Good book. Engaging characters. Was a bit hard to get into at the beginning, but this became a very enjoyable Christmas story. I liked that the main characters were older and knew each other when they were younger, so this became a second chance romance book too me. I would recommend this book too my friends and family, and I look forward to what's next from this author.

I've been procrastinating writing this review, because unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one.

In A Carol for Karol we are following Carol (CJ) who is setting up for the Christmas festivities in their town, when she discovers an eviction for the property that they use for Santa's workshop. The owner of this property is Karol, who happens to be a woman who she had a romance with as a teenager.

While this sounded like it would be a cute, Christmassy, fun time, it was unfortunately not the book for me.

Set in a small, close knit community, we were introduced to simply too many characters. We were bombarded in the beginning with characters, and more kept being introduced throughout. There was also a side mystery regarding another building in town, and I was honestly more invested in that storyline than the main romance.

It felt like the book was trying to do too much in too short a time. It either needed to be longer to flesh out the romance and mystery plotlines, or it needed to have less (and less characters) happening within.

I did really enjoy that the main characters were older! The two women were approaching retirement age, and this is something I don't see in a lot of traditional romances I pick up.

I'm sad that I didn't love this one, because I was really looking forward to it. Regardless, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

A bit of a confusing opening but after that a truly heartwarming tale. Really enjoyed having older protagonists too.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very heartwarming, sapphic, Christmas story. I enjoyed reading a sapphic romance that centres around older lesbians, as I haven't read any romances that do. It was nice to read about older lesbians, finding/rekindling romance, and being happy and healthy. We don't get much of that side of representation (at least not that I have read), so I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story.

It did take a bit to get into the story, mainly just because there were a lot of characters/background characters to introduce, so that was the only real downside for me. But once we got through that, the rest of the book was great.

If you are looking for a sweet Hallmark-like sapphic Christmas story, this one is for you.

The story revolves around CJ, the granddaughter of JOY's founders, who faces a problem just days before the holiday festivities. Santa's Workshop is at risk of eviction, and the property owner, Karol Kleinz, is eager to sell everything and retire early. To make things more interesting, there's a history of past romance between Karol and CJ. I personally loved the book, its a really sweet Christmas story with great writing. The combination of a unique situation and a heartfelt romance made it a perfect holiday read for me. The characters in the story are well-developed and make the plot more engaging. The author has a way with words that immediately drew me into the story. The writing is descriptive, and I could easily picture the festive JOY neighborhood. Even though this was my first time reading Ann Roberts, I was impressed, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of her books. If you enjoy heartwarming Christmas stories with a bit of suspense, I'd recommend giving "A Carol for Karol" a try. It's a delightful addition to the holiday reading list!

This was my first book by Ann Roberts and I don't know if it was the writing style or the setting but I found myself unable to get past a couple chapters of this story. The beginning just felt like an info dump and I couldn’t keep the characters straight. I would give Ms. Roberts another go, but unfortunately this book wasn’t for me.

What a cute Christmas novel! The writing was excellent and captured my attention straight away.
This was a first for me by this author and I will definitely read more!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this lovely christmassy book

think would love to live in this town of joy.... where the neighbourhood looks after each other and christmas is honoured but its the feel good factor of this town that makes this story

carol aka cj and karol are about to meet after years of being apart... they were each others firsts but circumstances kept them apart and when karols grandmother died she never went to the funeral or the celebration of life party a year later

but now karol is retiring from her job and selling up and that means her nans house aka santas workshop is going

can cj and the town change karols mind and will the attraction that she felt for karol years ago still be simmering...

its a feel good christmas book with loads of characters but i have to say the reindeer mo and manny stole it for me...

Very entertaining and well written romance. A charming story about a romance in a gated community that defies the typical gated community image. The history of the town was fascinating and all the touches of Christmas cheer were delightful. The characters were both very likable and the reader truly rooted for them. The secondary characters, from the gender queer Blair to the genius little boy, Juanito, were all well drawn and interesting. A fun holiday read.

Koral loved spending time with her grandmother Hope, from her mother’s side of the family. When her mom first died her father would allow Karol to spend time visiting with her grandmother. But as time passed her father decided to move to NY City. He wasn’t a fan of his late wife's mother so getting him to allow her to visit just wasn’t in the cards. At least he did pay for her education and when she became a lawyer she got to work on her career. Unfortunately she still stayed away from Tucson’s JOY community. Now it was too late. Her grandmother has passed but she’s feeling guilty for not visiting when she had the chance.
CJ Joy lived in the community put together by her family. For the JOY neighborhood Christmas lasted all year long , one year followed by the next celebrating their community events. This year seems to be a little different, for this year will be celebrated without Hope and Koral will be dropping in to sell her grandmother's house. Upon her arrival she finds her good childhood friend CJ and it seems all those feelings she had for CJ when they were young were still a part of her. What to do, sell the house and get out of town or help CJ bring together the JOY community.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book by Ms Roberts and I’m happy to say she still knows how to tell a story. Very nice read.
ARC via NetGalley/Bella Books.

This is a light Christmas read and I loved the characters. The story is much more than you think but is also fun and amusing.

Thank you, Bella Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

4.5/5

I thought this was just going to be a sapphic version of a cheesy hallmark movie style Christmas novel, but it was so much more. Yes, there was LOADS of cheese and a sapphic romance, but it was really a beautiful story (with a little mystery built in). The best part is that the author built this incredible world that is inclusive to all people. The neighborhood where this story takes place has people of all generations, many different letters within the LGBTQ+ spectrum, various religions, multiple ethnicities and racial groups, a range of financial levels, and so much more all living together in harmony. This book is so wholesome and the perfect escapism for when reality becomes too much!

Special shout-out to the yorkie-poo reindeer BFF combo - I’m mean come onnnnn 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

Karol is retiring to Florida. But when she finds that her house is being used without her permission (ish) in a humongous JOY neighborhood celebration, she puts off her move to Boca Raton and goes out to Arizona instead to see what's going on. Carol, aka CJ, is the granddaughter of the founder of the subdivision/neighborhood called JOY. She and Karol's relationship doesn't start out well at all, there's a bunch of tension. But, they actually spent 5 weeks or so over three summers when they were both teenagers and were in a bit of young love too. And, so, it's not surprising when they start getting a bit closer as Karol gets more involved in the massive (I mean massive) celebration.

I loved seeing people who aren't 20 or 30 falling in love. The characters were also all very unique, and I loved all of them. Oh, and the Christmas feeling that was underneath the whole book was great. I will say that a couple of times though, I got yanked out of the book very hard when it sorta went into 'checklist' mode. Most of it flowed well, but, at a point here or there suddenly I felt like it was more a lecture than novel. Then it would go back to being a fun book.

Hallmark Christmas cheer and a romance between mature women
The story is set in Arizone where the small community of JOY goes wild right before Christmas: Enter the grinch (Karol) with the uber grinch (Stella). And there are some mysterious shenanigans going on which might endanger the whole Christmas cheer. But fear not: rescue is on its way.
It took me a minute to get into this book: It is a bit tongue-in-cheek (the clever title is a first hint of what is to come) and gently pushes the agenda of Christmas cheer until you have to give in and gleefully enjoy the ride: chuckles, cheesy moments and all. An enjoyable holiday read which surprisingly adds a romance between two mature women (both around 60) to the mix. A very welcome addition to my ever growing sapphic holiday library.

I received an ARC via netgalley. The review is left voluntarily.

This clever title refers to the two main characters Carol (CJ) Joy and Karol Kleinz. CJ’s neighborhood is known as Joy and goes all out on holiday decorations attracting tens of thousands of visitors. Karol inherited her grandmother's house years before and is surprised to see it is decorated and part of the Joy neighborhood. (The property managers she hired gave permission.) She decides to visit with the idea of shutting down the use of the property. There she meets CJ who she remembers playing with a few summers when they were kids.

I like that Karol isn’t a bah humbug person and is looking with open eyes at the magic of the neighborhood. Both women are of mature age and are reconnecting after decades. There is also a mystery that is fun. I found the holiday stuff amusing too. There is a lot of information and anecdotal stories that are told about the Joy neighborhood. But some of it was too much. Did I need to know how the neighborhood came together during covid? Chapter two was an information dump with tons of people from the neighborhood involved.. It takes a bit to sort out who is important or not to the story. Also while l like the leads I wasn’t invested much in their romance.

This is a light holiday story with romance and a small mystery. Thank you to NetGalley and Bella Books for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review.

Too busy at the start, so many characters and bio’s introduced, particularly in chapter 2 that my head was buzzin and I had no idea who was who or with who or why.
This is such a perfect neighbourhood that I’m struggling to buy in. I know most holiday romances have that but this seems over the top. The mains are a bit older, retirement but still active. That is quite unusual, and I love that although they are older it is just a facet of them. The mains have a history but I wouldn’t say the romance is the biggest part of the story, nor is it gripping me the most. The mystery is what is keeping me page turning. I like that little bits of background to the location are being revealed, again perhaps a bit of a utopia but a lot of peoples lives would have been better if such places existed.
I think pacing slipped about half way. The mystery is still sort of moving but since the only reason the mains can’t be together is because one is due to retire to Florida, I’m not really concerned. Also everything is so perfect and good, I’m finding it a bit meh. Which makes me sound like a bah humbug I know.
I had an interesting revelation reading this book. As I said it’s set in pretty much an utopia, and I was thinking some of the bits were in danger of straying on to preachy territory, especially (I’m thinking) as the readers are most likely to already be onside. Then it dawned on me that perhaps, some readers haven’t had anyone say these types of words to them. I hate that escapism for some people is to a world where it’s okay to be you, whoever you are. The book moved me a wee bit but pacing was also off a bit, and I kept getting confused with who everybody was. However if you are looking a holiday escape you will likely find it here.

Karol Kleinz returns to her deceased grandma's home town to sell the house she inherited, only to run into a complication: her first love Carol 'CJ' Joy....

Also, her house has been made part of the huge Christmas event, which Karol has mixed feelings about. So she and CJ are dealing with holiday chaos, while the question of selling the home remains a issue.

Ann Roberts is a good, reliable writer and this is one of her better ones. Good variety of characters, fun situation and a nice romance. Not heavy on the sex, but I generally prefer that anyway.

Ann Roberts has written a delightful holiday tale that's sure to warm your heart and fill you with the spirit of the season. This is a story that beautifully combines the magic of Christmas with the enchantment of rekindled romance.

As we journey into the heartwarming town of JOY, we find ourselves in a vibrant community that's steeped in holiday traditions and, well, joy! But this year, the festivities are under multiple threats. But it's not just the threat to Santa's Workshop that stirs up the excitement in this novel. The true magic lies in the rekindling of a decades old flame. Karol, once a part of Tucson's past, returns with ambitions of a future far away, yet her heart is drawn back to the love she once knew in CJ and the town. The sparks of their young love, now decades later, ignite a sweet and heartwarming romance that is bound to make your heart skip a beat.

Ann Roberts weaves this story with skill, balancing the impending crisis of the holiday and saving a Victorian home with the magnetic pull of romance. The characters are endearing, and the festive atmosphere of JOY is so vividly described that you can almost smell the cookies baking and hear the carolers singing. The way the townsfolk come together to support one another and plan an incredible holiday community party is both heartwarming and inspiring.

If you're looking for a fun holiday read that's full of love, tons of laughter, and the magic of the season, This is the perfect choice. Ann Roberts has crafted a story that honors the most wonderful time of the year, and you won't be able to resist getting caught up in the joy of it all. So grab a cozy blanket, a hot cocoa, and immerse yourself in this enchanting holiday extravaganza for a truly heartwarming experience.

Ann Roberts has written a delightful book set in the comfort of Christmas time.

An old romance is rekindled but can it last plans for the future?