Was a bit too Christian heavy for me. All about church and Christianity. I do think it gave a lot of hallmark Christmas vibes which was wonderful.

This was such a great book to read right before Christmas. Even if I haven't been away from home for too long, this book made me want to be home all the time. To be surrounded with people that cares and appreciates you is everything.

If you are looking for a cozy Christmas read, then this is it!

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley

Listened to 19% of this book but couldn’t get into the story. The story was written well and narrated well, but wasn't quite my cup of tea right now. Figured I'd review as is rather than leaving it undone. .

Snow Place Like Home by Lacey Baker and Narrated by Trei Taylor was a lovely Christmas Novel, a great audiobook for those cold evenings sitting by the fire getting ready for the best time of year - Christmas.

When on a rare trip home for the Christmas holidays, Ella Wilson may have finally uncovered the secret to a joy-filled future by getting lost in her past. Sadly Ella has always avoided going home and especially for the holidays for nearly a decade. For her, this season is plagued by a jinx that’s brought nothing but painful memories of her mother’s death which was nearly two decades ago, then, her fiancé’s abandonment last year, and now she has lost of her job as an art curator.
But without work to occupy her, home is exactly where Ella has ended up. And somehow, she’s also been roped into planning the town’s Christmas tree auction—side by side with her first love.

Seth Hamil only knows that home is where the heart is, and for him, it’s always been the sleepy community of Bellepoint, Pennsylvania and for a while, in high school that included Ella Wilson. Since then, he’s been married and now widowed and now he has spent the year throwing himself into his career as a music teacher, he is trying to keep his wife’s memory alive, and carrying on the church fundraising she launched to support local kids. So, despite their history, Seth isn’t about to let his wife’s vision for the event be easily dismissed by Ella’s temporary presence and big-city ideas.

They both have to find a way to work together, But they soon both begin to wonder whether fate has brought them together for a fresh start—and if Christmas wishes really can come true.

This audiobook was so good it was like talking magic in my ears and the narrator Trei Taylor was brilliant,

If you want the Christmas magic to start in your house this is a audiobook for you. I loved it.............

Snow Place Like Home is...as warm and spicy as Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate, as cozy and a pair of fuzzy warm socks, and as beautiful as a brightly decorated holiday tree.
The audio version of this book lulled me into a holiday setting that I really enjoyed The characters were voiced beautifully, I was hooked from the beginning and stayed until the end.
If you're looking for a new holiday classic, filled with holiday magic and mishaps, this story is for you.

Lacey Baker's Snow Place Like Home is a sweet romance novel that will make you smile. It is Christmas time and Ella firmly believes that she is jinxed. Ever since she lost her mama when she was young after making a Christmas wish, she has had a hard time finding the joy of Christmas. When she loses her job and has to head home for the holidays, she is sure it is the jinx at work yet again. Once home, she runs into Seth, her high school crush. Seth is now a grown man, widowed, and as cute as ever. When the two are put together on a committee to raise money for the church, sparks fly as they try to combine their differences of opinion about Christmas. However, they just might find Christmas spirit together.
A cute story. I enjoyed it and it was great for this time of year, as we are about to head into Christmas!

Bonitinha é um adjetivo que me vem à mente com essa história. Não de forma pejorativa ou negativa, mas porque o enredo apresentado é tanto clichê e simples, como tem sim seus momentos de fofura, emoção e uma outra lição sobre sabermos aproveitar o agora ao lado de quem amamos, não só no Natal.

Nunca tinha lido nada dessa autora antes, mas, até então, com esse primeiro comentário, resumo numa boa experiência. Esperava mais sim, principalmente quanto a me envolver mais com os personagens, já que por vezes, mesmo com um desenvolvimento sólido deles, ainda senti um pouco falta daquele toque mais intimista para com a leitora, no caso eu.

Mesmo assim, foi uma leitura tranquila para se fazer nessa época do ano, e diria até que funciona super para além do período natalino, já que o foco maior não é esse em si, mas na forma como a protagonista lida com uma data tão especial após memórias do passado que ela precisa encarar mais firmemente de uma vez por todas. Com o mocinho é quase a mesma coisa, ainda que num sentido diferente. E sobre os dois, também, gostaria de ter me apegado mais ao romance, mas o pouco que teve ainda foi leve e fofo. Bônus sempre por não ter hot.

Em suma, Snow Place Like Home é uma leitura tranquila e leve, com boas mensagens para além do Natal, com um toque de fé gostoso aqui e ali, todo numa ambientação de cidade pequena que deixa tudo bem aconchegante. Indico!

This novel is an amazing representation of finding love after loss and the obstacles you encounter from the outside, but mainly from your own mind. I appreciated the BIPOC representation and education of different cultural aspects expressed throughout the novel.

Snow Place Like Home is a grumpy sunshine Christmas read, maybe a little Grump/Grump at times depending on what part you’re at. Our two main characters have both experienced major loss, from loss of a loved one to loss of a career, and the spirit of Christmas brings them back together in their home town unexpectedly.

I loved the representation for male emotions throughout this novel. As a society we tend to believe that men don’t cry, men are the strong ones, but in all reality that viewpoint comes from the expectation of suppressed emotions. By having both Seth and Ella’s POV, we were able to fully understand the range of emotions the characters were going through. I believe by including Seth, it helps fight that stigma that grown men don’t cry. They do. And that’s okay! It’s normal!

Mmm I do love a good second chance romance! High school sweethearts finding their way back to each other. The part about the jinx felt a little over the top for me though which is why the lower rating is here. I’ve explained this on most of the Christmas themed books I’ve read- I’m a harsh critic here. Feels like there are too many super cheesy Christmas books out there and I crave more out of them.

This is a super clean, Christian romance that’s so stinking cute it’ll melt all the grinchy hearts. With all the makings of a Hallmark Christmas movie, this story delves deep into learning to let go of the past in order to open your arms for what the future holds. However, even with forced proximity and a slight enemies to lovers trope, I wish the pacing was just a little bit faster.

“Did you break his heart or did he break yours?”
“I like to think of it as a lesson,” she said. “Not a heartbreak.”
“And what lesson did you learn?”
“Never fall in love again.”

Ella lost her job, her fiancé, and now has nowhere to go. Going back to her aunt’s house for Christmas, she finds herself helping on the local committee to raise funds for a good cause. But being back in the town she grew up in means she now has to confront all the feelings she’s pushed aside for so long. Plus, reuniting with some old faces again brings up new feelings she’s not quite ready for yet.

Seth is on the committee in honor of his late wife. If it wasn’t for her and the dedication she had to this town, he probably wouldn’t even be here. But a promise is a promise. However, when his old high school crush comes back into town, he finds himself suddenly being the first to volunteer.

“We don’t get to pick the time and the place that our prayers or our whispers are answered. And sometimes, Ella, sometimes the answer to our prayers is no.”

I actually loved the message this story sent. The aunt is the unsung hero for sure! And if this isn’t turned into a Hallmark or Netflix movie, they’re seriously missing out. I think if it was shortened, it’d be just about perfect. I love that it’s written and narrated both by black women. It brings a life to it in a way that not many Christmas books have done in the past. Plus it has a dog!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This was a super cute second chance romance story with Ella going back to her hometown and running into Seth, her high school crush. It’s charming, festive, and a quick read!

Snow Place Like Home by Lacey. Baker
Narrator, Trei Taylor
This was a sweet Christmas romance with a Christian religious background to the main storyline. It does not get too preachy very often but that might be annoying for some people. All the main characters were likable, especially the dog. The narrator was very good and made the story more entertaining.

What happens when you make a Christmas wish and, not only doesn't it come true, but your world falls apart within the next few months? Well, you certainly aren't a fan of Christmas wishes anymore, that's for sure!

That's what happened when young Ella Wilson was 11yo. She made a Christmas wish at her mother's suggestion, and not only didn't it come true, but soon Ella's entire world turned upside down...

What that taught her was not to take risks and not to put too much stock into all the Christmas fanfare.

But when she comes back home to spend Christmas with her aunt in the small town she grew up in, she runs into her high school crush, who is recovering from his own world-shattering loss as well.

With cautious steps, they start to reconnect and begin to wonder if there isn't a bit of magic left in Christmas after all.

Thank you to Lacey Baker, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and NetGalley for an advance review copy of this charming holiday romance.

This was such a sweet Christmas read! I loved the small town feel and the reminder of the reason for the season. A well done Christian, closed door romance for those that enjoy the genre!

Thank you to Lacey Baker, Harper Collins Christian Publishing, Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

“With it came the spirit of hope, love and possibilities”

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.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this early, but this just wasn't the book for me. This is a Christian fiction Christmas romance involving high school crushes. Sounds like something I would love but I REALLY struggled to connect with these characters. Our main character, Ella, feels like she has a Christmas curse. Her mom died around Christmas, her fiance broke up with her and now she's lost her job as an art curator. She has to go back home to see her aunt and help her childhood crush with a fundraiser. He's a widower and his wife created a Christmas tree fundraiser to provide free food for school age kids. They work together, confront their pasts, and live happily ever after. I guarantee I won't remember this book in a few weeks and I found myself wanting to skim read so much, I wouldnt really recommend though I do love that its a Christian, black love story with some of my favorite tropes.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Thomas Nelson Fiction for an audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

Ella has not returned home in over 10 years but after loosing her art gallery job she decides to surprise her aunt with a Christmas visit. The small town she moved to after her mother died has not changed very much and within days of returning she has been looped into the church's Christmas tree auction. She is not excited to be on the committee with recent widower and her high school crush, Seth Hamil. Seth too had a crush on Ella and seeing her again has stirred up old feelings. Seth is determined to change Ella's opinion of the holiday and show her the true magic of Christmas.

Yes, this has all the sugar cookie cutter makings of a sappy Hallmark movie (which can be fun ) but lacked the full charm of the seasonal staples. It is cute but highly predictable and a bit slow since there is no strong plotline moving the story forward. I liked the story being centered around a church at the holidays as the backdrop. I struggled with the writing style as it is very repetitive telling the same story multiple times, reusing the same verbiage and some gapping plot holes and a farfetched ending. One of Ella's gripes is that she was never allowed to have a dog...but she's 30 years old and has been living on her own for 10 years...she couldn't get one? The small college town is described as not having any outstanding features yet they built a trolley for tourism that the small business thrive on?? It is a warm holiday story but you know exactly what you are getting and how it is going to end.

I had the audio version read by Trei Taylor who does a nice job. She is pretty easy to listen to and follow...one pet peeve was multiple times she'd read a character action "he cleared his throat" and then she would clear hers as a sound effect, it happened multiple times to the point of getting on my nerves.

This Christian Fiction Holiday Romance was perfect. Through faith and perseverance Ella and Seth make Christmas magic. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

After nearly a decade away Ella returns home to celebrate Christmas with the aunt that raised her when her mother passed away. Almost immediately Ella is thrown into the festivities, ones she hasn't participated in for years because of her 'Christmas Curse'. Ella, and her high school crush now widower, Seth are working together to get the Christmas Tree Auction up and running. Ella is doing her best to make it the most successful Christmas Tree Auction to date finding a little Christmas Spirit along her way. With Ella working through her curse and Seth trying to keep his late wife's memory alive and heal there are a lot of sweet moments in this book.

Ok so I will start by saying that this isn't my usual genre of books...BUT! I really enjoyed Snow Place Like Home. I usually go for much darker spicy and angsty reads but there was something that drew me in to this sweet Holiday small town romance and I found myself enjoying it! Seth and Ella's story of second chances at love was very reminiscent of those Hallmark movies I am a fan of. Not a bad way to kick off the winter/Holiday season. Great narration as well.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****