4.5 stars

As soon as I got my audiobook of this duo of stories I started listening. I was looking forward to some good Christmasy/holiday stories.

And Dashing Through the Snow was just that. It felt very Christmasy as they took their two week train trip on The Christmas Express. And I LOVE train travel so I would adore taking that trip. It sounds amazing. This was a sweet story with likable characters, even the quirky ones. Also, I really liked the narrator for this one. Well done. 5 stars for this light holiday read.

I might have liked Pining for You better had I listened to it first. It was very Hallmark-esque in plot but not as light and "fun" as the first story was. And other than taking place on a tree farm it didn't feel very holiday-ish. But I could totally see it in my mind as a Hallmark movie. I could even see which actress would play the heroine. Didn't love the narration as much. Sometimes the hero's voice sounded just like the narrator reading the narration instead of voicing a male character's dialog. 3.5 stars on this one.

Both books are pretty short so it wasn't difficult for me to listen to both in one day. That also makes it perfect for listening to just one if you only have a few hours but want a full story.

No sex, language or violence
*I received a complimentary audiobook through NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

I really enjoy Melissa Ferguson’s books and was really excited to get approved for these to holiday novellas!

Holiday books as novellas is definitely my style. In Snowy Serendipity your get two stories! I really enjoyed the first one more than the second… and loved how magical it was with the setting of the train. I found myself wishing it was a full length novel… that’s how much I loved it.

Both are a quick reads.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio, Thomas Nelson Fiction, NetGalley, and Melissa Ferguson for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is 2 stand-alone holiday romance novellas

Dashing Through the Snow- 3 ⭐
When Willow’s boyfriend of seven years dumps her on the eve of a romantic getaway, she decides to take the two-week train trip on The Christmas Express alone. Hurt as she feels, she can’t anticipate how the hilarious rebound ride with conductor Oliver, elf Ian, and aging world adventurer Clarence will heal her heart—and renew her sense of worth.
Pining for You- 2 ⭐
Welcome to a cozy Virginia mountain town where Christmas tree farm owner Theo Watkins III has the opportunity to drop everything for one weekend to play farmer and potentially win back the heart of his childhood best friend, Skye Fuller. Only problem? He’s the kind of man who drives a Tesla, not a tractor.

These were both cute holiday romances, but I felt a bit disconnected from the stories. I think it was probably because they were both novellas and the stories were too big to be so compact. The narrator was great and I really enjoyed listening to them. If you are looking for some quick reads for a feel good HEA holiday romance I would check this out.

Sweet book of two tales/novellas. Christmas themed!
I believe this is the first I’ve read of this author…

The first novella is Dashing Through the Snow, and let me tell you, it’s adorable!
Willow is the main character, and we meet her as she embarks on her dream trip (which is a two week train ride across the states…) on the Christmas Express! The only problem is that her boyfriend of 7 years has just dumped her… and it’s a couples train. BUT, she decides to go it alone. And the tale that follows is just delicious! The characters that she encounters are just adorable…and absolutely make this one a delight! Not to be missed!!

The second novella is Pining for You.
This one features Skye and Theo, who grew up together, as children, and then more…and then grew up and apart. Now they come face to face again…and it’s not so pretty. Not a big fan of this one, BUT, the second half of the book did do some redeeming for me. I liked the character development…and the little family secrets that are revealed…and sweet.

That being said…3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me (although #1 was really more like 4 or 4 1/2!)

Thanks to #NetGalley and #ThomasNelson and #ZondervanAudio for the ARC of the audiobook to be released on September 26th…so look for it soon!

#SnowySerendipity. #MelissaFerguson

Follow me on IG for more reviews. #BookReviews_with_emsr.

Snowy Serendipity is a collection of novellas perfect for the holidays.

Dashing Through the Snow was a 5-star read for me. I loved the idea of the Christmas Express and wanted to be part of the festivities during the train ride. This was such a feelgood read for me that I didn't want it to end.

Pining for You was a 3-star read. I wasn't involved with this story as I was the first one. I felt that the reconnection between Theo and Sky was rushed, and I didn't think it had a holiday aspect to the story except for the tree farm. Overall, it was a cute story, but I wasn't invested in it as much as the first one.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio for the opportunity to listen to Snowy Serendipity. I voluntarily listened and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Snowy Serendipity is two short Christmas themed love stories in one package. The two stories are Dashing Through the Snow and Pining For You.

The first story was Dashing Through the Snow. This story I absolutely loved! Willow is dumped by her boyfriend of seven years right before a romantic couples trip on the “Christmas Express”. The Christmas Express is a two-week train ride that goes to different tourist areas along its journey.

Willow immediately hits it off with a few people one being an older man Clarence. Her treatment of Clarence draws the attention of the conductor Oliver, who also happens to be Clarence’s son. Willow fits into their circle perfectly and you immediately feel things happen for a reason, Willow was supposed to find Oliver.

The second story Pining For You I found to be a little harder to get into. Theo goes back to his small hometown in Virginia to help with a Christmas tree farm. What he really wants from going back home is to win back his childhood best friend, Skye. After reading the first story in this collection and connecting with the characters so easily, I was surprised I had a hard time connecting with Theo and Skye. I did not dislike them and I wanted them to be together but I found myself not caring about how they got there, I just wanted to know how they got there.

On their own, Dashing Through the Snow would be a five out and five, and Pining for you would be a three out of five. That is how we get to our final score. This Holliday season make sure to at least check out Dashing Through the Snow.

Are you ready for Christmas books yet? I am! Check it out!!



"When Willow’s boyfriend of seven years dumps her on the eve of a romantic getaway, she decides to take the two-week train trip on The Christmas Express alone. Hurt as she feels, she can’t anticipate how the hilarious rebound ride with conductor Oliver, elf Ian, and aging world adventurer Clarence will heal her heart—and renew her sense of worth."

I enjoyed this sweet audio and am enjoying the holiday mood.

The first story in Snowy Serendipity was fun and cute. A Christmas story I’ve never heard before made it even more fun. It was a toasty story that will certainly warm your heart and make you want some hot chocolate.. The second story brought my rating down because it was a very generic love story and had it not been included would have made this book much better.

Snowy Serendipity by Melissa Ferguson
Narrated by Talon David and Kayla Jackson
Dashing Through the Snow with Willow and Oliver on a Christmas train across the country was very sweet and cute. This was my favorite but I also thought that Pining for You with Theo and Skye was also good. It was not totally sweet because there is bit of a sad backstory related to Skye’s family.
Narration was very good although I was not familiar with these narrators.

Snowy Serendpity is two short stories.

Dashing through the Snow is about Willow who was dumped by her boyfriend the day before they were set to leave for a romantic getaway. She decides to take the trip on the Christmas Express anyway. Willow meets conductor Oliver and the two fall in love during the two week trip.

Pining for You is about farm owner Theo and his childhood friend Skye. The two meet again after not speaking for ten years when Skye’s father who is Thoe’s employee gets injured. He uses the time to make up the past to Skye. They realize they still love each other and give their love a second chance.

I enjoyed both stories but preferred Dashing Through the Snow to Pining for You.

These are two super cute and fun Christmas novellas! Loved the narrator and found it enjoyable to listen to while on commute

In this audio, you'll find two stories within one.

The first story transported me to a magical world where two strangers found love on a Christmas train. It was heartwarming and left me wanting more. I wished the story had explored their connection further.

Conversely, the second story, while not as captivating as the first, had its own charm. It delved into the theme of second chances in love, a concept many can relate to. However, it felt somewhat generic compared to the unique charm of the first story. The constant miscommunication between the characters was particularly frustrating.

In summary, this audio experience was engaging. The first story, with its dreamy and heartwarming narrative, shone brightly, making me long for more of its enchanting world. The second story, while less captivating, offered relatable moments and endearing elements. Both stories made for a worthwhile listen, leaving me with a mix of emotions.

I thought what better way to get into the season than to start off with some cute novellas. These are super quick and very light and fluffy if you are just looking for a feelgood read, go ahead and pick these up. I really enjoyed the first novella about the Christmas train. The whole premise and story was just what I needed to get me into the spirit. The second story was a little off for me. Theo was, I don't want to say ignorant, but his whole story before he went back to the farm felt very weird and forced. It had me cringing a bit, but the author still kept it light so I decided to keep going. I liked that he finally went after what he wanted in the end, but goodness did it take a lot to get there. 3.5 stars as a whole, 4 for the first story and 3 for the second.
It was kind of confusing to have the same narrator for both of the male and female parts because I got confused at times as to whose POV we were on.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson, Netgalley and Melissa Ferguson for an early audio copy.

4 stars for the first story, 2.75 for the second story, so meeting in the middle at 3.5⭐️

<i> In this cheerful and heartwarming collection, bestselling author Melissa Ferguson offers up the gift of cozy joy in two sweet novellas for the holiday season.

Dashing Through the Snow (also in On the Way to Christmas)

When Willow’s boyfriend of seven years dumps her on the eve of a romantic getaway, she decides to take the two-week train trip on The Christmas Express alone. Hurt as she feels, she can’t anticipate how the hilarious rebound ride with conductor Oliver, elf Ian, and aging world adventurer Clarence will heal her heart—and renew her sense of worth.

Pining for You (also in This Time Around)

Christmas tree farm owner Theo Watkins III has the opportunity to drop everything for one weekend to play farmer in a cozy Virginia mountain town and potentially win back the heart of his childhood best friend, Skye Fuller. There’s just one problem: he’s the kind of man who drives a Tesla, not a tractor.

Perfect for lovers of sweet happily-ever-afters
Two stand-alone novella collection </i>

It’s hard to know how exactly to review and rate this uneven collection. It’s difficult to comprehend that the two novellas are by the same author. The first story, Dashing Through the Snow, is a delightfully festive tale, filled with holiday cheer, likable and funny characters, and a touch of (clean) romance. It was the perfect thing to listen to on an otherwise difficult day. The second story is another matter entirely. Pining for you features two angsty characters that give us no reason to like or root for them, taking the romance right out of their story. Didn’t really get any major holiday vibes from it either. I think next time I’ll just read through the first story twice.

Thank you Melissa Ferguson, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really liked the narrator and the writing but felt disconnected from the characters. I am used to longer stories which could explain the disconnect. I enjoyed the Christmas stories.

Two sweet, romantic and christmasy novellas.

First novella was about strangers to lovers and the second one was second chance of love. Sweet story plots for both. Lighten up my day. Easy to follow without any dragging. Characters were likable and lovely.

Both narrators presented the all the characters very well, with a touch of festive vibe! How lovely.

I enjoyed both novellas. A short yet entertaining read.

I really loved these novellas.
Imagine my surprise when within the first chapter of novella 1 she mentions a town not 10 minutes from where I live. I was sucked in at that point.

Novella 1 was a strangers to lovers trope. I found the characters likable and it was fun and cute.
Novella 2 was a second chance romance trope. I loved the family vibe of this story.

The narrators were great as well.
Definitely got me in the holiday spirit.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

The first story deserves a 4, but the second one deserves a 2, so 3 stars is the average.

The first story was super cute and full of Christmas cheer. The idea was unique and adorable, and the whole cast of character was charming (minus Oliver - I wasn't a fan of that love triangle, because I don't enjoy the trope in general and the novella didn't have space to do it well).

Story 2 annoyed me so much! I do not enjoy romances where the entire obstacle is the failure of the characters to communicate like reasonable adults. Gah! As a bonus, when they're about to finally talk and clear up the false assumptions, a car interrupts their conversation. *Narrows eyes.*

Sky is also unreasonable and unlikeable - she literally tells her love interest that he should have given up his education to stalk her across the country and grovel at her feet, when she TOLD him not to! Not only is that an absurdly childish ask, but that's also promoting men not listening to women, plus creepy stalker ex behavior. Gross. Theo deserves better.

Thanks, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson, for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This pair of novellas were really cute and sweet. They make for a perfect feel good listen with the audio version.

The first is a cute strangers to lovers, Christmas train, romance filled with sweetness and funny moments.

The second is a sweet second chance, small town, Christmas tree farm romance with some family drama and intrigue.

Novellas always feel ‘too’ short but I know that’s kind of the point, I just always want more haha. If you’re looking for cute, sweet, clean holiday romances to put you in the Christmas spirit and bring a smile to your face, this duo is for you!