DNF - unfortunately the writing was just not compelling, in my opinion. I just felt my mind drifting so much, as it was a lot of telling instead of showing. It had a super slow start with very low energy. I just didn't feel pulled in enough to continue. I see other reviews bombing it for being faithful based, and that has nothing to do with my rating. I love faith based books!!

I really enjoyed Snow Place Like Home - the pages are full of love, family, and holiday magic. Because the book is longer than many Christmas novels, we get to really know Ella and Seth. I loved the setting, and the descriptions of the many holiday activities. I also felt that the issue of grief was handled very well. I would definitely recommend this book.

This is a sweet second chance at love story that fits perfectly at Christmas. I definitely enjoyed watching Ella, who is a bit of a scrooge, come around to Seth's way of thinking about Christmas. They both dealt with a lot of grief which I know is a hard thing around the holidays. Even though I felt it was a bit slow, I really loved the ending and even teared up a bit.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 10 October 2023

This was a sweet and cozy romance that’s squeaky clean! It’s great for people who like no spiciness and I loved how central faith and the church community was to the main characters. It moved a bit slow and I felt like the MCs were missing some depth but both were endearing and likeable. I appreciated no superfluous, big dramatic third act breakup.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This is a sweet Christmas story with dual POV. It's a small town romance between Elle and Seth.

This book needs trigger warnings for death from sickness. There are two major ones mentioned in the first two chapters and when you are planning to escape the looming death of a relative, that is not what you need. I'm glad that it doesn't dwell on the details, but there was a way to integrate their grief without the whiplash of "The dog that Rhonda had wanted before sickness ravaged her body and took her life".

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is a second chance romance set around the holidays (the most wonderful time of the year). It follows Ella who avoids going home no like the plague because of all the loss she has taken. Back home she is roped into her towns Christmas tree auction and with the one that got away. It's a perfect read for lovers of second chance romance books.

I like to observe Advent, but for me, part of building up that sense of anticipation for Christmas is reading holiday themed books, especially romances. I got an earlier start than usual this year with Snow Place Like Home by Lacey Baker. This author's previous books have been novelizations of Hallmark movies, and her talent for this type of story is highly evident in this new novel.

Like many Hallmark heroines, Ella has been away from her picturesque town for ten years in the aftermath of some heartbreaking experiences, including her mother's death. Now, out of a job, she returns and finds herself in charge of the local church's Christmas tree auction, working alongside none other than her long-lost childhood love, Seth, who is a widower. They have very different visions for the auction, but slowly, they get onto the same page, not just professionally but personally as well.

This is such a heartwarming read. The characters and their difficulties felt real, and the church community was a warm and joyful setting. I had an ARC from Netgalley but wound up listening to the audiobook narrated by Trei Taylor. I think it's difficult for a single narrator to convincingly read books with dual points of view, but she nailed it. Seth's voice was as believable as Ella's.

I also appreciated that this was a kissing-only romance. If you're someone who doesn't like a lot of (or any) spice, this will be a great choice for your Christmas reading stack. Thomas Nelson has really been on fire with great romances this year. I hope they'll have more in 2024!

DNF, the writing style is not my thing and I made my own mistake to not notice that it's a Christian romance book and not a normal romance book. I personally don't enjoy that.

I'm sure for anyone who enjoys Christian romances and a Christmas theme it's a great book, but sadly not for me.

Snow Place like home, by Lacey Baker is a delightful Christmas story to read. It is well written with wonderful characters who each have their own feeling about Christmas. When Ella’s company shuts down, she is left unemployed over the holidays and returns to visit her aunt who raised her. While there she is plunged into helping with a community fundraiser.

I liked how Ella used her past experience to make the fund raiser the best ever. In the recent past Seth lost his wife and Ella’s fiance left. It was fun to see Seth’s mother and sister try to get him back out dating. I especially liked how much Ella changed over just a couple week. It was fun to see her change from having such a bad outlook on her life to figuring out what to do with the rest of her life. This is an inspirational Christmas story to read to help the reader get into the spirit of Christmas.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.

Out of sadness comes happiness...eventually. Our sweet couple had to find themselves before reaching out to one another. Lots of past and present issues to resolve. A few tears may be shed. An adorable dog adds a little fun. A charming story that takes place over the Christmas holiday season. I do not celebrate Christmas, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of the romance. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Such a cute read for the holidays! Very heartfelt and overall a really well written story. Got me into the holiday spirit!!

Just a good one.
Read it in one sitting. Four stars read.
I deeply enjoyed it.
Thanks to netgalley for this book

Snow Place Like Home by Lacey Baker Review:

This book is like a cozy Christmas novel. Protagonist, Ella and her former classmate Seth, reconnect after she goes home to stay with her aunt for Christmas. She feels like so many things have gone wrong in her life. She doesn’t expect good things to happen, but with Seth’s help will she find love, her Christmas spirit, and her dream job?

I actually enjoyed Seth’s character more than Ella’s. I found myself wishing he was the protagonist of the story.

The descriptions of what Ella and Seth were wearing throughout the book weren’t necessary to the story line and I found myself hurriedly reading past those particular characterization elements.

The writing style was adequate, there really was not any moment in the book that I found exciting. It was pretty even keeled throughout the entire novel. I enjoyed the book much more at 83% completed and until the ending. The end of the book was interesting and I like how it ended, however it felt rushed.

What I enjoyed:
Ella’s relationship with her aunt was heartwarming. Her relationship with Seth was sweet. The small town seemed quaint and full of Christmas cheer. Elements of faith was nice with references to church, choir and God. I did enjoy the ending, I had hoped for it to end in that way.

I did like the book, there just weren’t moments that I was surprised, shocked, or in tears. I give it 3/5 stars. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Who would have thought working with a former classmate would be so challenging? Now that they were both grown adults, building a relationship was extremely difficult. They had to create something fresh and move on from the past, and its painful memories. The two come to an agreement: Ella Wilson will auction her extravagant creations if she allows widowed Seth Hamil to demonstrate to her why Christmas is about more than just ornate decorations. Soon both begin to wonder whether fate has brought them together for a fresh start—and if Christmas wishes really can come true.
Talking about their high school experiences, Ella and Seth both understand that things weren't as they appeared. There were a ton of misconceptions. Can they put the memories behind them and work together the way her Aunt Addie wanted? Each person is aware that they have lost a loved one, and they are both grieving. Ella notices that Seth appears to be managing his grief in a constructive manner. They both agree on this and make a commitment to be more open about their feelings.
This is a touching tale about friendship, faith, and forming new connections. I enjoyed how Aunt Addie encouraged reluctant Ella to utilize her skills to help this little town raise the funds required to build and restore a recreation center which the community needs.
I appreciate how honest Seth was about his situation; he is still in mourning over the passing of his wife and is making every effort to take care of his dog and his teaching responsibilities. I adored how the entire community came together to host a wonderful Christmas celebration that included gorgeous decorations, dash of healing, and a beautiful romance!
I listened to the audio book and read the novel. I became fascinated with the way Trei Taylor's narrated this novel. I thought the narrator's voiceovers for several characters were outstanding. The more I listened to the audiobook, the more the narrative touched me personally. I could hear the characters’ frustration, anxiety, and longing as Ella and Seth worked together on the auction to obtain the necessary Christmas trees needed for the celebration. I liked the warmth, delight, and Christmas spirit that this tale evokes. This is a wonderful story to lose yourself in, and one that makes for a fun book club pick.The author includes discussion questions.
Disclosure Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

Very sweet. Exactly what I was looking for to start the season off.

It is a small town second chance romance between Ella and Seth. There is snow. There are trees. There is laughter. There is hope. And there is a superstition.

Overall, I liked it. Baker's writing style is Hallmark, which is what I expected.

DNF at 25+%. The writing style wasn't really my jam; highly explanatory and overtold. I would have liked to see more inference and implied action versus being told all the things. I also had a hard time becoming invested in the MCs--I wanted to know more about the ladies of the church, haha!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really wanted to read this novel (beautiful cover!) but unfortunately Snow Place Like Home was a DNF for me.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Paperback for the opportunity to read this novel.

This book gives all the feels of a sweet Hallmark Christmas Movie. You will not want to put this one down until you have read the entire book.

The characters show us that home is where the heart is, despite past feelings of former high school crushes, grief over the death of loved ones, renewed friendships, and finding new love.

I highly recommend this book for your holiday reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I actually DNFd this about 25% of the way through. I'm giving it 2 stars because it is fine, but just not for me. I didn't realize this was a very faith-focused book. I like the own voices aspects and the characters seem fine, but so much of this is set at the church or with God/Holy Spirit, and that's just not for me. Had I realized that, I would not have requested the book.

From what I read, the writing is decent, and this is probably a Hallmark movie in a book. Love the cover art, just didn't want to spend more time on it.

Ella loses her job in an art gallery so she goes back home. She doesn't like Christmas because of a trauma that happened when she was young. She runs into Seth, her secret high school crush, when she is back home and she has to pair up with him to run a fundraiser. Seth is a widow and he also had a secret crush on Ella. Second chance romance seems to ensue while figuring out Christmas. At least I assume. I stopped before anything else developed.