or thought loved her and she’s built a wall around her heart and vowed to not let anyone in again.

Following a stint in Iraq in which he suffered a devastating loss, Wolf returned to Rose Bend and his family’s inn before finding his love of woodworking. Just as he was beginning to feel his life was back on track, his fiancé decides small town life isn’t for her and leaves him heartbroken and grieving. Three years later, Wolf is over that but he know guards his heart knowing that he’ll give his heart away again.

These are two broken people who have both suffered loss in their lives and have build a wall to keep people out. When they meet, the tension between them is thick but they both know a relationship will never happen. While they are closed off with their emotions, both are experts at communicating exactly what they are thinking and spilling secrets to each other even when they don’t plan or want to. You could see the trust building between them early on and Wolf’s careful handling of Nessa was just one reason I felt they grew so close.

I enjoyed watching Nessa come alive in the Christmas obsessed Rose Bend despite believing Christmas wasn’t a holiday she enjoyed, but it became evident as her good memories of the past came back to her that as a coping mechanism she’d just repressed them. While Wolf was a bit heavy handed getting her involved in the holiday activities, it’s in his nature to fix problems, but also knows she is capable of solving her own problems and becomes someone she can rely on. I liked their friendship, I loved watching the chemistry build between them, but it was the way the seemed to gravitate towards one another when they needed someone to listen that was so special.

Christmas at Rose Bend was a delight to read, characters that were flawed but likeable, a relationship built on mutual respect and trust, and a setting that was perfect for the holiday season. While I did feel a bit cheated by the rushed ending, I still enjoyed this book immensely.

Nessa Hunt and her sister, Ivy, travel to Rose Bend at the request of their deceased father. Nessa is also dealing with her mother’s death bed confession that the man she believed to be her father was not her father after all. So, coming to this small picturesque town may provide answers to questions weighing heavily on Nessa’s mind. Being Ivy’s legal guardian, Nessa also hopes to build a relationship with the half-sister she hardly knows. But then she meets the innkeeper’s son, Wolf Dennison, and their attraction is off the charts. Nessa feels she’s neither equipped nor has the energy or time to begin a romance with a teenager to raise. Especially a romance likely going nowhere. But Christmas is a time for miracles. Hopefully, one will happen for them.

Nessa is an ER nurse trying to get her personal life together. But she feels broken and let down by the very people who claim to love her. How can she trust anyone again? Wolf is an ex-soldier who came home six years ago. But, after all this time, he still feels guilty about the death of his best friend because he survived, and his friend didn’t.

CHRISTMAS IN ROSE BEND is a story of two emotionally scarred people trying to survive the aftermath of their failed relationships. This book is well-written with a great plot and solid characters that pull you in. All the Christmas activities and emotional struggles going on behind the scene support the plot and the setting. The story moves swimmingly with each page as the author brings the characters to life amid the holiday festivities. Their interactions are realistic, friendly, and sometimes a little spirited. It’s precisely what you would expect in a small town where everyone knows each other. My favorite character is Moe. She may be small in stature, but she has a heart big enough to include not only her family but others as well.

I would recommend CHRISTMAS IN ROSE BEND because it is a good read. So many exciting things are going on, and I promise it will keep you reading for hours. This book is a quick read and right on par with other works by this author. Because when Ms. Simone puts pen to paper, great stories are created.

Naima Simone pens a delectable Christmas season novel about the importance of family devotion and love amidst unknown family histories and ties. Nessa and Ivy with Wolf's help unleash the mysteries while developing romantic ties. It is a great title.

I'm not sure why but this series just isn't working for me like this author's books usually do. 3.5 Stars.

Nessa Hunt is an ER nurse on a leave of absence to celebrate Christmas and try to reconnect with her 12-year-old half sister Ivy, of whom Nessa is now guardian. They've come to Rose Bend for a vacation, and at the dying request of their father. But, it turns out he wasn't Nessa's biological father after all, which she found out several months earlier on her mother's deathbed. Nessa is still reeling from her parents' deaths, this bombshell info, and trying to figure out her relationship with Ivy, and she has no time for any distractions. Or to get caught up in the magic that is Christmas in Rose Bend.

Wolfgang Dennison has lived in Rose Bend all his life, minus a stint in the Army, and he loves it there. His family owns and runs the B&B in town, and he has a successful carpentry business of his own. When he first meets Nessa, he knows he's in trouble. Because he doesn't have it in him to help her with her obvious problems, but he can't seem to help himself. He lost his best friend in the war, and the woman he thought he was going to marry left him, and left town, a few years earlier, and he's been closed off ever since. He can't help but be drawn to Nessa, and Ivy, though he knows he's not a good bet, and they're only in town for a month.

Wolf and Nessa had chemistry like whoa, but they each had realistic, good reasons to try and ignore it. They were both so hurt from their pasts, and I felt each of them could've benefitted from some professional help in that regard. I'm pretty sure I said that about the couple from book 1 too. Wolf has a bit of a savior complex, and Nessa is scared to love anyone because everyone she loves leaves her. Meanwhile she has a moody tween to deal with on top of it all.

I enjoy Wolf's family so much, and they make for amazing side characters. Characters are always a strong point of this author's writing, and that is unchanged here. She makes you love (or hate) her characters fully, every time. We also got to see Wolf's brother and his wife (the couple from book 1) living out their HEA, which was nice. Ivy was a bit of a brat, but she'd had a rough go of it, so it was to be expected. She really was a sweet kid who just needed to feel secure in her new family unit with Nessa.

This couple had a LOT of work to do on themselves before they could make it together. They each had to open up their hearts more than they thought they were capable of, to let the other in, and it was very difficult for them both. A lot of angst and longing went along with that, of course. There was a side plot with Wolf's ex coming back to town, which I didn't love, and also one with Nessa looking for her bio dad, which I did enjoy, though it was quite bittersweet.

I'm afraid this series just isn't for me. I enjoyed these characters more than in book 1, but it was all still SO fraught, and angstier than I typically enjoy. I did get an epilogue this time, which was much appreciated, and definitely needed, for me to feel secure in this couple's HEA. Ultimately, this story was solid, but I didn't love it like I wanted to.

CW for past deaths of parents from cancer.

A gut wrenchingly beautiful holiday delight! With the next story in her Rose Bend small town series Naima Simone pulls at every single one of her reader’s heartstrings while showering Christmas spirit around every corner. Emotions are high, healing is happening on several aspects and happily ever afters are in sight! I loved every single minute of Nessa, Wolfgang and all of their entourage.

Nessa had me wanting to reach out and hug her from the very start. She’s grieving her mother while picking up the pieces of an emotional revelation that has thrown a wrench in her very foundation and now has to learn how to parent her newly orphaned sister at a time when she doesn’t know how to take care of even herself.

Wolf and his family are just delightful. I wish we all could spend a holiday at their inn! Seeing him heal from the disappointments life has given him at the same time that he connects with Nessa is really heartwarming.

I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who enjoys a sexy romance in a delightful small town filled with warmth and heart.

Reading this second book of the Rose Bend series is like watching a (steamy) Hallmark Christmas movie!

Good plot, well developed characters and lots of twists makes this a fun holiday read!

We all want those warm, cozy and comfortable holiday themed books (and movies!) that give you the feels and add some sparkle to your day and yeah, this book does do that. However, it doesn't shy away from the hard stuff or portray that everything is a simple fix. The emotions are raw here and I think anyone that has suffered loss, or has put on a brave front to the world, or has had their life shaken to its very foundation is going to really be able to relate and if I are lucky enough to not have had any of those things happen to you; I still firmly believe your heart will ache for these characters. This is a brilliantly crafted read that blends sweetness and cuteness, heartfelt and poignancy, and heat and heart. I really liked Wolf and Nessa. They furiously tugged on my heartstrings, gave me mega feels and had me swoony.

This is a Fast Moving Christmas Romance, and this is the second book in the Rose Bend series. I loved the characters in this book, and they where very developed. Each character brought some different to this book. This small town sounded like it would be a cute and fun place to live. I really enjoyed reading this book. There was some very steamy times in this book, so I have to say this was not a cute romance book. This book was a fun book to read. The only thing I did not love was how fast this book moved, and Wolf felt like him was to perfected in this book. This book did have a lot about Christmas in it, so if you are looking for a Christmas Romance then this maybe the book for you. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin) or author (Naima Simone) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Christmas in Rose Bend is the second book in the Rose Bend series by Naima Simone. A holiday romance that pulls you into a world full of holiday spirit and romance that is sure to warm your heartstrings. Christmas in Rose Bend reads like a warm, fuzzy Hallmark Christmas movie but with way more painful backstories and way more sex. I can't wait to read more in this series.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars rounded up.

Christmas in Rose Bend is a classic holiday romance with a prickly, grieving heroine and a cinnamon roll hero with a man bun. Nessa is an ER nurse grieving the loss of her mother and the man she thought was her biological father. Now the guardian of her young half-sister, they are spending the holidays in the small town of Rose Bend where they go hard on Christmas events and holiday cheer, something Nessa usually tries to avoid. But she and Wolf, the son of the innkeeper, find a lot in common as they face their pain and find love.

This didn't quite sweep me away like I might have hoped, but it's a very good story with some solid steamy moments as well. I liked that there is consistent growth in the relationship as they each deal with their issues and face their fears. A charming holiday romance! I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.